Awaken Church Finds an Unlikely Home in Lilydale

“See those hooks up there?” Micah Witham points to a duo of sturdy, j-shaped bars attached to the arched ceiling, “Those were to hold the swing for the trapeze. We’re trying to see if we can bring that into a service.”

It’s not exactly the first landmark one expects to see on a pastor-led tour of a brand new church, but for Awaken, that’s part of the point.

Awaken is an Evangelical Covenant Church born in July of 2010. Led by Pastor and “Imaginator” Micah Witham, folks at Awaken are trying to re-imagine what exactly church is in our culture, how it speaks and where it lives.

Formerly a pastor with Berean Baptist Church in Burnsville, Witham felt called to create a new church and a new vision for his community. He wanted to be a part of church that was reflective of the current culture and, rather than being bound by traditions dictating how a church should look and feel, he wanted it to resemble the world he knows—a world of Tweets and jeans and imperfection.

After attending a church "planting" (creating) workshop in early 2010, he was given permission to proceed toward this goal. With financial support from the Evangelical Covenant Denominational headquarters, the Evangelical Covenant church planting department and Berean Church, Awaken began.

Originally housed under a picnic shelter at Cherokee Heights Park, in September they moved their gatherings to Lilydale’s Joke Joint.

Stepping into the comedy club on Sunday mornings, there are lots of intimate candle-lit tables, a full band, temporarily closed bar and a sign that says “Be sure to tip your bartender.”

“We love where we are. It’s where the people are,” said Witham.

Witham and his team scurry around the rooms, organizing tables, tuning instruments and setting up equipment set to yield a savvy audio and video experience.

About 60 people attend the service. At times there are people dancing to the music, some knitting, some hugging and others checking email on their smart phones. After a short jam session and documentary film, Witham offers an active sermon, sometimes shouting, jumping, laughing, kicking or crying.

That enthusiasm is just what keeps Michael and Susan Smurr of Mendota Heights coming to Awaken.

“Micah’s got a very passionate heart to spread the word and how he reaches out to the younger community,” said Michael Smurr with a pause and a laugh, “and the older community as well, is really great.”

The gathering ends, the crowd disappears, the tables are tidied and eight hours later, the bar at the Joke Joint re-opens and the comedians return. It’s an interesting transition, from folks holding Bibles and talking of the kingdom of heaven to those holding beer and chortling to jokes about pot-smoking parents. 

But, Witham and Joke Joint owner Ken Reed think it’s a perfect venue for either event.

Though Reed was initially hesitant when Witham approached him about leasing the space, his only current complaint lies with the need for him to be extra-thorough when cleaning up on Saturday evenings.

“It’s clearly a really good space to perform and I think, based on what they do, it works well,” said Reed.

As Tof Lee, chief of leadership development and communications for Awaken said, “We run pretty fast and loose.”