The Awakening Church Network is a network of ministers who lead churches in various roles. The leadership could consist of the office of an elder/overseer and a deacon. It could also consist of other leadership gifts, such as the ministry gifts of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. We come alongside those whom God has called and gifted, and we recognize that calling of God by either licensing or ordaining them in ministry. We are a network designed for the remnant of spiritually hungry and thirsty Christian leaders who want to go deeper in God and be used powerfully by Him.
We believe we can achieve more together than we could ever achieve alone. Something far bigger and greater than ourselves and our own ministries and churches unites us together – the Gospel of Jesus and the Kingdom of God – and what drives us is spiritual awakening or revival.
We seek to teach, train, and equip Christian leaders to be effective ministers, leaders, shepherds, and missionaries and who in return, can then teach, train, and equip others to be effective ministers, leaders, shepherds, and missionaries. We seek to be Jesus’s witnesses in “Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth” (Acts 1:8).
Ministry is often lonely for many leaders, but it doesn’t have to be that way. This network seeks to remedy that issue by connecting like-minded leaders together. Find credentialing, prayer, support, fellowship, accountability, community, mentorship, gatherings, conferences, training, teaching, and more in this network.
We are here to provide resources and to help ministers grow in the Lord and be successful in God’s eyes as faithful servant leaders. This network is here to give opportunity for like-minded Spirit-filled ministers to develop relationships and to share resources. We want to help ministers grow and experience God’s favor, blessing, and anointing. We want to help them to be spiritually awakened in their hearts, ministries, and churches, and to be awakeners for others. We want to help them go deeper in the Lord and deeper in His holy Scriptures.
We provide credentials for ministers so that they can perform weddings and funerals in the states where they reside. We provide licensing and ordination for ministers in vocational ministry contexts like local church offices (elders/overseers and deacons). We also license and ordain those called to ministry who are not in a vocational ministry church office. We believe God has given all five ministry gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 to equip and edify the body of Christ, and we seek to get behind these ministers in licensing and ordaining them to lead in their churches.
We believe both men and women and young and old are called to minister or serve (see Romans 16, for example, for a list of women God used in ministry), and we want to help them become as effective as possible in equipping the saints to minister (Ephesians 4:12-16). We disciple, mentor, counsel, and train ministers to lead with Christlike, loving, servant leadership.
We are here to help you live holy and righteous lives and to be faithful servants of God, equip you for Spirit-empowered Kingdom ministry, help you to flow in the leadership of the Holy Spirit, see you spiritually awakened, and give you the tools necessary to succeed in ministry.
We are a Spirit and Word network in which we seek to merge and balance both the Spirit of God and the Holy Scriptures. We do not believe these are meant to be at odds with one another but rather to complement one another. We have a passion for both moving in spiritual gifts and the miracle-working power of the Holy Spirit, while at the same time having a robust biblical theology.
How can you qualify to become a licensed minister of this network?
1) Character – You live a consistent, holy, and righteous life. You have character and integrity, and the fruit of the Spirit is evidenced in your life (John 3:16; Matthew 7:15-20; James 2:14-26). A good list of requirements for any minister is found in 1 Timothy 3:1-12 and Titus 1:6-9 (besides the two exceptions of “being able to teach” and “not being a new convert,” all the other requirements apply to all believers wanting to do ministry and not just overseers).
2) Calling – You know God has called you to minister in the body of Christ and equip other saints to minister too. You desire and are willing to serve in God’s Kingdom and have accompanying spiritual gifts to help you to do this.
3) Commitment – a one-time non-refundable application fee of $50 and a commitment to donate to the ministry monthly in any amount as the Lord leads you.
How can you qualify to become an ordained minister of this network?
To become an ordained minister in the network requires you to not only have the character, calling, and the commitment, but also experience in ministry and a Biblical education. We require everyone wanting to become an ordained minister to have active ministry experience as a licensed minister for at least one year and to have a basic Bible education (either in our network or outside of our network). If you do not have a Bible degree and have never been to a Bible college or seminary, we offer a Certificate in Biblical Studies from the Awakening School of Ministry. This certificate consists of six courses with each course consisting of ten classes. The six courses offer a foundational Bible education and they include Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Hermeneutics, and Systematic Theology I, II, and III. We require you to get this certificate or equivalent teaching from another ministry school or Bible college in order to qualify for ordination. The certificate in Biblical studies covers the basics of Biblical theology and a survey of the entire Bible and also a course on how to properly interpret the Scriptures.
You can become a licensed minister or an ordained minister in the network. The choice is yours. For those qualified for licensing and ordination, which is determined through an interview, prayer, and meeting the necessary requirements, we lay hands on you in prayer in the presence of others. This is what is often called ordination. To ordain simply means to set in place, delegate, or appoint. We do not ordain, but rather God ordains and we simply recognize and confirm it through the laying on of hands in prayer. We do not confer a special spiritual status or power on people. We believe ordination is simply a recognition of God’s calling and grace upon an individual for ministry. We simply confirm God’s calling on your life and recognize your character, knowledge, and gifting before witnesses publicly and then pray and bless you (Acts 6:1-6; 7:10; 13:1-2; 14:23; 2 Corinthians 8:19; 1 Timothy 4:14; 5:22; Titus 1:5).
If you want to join our network, please fill out this form:
Chris Dubois and John Copell are free to visit and minister, speak, and train churches, ministries, and ministers in Kingdom-empowered ministry. They seek to bring a team of people to do ministry. Please reach out to them if you want them to visit your church or ministry (click on “Events and Schedule” on the homepage).
We seek to have at least one network conference a year. At this conference, there is teaching, equipping, and training. Ministers, churches, and ministries can see one another face-to-face. Days of teaching, equipping, and training take place and friendships are formed and lives are transformed!
You must be in active good standing as a member for one month in order to apply for credentialing and you are expected to maintain active membership with the network. Members who leave the network lose their credentials.
You do not have to leave your current network or denomination to be part of our network. Membership is for all. Licensing is available to everyone, but you must be a member for at least one month first and go through an interview process. In this interview, we verify that you meet the biblical character qualifications of a minister and that you understand God’s calling upon your life. After you get your license, you can apply for ordination once you meet the educational and experiential requirements.