A New Beginning

This week the DePoy family launched a new church plant, in downtown Grand Rapids! This vision was born from the furnace of Rock Bottom, and is evidence that God always allows for new beginnings and 70 x 7 chances.

"The Awakening Church" is meeting inside a Homeless Shelter on Division Avenue, because of course. Jesus.

You helped set up all the chairs and tables, and handed out bibles. You sat in the front row with your sisters and Teresa and you took communion and you sang the songs. And at the end of it all, the only thing I cared about: You ran up to give me the best. hug. ever.

I want you to know that my (unhidden) agenda is to make my daughters proud of me. I don't want your last memory of me preaching to have been the disaster that was Exodus Church. I really want you to be proud of me, and if nothing else happens - I'll be happy with your hug.

By the way, my first sermon at The Awakening Church was about people being invited to the party... all of the homeless and poor and broken, welcome at the Table of grace. I concluded with the story of you and I at the Daddy/Daughter dance at Valentine's Day. So you were beaming with pride, as my middle daughter. I couldn't stop crying all day. Tears of joy!