Awaken Beloit
“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’”
The overall premise of Awaken Beloit is that the Spirit of God is at work in our neighborhoods. When we slow down and listen, we can be awakened to the Spirit moving among our neighbors. Awaken Beloit uses Dwelling in the Word, a Spiritual practice of deep listening to Scripture, to train our ears and hearts to listen for the Spirit in our neighborhoods so that we can join in God’s holy work.
An Introduction
Awaken Beloit is an ecumenical cohort experience for churches based in Beloit, WI, where participants will develop skills to deeply listen to the Spirit through Scripture and, ultimately, through their neighborhoods and neighbors. Our hope is that participants will be awakened to the work God is doing in their neighborhoods and join God in that holy work.
Each congregation commits 4-6 members and a ministry leader to attend a monthly gathering throughout the school year at each other’s churches, and hosts one or two of the gatherings in their church building as well.
Awaken Beloit staff will facilitate these evening gatherings that consist of: a meal, Dwelling in the Word, and time learning and practicing the skills we are developing to deeply listen for the Spirit of God.
Additionally, ministry leaders are asked to attend a monthly morning meeting to build relationships with one another and support each other through this process. These meetings are also facilitated, allowing time for participants to meet with the Awaken Beloit coaches.
To see more program details and read testimonials, please visit the Awaken Dane page.
Fifty percent of the funding for this project was granted by Lilly Endowment, Inc. If you would like to support this ministry, you can Donate Here and add “Awaken” in the comment section.
For more information, contact Deaconess Johnna Georgia
Awaken Beloit Timeline
January 2026 - April 2026
Facilitator and Coach (2) positions open for applications January 1 through February 15
Facilitator and Coach (2) positions will begin as of April 1
May 2026
Applications open for congregations to apply to the Awaken Beloit Cohort
June 2026
Cohort applications are due by June 15 with decisions being announced shortly after.
August 2026
The first Ministry Leader Learning Community will begin meeting monthly
September 2026 - May 2027
Ministry leaders and their congregational teams will meet for the first monthly dinner gathering in September
August 2027 - May 2028
The meeting schedule is adjusted in the second year of the program to every 2-3 months
Awaken Beloit Positions
Awaken Beloit will be hiring three part-time positions (approximately 5 hours/week) to be the local leading staff for this project, one facilitator and two coaches.
Awaken Dane staff will provide training, oversight, and support. Please see the job descriptions below and submit a cover letter and resume to Deaconess Johnna Georgia by February 15. Staff will begin training in early April.