Awaken the City was born in a funeral home northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. Yeah, we know, not many things are born in a funeral home. Sometimes, when you wonder out loud about your purpose, God places huge visions on your heart…in the middle of the night…while living above a funeral home. Nope, we couldn’t make this story up. Sara was living above a funeral home. As the local church she served began seeking to respond to a call to transform the city, the vision became a reality.  Awaken the City began in June, 2010 as a series of six, week-long mission experiences, welcoming over 200 people to serve in the city.

Years later, Awaken the City has grown, rested, and become a teaching ministry  Awaken the City continues to seek to impact lives and the city for good. We still wonder:

What if we were waking up to Christ’s presence in the city?

What if we were a teaching ministry connecting people to the needs of the city? 

What if the church really was the vehicle for transforming the city? 

What if we served as guides, waking up to Jesus’ presence around us? 

What if we woke up to the reality of poverty and walked with Jesus? 

What if jumped into risk-taking mission? 

What if we helped raise-up the next generation of young leaders in the church? 

What if, what if, what if…? 

What if we were city lights, reflecting Christ’s light in dark places?  Perhaps, then, we’ll partner with God and Awaken the City.

Awaken the City began as a vision of a city waking up to God’s presence.  We’re seeking to unite the gifts of the body of Christ with the needs in the city.  We are in ministry because we see the possibilities for transformation.  We see the possibility of restoring, renewing and rebuilding the city, one life at a time.  Awaken the City is about people.  It is about our city.  It is about following the Spirit into the world.

Join us and wake up to God at work in your life and the city.

“God is in the midst of the city” -Psalm 46:5a