How is Awaken Dane a response to a number of situations facing the church?
- Declines in church attendance and religious affiliation are leaving pastors scrambling to adapt and survive, leaving little time to engage the dynamic social and cultural shifts and to dream and discern where God is calling.
- The hollowing out of American community which contributes to an epidemic of loneliness and intractable political polarization.
- Many churches are disconnected from their neighborhood, either because they are located in urban neighborhoods that have witnessed dramatic demographic change or because nearly all members live outside of the church neighborhood.
- Many churches have lost a sense of active partnership with God who is already on the move in their community.
- Churches need to be aware of and engaged with key features of our place for example significant racial disparities, the centrality of politics, and the influence of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Understandable preoccupation with practical concerns can leave church leaders obsessing over “church questions,” all the while neglecting essential “God questions” such as: What is God up to among us? How is God inviting us to join in the renewal of this place?
Awaken Dane 