Faith Belt

I first heard of Awake and Alive back in 2019 when I met Mike Westendorf at a workshop for Christian creatives. In 2020, when COVID hit during my sophomore year of college, everything around me came to a screeching halt, and I was mourning the death of plans, a loss of direction, and a broken world. I felt lost and confused and didn't know where to turn. It was then that I saw that Awake and Alive had an online Bible study, and, curious to what it had to offer, I joined. And it drew me in close.

This community and our regular gathering around God's Word sustained me through the pandemic, and it continues to sustain me still.

Awake and Alive is a space for me to better understand and trust the promises of our God. I've learned that God's Word is a feast of grace and beauty, and that time spent together meditating on it - whether it is a tough section or one I know by heart - is always, always worth it.

Awake and Alive is a place to hear from mentors on how God shows His faithfulness in their lives. Here I see older generations caring deeply for my generations' faith while also listening to us and the unique struggles we face. They lead with Christ's light, guide with wisdom, challenge attitudes, give trust, and provide practical advice as we navigate adulthood.

Awake and Alive is a place to connect with other young adults and develop a true and meaningful community centered around the gospel. What a gift it is to hear from one another and to pray for one another! This community has encouraged me, given me the opportunity to encourage, and blessed me with amazing Christian friends. 

I am grateful for Awake and Alive and all that God has done through it. May it continue to draw eyes to Christ!  -  Faith Belt

Michael Wagner

I love being part of Awake and Alive because it fosters a strong Christian community. Coming together with fellow believers to study the Bible is truly a blessing. Our diverse backgrounds allow for rich discussions, where I often gain insights I might miss when reading alone. Hearing others' thoughts on scripture, sharing struggles, and celebrating joys all contribute to our collective growth in faith. Most importantly, we center our conversations around the gospel truth that Christ died for us, and we strive to live to glorify Him. – Michael Wagner

Emily Gorski

Being a part of Awake and Alive has been a huge blessing to me. I’ve been a Christian my whole life, but through this group, God has opened my eyes to what it means to live in community and relationship with Jesus and the people around me past Sunday morning. I have loved gathering and digging into God’s Word with other Christians knowing that none of us have it all figured out, and growing together under the mentorship of caring leaders. I have been so encouraged and built up by Awake and Alive to help others understand that Christianity is so much more than a story we learned growing up, but a relationship and walk with Jesus that transforms our lives. – Emily Gorski

Katie Klement

The first time I had heard about Awake and Alive was at a conference in 2021 where I heard Mike present. He then pulled a group of us college students aside during the conference and gave us a short plug on Awake and Alive and asked if we thought we wanted to be part of it and maybe try to get one of the ministry's events over in MN (where our college, MLC) was located. It seemed like a fun thing to get involved in during college, but not until recently did I realize what a much bigger impact it would have on my life. Transitioning from college, "adulting" with a full time job, new marriage, and new home was a lot all at once, but knowing that my Awake and Alive group was not going anywhere helped keep me sane amidst all the crazy. I have loved building relationships from afar while going through a similar time of life with other young adults who share my faith. We have all been pushed and pulled and tested over the last few years during this season, but it is amazing to see the bond we have through Christ, even from across state lines.  – Katie Klement

John Pless

Moving through my 20s I wanted to continue being part of a young Christian community while in college. And learn to continue trusting on God's plan for me wherever He took me. It has been great to be here since the beginning and to see new faces and hear their stories of Gods faithfulness. Every time we get together I’m reminded that I'm not alone in my struggles. Our time together helps me relate with others and with their personal stories of hope. I’m constantly reminded to continue to love others, forgive their wrong doings, and ask for forgiveness for mine. I'm not sure how long I'll be part of Awake and Alive, but I continue pray for God's blessing on this group. – John Pless

Abby Westendorf

I've been blessed to have been a part of Awake and Alive in some capacity for the last several years, and not just because Mike is my dad! I attended a Lutheran grade school, high school, and college, and am a life-long church goer. Yet even with all of that, I still found myself wanting to be better connected to God's word and a community of people my age. I had tried a couple of other studies, but I kept coming back to the environment that's always created at every Awake and Alive conference or study that I attend: a space that allows you to ask questions and wrestle with the scriptures, all whilst hearing from people my age and getting insight or takeaways that I might have never thought of. One of my favorite things about Awake and Alive is at the close when we are able pray over and for each other, hearing the highs and lows that the other individuals in our breakout groups are facing in their lives. I'm always reminded that there are so many people out there who are all walking through life in the same direction towards Jesus, so why not go together? – Abby Westendorf

Aaron Miller

I first started attending Awake and Alive events in 2019, but I didn’t get fully involved until sometime during the summer of 2022 when I started attending the online Bible studies. The most important part of the group for me has been the Christian community it provides and the comfort of having friends that are in a similar stage of life as me. I went to Wisconsin Lutheran College where it was easy to find a group of friends that was around my age and shared my faith, but after graduation it would have been much more difficult to find a group of people like this without Awake and Alive. Having this community where we can all grow together in both our faith and as young adults and share where we struggle in these areas has been encouraging and comforting for me as I still figure out life after school while still trying to keep God and his Word at the center of everything I do.

Becca Klement

I joined Awake and Alive in 2021, when I was a junior in college. I was attending a conference with some of my classmates, and Mike Westendorf was one of the presenters there, speaking on the topic of young adults. It was during the conference that Mike introduced my classmates and I to Awake and Alive, and I’ve been a part of it ever since!

I love that through Awake and Alive, God has provided for many needs and desires of mine, some of which I’m not sure I fully realized I had when I first joined. I’ve been blessed with community, mentors who help guide me and who show that they see me, friends from all over, vulnerability, and a growing knowledge of how to dig deep into the Bible and apply it. I’m so blessed to be in a group like this, where we can enjoy being with each other and navigate through life together. One of the most precious gifts in life is to have mentors and friends who will come beside you, take your hand, and walk with you through the highs and lows. And that’s what we do in Awake and Alive! I hope to be someone who welcomes others into our group and helps them feel seen and supported, just as it has been done for me. – Becca Klement

Holly Hinkle

I have been so blessed to join in the Awake and Alive online Bible study and appreciate how welcoming and friendly everyone has been.  Finding this group was really an answer to prayer, as I felt like God gave me the inspiration to look for an online young adult Bible study and I am so happy that I found you guys!  I really enjoy diving into the Bible passages and sharing about the insights and messages we uncover from the Scriptures.  The study time is interesting, thoughtful and made applicable to real life and how to live out the Christian walk as a young professional or young college student.  I really feel like the people in this group are committed to God and want to draw closer to Him.  The breakout prayer groups are great, and I have found them to be a sincere time of sharing about life’s highs and lows and offering up prayers for one another.  Playing games remotely together is fun too!  Even though I haven’t met you all in person yet, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you online and I hope we can meet face to face sometime!  I am thankful for this online community that makes it possible to gather with other young believers from around the country.  God bless you all.