WHAT'S NEXT

Moving from St. James to Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

Our Time at St. James

For the last 10 years, Awaken Community has gathered together in St. James in the West 7th neighborhood of St. Paul. We moved in as a small church of 175 people and renovated this old Irish Catholic cathedral into a space we have called our own for the past 10 years.

After 10 years, the church whom we rent from made the decision not to renew our lease, so we're moving!

Finding Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

In early 2024 we began looking for places to move that could accommodate a church of 500 people, provide space for many different kids classrooms, and offer more space for community events. During this search, Pastor Micah began chatting with Pastor Jim at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Immediately there was recognition of a lot of common ground between our communities, and a vision for a partnership began to take shape. Over time that vision grew and solidified, and in the fall of 2024 we signed a two-year lease to rent space from Redeemer beginning in 2025.

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer has been around since 1890! They are a community driven congregation with lots of outreach happening with the local community. Their space is used to provide a home for more than just Awaken, including AA/NA meetings, Vail Place, Happy Seniors, & African American Survivor Services. We’re excited to be in the mix!

The new building is located just 2.5 miles north of Awaken, at the intersection of I94 and Dale Street in the Summit-University/Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul.

Transition Timeline

Final St. James Gatherings

January 5th, 12th, 19th at 9:00am and 10:30am

For our final three Sunday gatherings in St. James we will take time to reflect on our years here, and consider what the pilgrimage ahead might hold for us collectively and individually. Our final Sunday gathering in the building will be January 19th. We will also have special events to allow folks to remember and celebrate in a variety of ways. Click the links below to learn more.
Remembering St. James - Open House
Remembering St. James - An Evening of Celebration

Community In Transition

January 20th - March 1st

We will be taking a break from our regular Sunday gatherings for a few weeks while we do the bulk of this work. We know the absence of Sunday gatherings is a disruption for many.  During the transition we will be live-streaming Awaken's Greatest Hits, a selection of some of our favorite gatherings from the last few years, to help keep a regular Sunday rhythm going. These will live-stream on our website and Youtube on Sunday mornings at 10:30am from Jan 26th - Feb 23rd.

We have also worked hard to prepare opportunities to stay connected with the community during this time. Check out our events calendar, ongoing Affinity Groups, or get connected with local Awakenites through 'Guess Who's Coming to Brunch'.
Upcoming Events
Affinity Groups
Guess Who is coming to brunch

Workday Weekends

January 20th - March 1st

We have said from the beginning it’ll take lots of hands to make this move happen.  There will be workdays on these weekends with several volunteer opportunities for anyone who can lend a hand with tasks like packing, cleaning, demolition, and moving items between the two locations. Below are some ways for you to get involved!

  1. Help with a workday
  2. Bring lunch for workday volunteers 
  3. Pick up any donation items and drop them off for us
  4. Sign up to be on an “on call” list during the week.

With the exception of the “on call” list all sign-ups will be available through Sign Up Genius. We have the first three weekends released and ready for sign ups!
Volunteer Sign-up
On-Call Sign-up

Open House Sunday Gatherings

February 16th & 23rd at 10:30am

Join us at the Redeemer building for a simplified gathering followed by an Open House to see the new space. We will still be in the process of moving in, but we want to give you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the space before our first full gathering on March 2nd. Kids Community will not be available, but kids are encouraged to join and check out the new classroom spaces during the open house. 

Regular Sunday Gatherings Begin

March 2nd at 10:30am

Our full Sunday rhythm will begin again,  with our first full gathering at the Redeemer building being on March 2nd! We will have ONE gathering at 10:30am with Kids Community provided for all ages. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Awaken moving to one gathering?
The Redeemer congregation meets for worship in the building on Sunday mornings at 8:30am, so we are no longer hosting a 9:00am gathering for Awaken. We will be able to host one gathering at 10:30am for our entire community as the Redeemer sanctuary seats close to 600 total, about twice as much as our current space in St. James.
Why are there no Sunday gatherings between January 26th and February 9th?
We looked at many options to try to continue gatherings during the transition. However, there are significant projects that need to happen in St. James including removing all our sound/lighting gear and demolishing the tech booth and gallery walls. The timeline of those projects does not allow us to continue meeting at St. James during the transition.

Additionally, we need to install sound/lights at Redeemer, install tech in the new tech booth, and move over our chairs, kitchen equipment, and band equipment before we can resume full gatherings again. We have planned for the bulk of our equipment to be moved the weekend of February 8th and 9th, so we will resume gatherings with a paired down Sunday experience on February 16th, ramping up to a full Sunday gathering on March 2nd.
Why is Awaken making repairs to the Redeemer building?
As part of our lease arrangement, Awaken has committed to maintaining certain aspects of the building. We are a larger congregation and have needs that may surpass what Redeemer has needed in the last few years, so Redeemer has given us permission to make changes and updates in several neccesary areas. In exchange for us updating and repairing portions of the building, Redeemer has agreed to a lower month to month rental arrangement.
Is Awaken merging with Redeemer?
No. Awaken is a tenant and renting space from Redeemer, and neither community will be merging with the other. Redeemer will gather for worship in the sanctuary at 8:30am, and Awaken will gather at 10:30am.
Where is Redeemer located?
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer is located at 285 Dale St N, Saint Paul, MN 55103 
Will you need help with the transition?
Yes! Between January 20th and March 1st there will be lots of projects that need to be done both at St. James and at Redeemer. More details will be sent out in an email to Awaken Weekly recipients in the first week of January with sign-ups available for the various tasks.

February 8th and 9th will be our moving weekend where we will have trucks to move the bulk of our equipment and furniture from St. James to Redeemer.