By Deaconess Johnna Georgia
Awaken Dane Program Director

Awaken Dane is a two-year cohort program consisting of three main tiers:

• Monthly meetings of the pastor with a team of congregational members to work through the Stepping Out curriculum together

• Monthly meetings of all participating pastors to reflect on the program and form a community together alongside Awaken Dane coaches

• Two plenaries hosted at Upper House Madison each year to present a topic to Awaken Dane participants while featuring different local speakers

January 15, 2022, saw our first plenary which featured Dr. Parker Palmer. Dr. Palmer reflected on “Countering a Crisis of Belonging: A Calling for the Local Church” while engaging in conversation with moderators Rev. Phil Haslanger and Rebecca Cooks. 

Having plenaries as an additional layer to the program is meant to help us further know and love our place. The plenary represents a dedicated time to gather participants and turn our attention toward a larger issue in our local community. After the plenary, we spend time in mixed small groups to reflect and digest together. 

One highlight of Awaken Dane is that it is an ecumenical program. Of the eight congregations in our first cohort, seven denominations are represented. One of our goals with the plenary series is not to unify the participating churches in a way that asks them to change their values or core identities. We embrace the diversity and seek to find harmony among us. The content of the plenaries will inevitably bring up perspectives of discord – and we love that! We are building a safe place where our participants can show up authentically and be vulnerable with each other. This is relationship and it is messy and beautiful. 

A core principle of Awaken Dane is building relationship and attending to each other’s stories. The first cohort launched in July 2021, and already we are seeing the community making space for fellowship and vulnerability. Every month participants practice deep listening skills through spiritual practices because that’s where relationship starts – truly hearing each other. 

The pandemic has certainly made launching Awaken Dane harder, but we have remained flexible and responsive. We are opening a second cohort of Awaken Dane in the Fall of 2022 with applications being accepted through May 24. Please reach out to Program Director Johnna Georgia if you are interested in learning more about participating in our next cohort! 

We didn’t provide a summary of the plenary because we have made it available via podcast here. We hope you enjoy Dr. Parker Palmer’s perspective and that you take time to reflect on your own understanding of belonging. 

Awaken Dane is a joint effort of Wisconsin Council of Churches, Collaboration Project, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and Upper House. It is a grant funded project through Lilly Endowment, Inc. To learn more, visit our website or find us on Facebook.

We invite you to partner with us in telling stories that highlight how God is working in and through the local church by supporting Collaboration Project today.