Page 3
January 2018
AWAKE COFFEE COMMUNITY
PET OF THE MONTH
The AWAKE Community
“
Coffee is HOW we
do what we do, not
WHY we do what we
do. Coffee draws people but
community is why we do
what we do…” says Noelle,
the founder of AWAKE
Communities International
(ACI), better known to the
public as AWAKE Coffee
Community. AWAKE Coffee
Community is a coffee shop
on the corner, across from
the courthouse in Olde Town
Conyers. Over coffee, Noelle
spoke of her passion that
began the dream of ACI. The
coffee shop was born out of a
desire to create a place where
everyone and anyone could
gather. A place where people
would be known and valued.
“I really wanted to create an
environment where people
could walk in and feel better
about themselves,” Noelle
says. She adds, “America is
very richly resourced in a lot
of things but very deprived in
relationships.” She wanted a
place where people could sit
around a table and be richly
blessed by relationships with
others in the community.
Community is an important
word to Noelle. She
describes it as, “Common
unity and even breaking that
down farther is the word
communion.” Communion
is defined in the English
Oxford Dictionary as, “the
sharing or exchanging
of intimate thoughts and
feelings, especially on a
mental or spiritual level.”
Noelle thinks of community
as a verb. AWAKE is focused
on coming together under a
common union, which, in this
case would be coffee. In the
midst of community, there
are individual stories and
AWAKE wants to highlight
those stories with the eMetro
Times as their vehicle. Noelle
says, “There’s something to
be discovered in everyone’s
stories.” The staff at AWAKE
is a volunteer staff. Many ask
why these volunteers keep
coming back. If you want to
know why they come back,
come into the coffee shop
ask them why they do what
they do. They come back
because someone cares about
their story. They come back
because they have found
family. The AWAKE motto is,
“Work as a team but live as
a family.” Noelle’s vision for
Conyers is to be a larger scale
of the community that has
been developed at AWAKE.
Her vision for Conyers ties
back to her faith. Her vision is
Jesus’ vision for Conyers. She
2 of the 8 AWAKE Founders Nick and Laura Archambault with
Jason and Noelle Cosby (From Left)
desires a place where people
Noelle’s vision for eMetro
come to find out who they are, Times is to continue to give
discover their gifts, become
people the good news. “We
entrepreneurs and to build
want to honor the original
relationships and community. vision of eMetro Times by
She sees a city thriving with the founder, Neal Lange,” she
joy. She sees a hub where
says. Neal Lange originally
people gather to know and be started the eMetro Times
known. She also sees it as a
newspaper when he was fed
place where people can come up with seeing all of the bad
to be trained and equipped to news in his community all
create similar communities
the time. He wanted to see
in other US cities and then
some good stuff because he
eventually abroad as well.
knew there were good stories
out there. Noelle says, “He
What will you feel when
wanted to get people into a
you walk into AWAKE?
healthy thought pattern about
Noelle is reminded of the
news.” AWAKE’s current goal
1980’s sitcom called Cheers. is to expand readership for
AWAKE is a place where
eMetro Times. Noelle says,
everyone knows your name
“The more people we can
but not only your name,
encourage, the more it creates
they know you. Jason, the
atmospheres like what we
executive director of ACI
have at AWAKE.” They want
says, “…its a place where
to be able to start communities
people lift their heads.”
like this in more cities in the
AWAKE is a place where
united states and abroad. They
you can go to be free from
wants to bring hope to the
distractions and come to
world. Joy, Hope and loving
a place where people care
people, that’s what AWAKE
about who you are and what does. They want to see people
you are doing. In different
happy and filled with joy. If
occasions at the coffee shop, we can reproduce that in the
Noelle says, “We see people storie s we tell, we plan to do
cross denominations lines.
just that and keep the integrity
We see people even cross
of the paper. AWAKE wants
religion lines. We see people to applaud and acknowledge
cross racial lines and come
the race that has been ran by
together.” AWAKE is a place Alcovy Media with this paper
with a sense of belonging.
and AWAKE intends to take
The AWAKE staff strives to
the baton and run with it!
cultivate an atmosphere of
people being fully known and
fully loved.
The AWAKE Family Today!
K
oda Bear was born December 2, 2014. He was brought home to the family
of Donna Schreckengost in January of 2015. Koda Bear is a Siberian Husky
who loves playing, running, and daily walks around our neighborhood or
nearby park. He has a very independent spirit, which we love, but can get him in
trouble from time to time. He is very smart, as he knows if I put on my ball cap,
a particular jacket, or sunscreen, he begins running around the house “yelling and
talking,” as he knows we are going for a walk!
In 2014, Donna’s youngest son left for college, leaving Donna and her husband
Steve as empty nesters. Her husband did not like the sound of silence in the house so
they adopted Koda Bear. They say it was the best decision they have ever made. He
brings so much love and happiness to their home. When Donna leaves the house, she
is welcomed home with “yelling” and puppy kisses. Donna said, “You would think I
had been gone for days.” When Donna’s son returned from U.S. Marine boot camp
last January, Koda Bear jumped in to his arms and could not contain his excitement
to see his brother again. He is loyal and expresses his unconditional love with an
amazing display of affection. Koda Bear makes friends easily and is always told what
a beautiful dog he is by everyone he meets.
DEVOTIONAL
...And all who believed were together
and had all things in common. Acts 2:44
Just days after the disciples of Jesus
were empowered by the Holy Spirit in
the upper room on the day of Pentecost,
miracles were happening and the church
was exploding with new life. The new
believers began meeting together on a
daily basis. They had true community
and they had all things in common
including needs, hopes, dreams, fears, and
sorrows. I believe that this is a picture and
reflection of God’s heart for His church.
Many times in scriptures we see reference
to bearing one another’s burdens,
rejoicing over each others victories, or
providing for the needs of our brothers
and sisters in Christ. Jesus came to give us
life abundant according to John 10:10. I
believe that He meant for us to experience
that through community with the family
of God. In recent years my heart has
been saddened when I read about the
incredible growth of the early church and
then reflect on our current church culture
in America. It seems we have reduced
life-giving communion with the family
of believers for a check-in at service on
a Sunday morning.
This culture has left
many believers feeling
isolated and alone
when their need for
healthy and supportive
relationships is the
greatest. The church
culture in Acts is what
I believe Jesus came
to establish, and I
pray most scholars
would agree. Jesus
never meant for us
to live independent
lives, but rather in
interdependence with
one another, having
all things in common
and creating life giving environments and
relationships with everyone we meet. If
these thoughts cause a heart reaction that
leaves you wanting community like this
take a moment and make this your
prayer for the New Year.
“Father, fill me with your Holy Spirit
and connect me even deeper in true
community for my growth and Your
glory” -Amen
Noelle Cosby
Co-founder and CEO
AWAKE Communities
International, Inc.