Awaken Dane was a grant-funded initiative in partnership with Wisconsin Council of Churches, Collaboration Project, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and Upper House Madison. It ran from 2021-2025 and was entirely funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc. Pictured here are the leaders who co-wrote the initial grant and developed the curriculum.

Each year, ministry leaders and a small group of congregational members from an ecumenical cohort of churches in Dane County met monthly in each other’s church buildings to break bread together, practice Dwelling in the Word, engage in the Awaken Dane curriculum, and meet with their coaches.

The assignments each month encouraged participants to walk in their neighborhoods, where their only agenda was to be open and curious. We focused on “being with” our neighbors and fighting our natural inclination of “doing for” them.

Toward the end of the program, participants reflected on how they have been nudged by the Spirit over the past few months and were given some funds to try an experiment in their neighborhoods, with the intention of furthering their relationships and “being with” one another.

In addition to those dinner gatherings, each month the ministry leaders met in the Pastors’ Learning Community with the Awaken Dane facilitators and coaches to support one another and further their learning together.

What’s next? Collaboration Project will continue the work of Awaken Dane in Dane County through their Neighborhood Networks initiative. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Council of Churches will pilot the Awaken Dane experience in a different Wisconsin city every two years, beginning in Beloit.