The Awakenings Movement (AM) is a 501 (c) (3) non-denominational Christian movement and church that seeks to serve Houston’s historical Third Ward neighborhood and the Greater Houston area.

The mission of AM is to be a place where dreamers become believers who become doers. Established September 11, 2005, AM is a community of artists, entrepreneurs, young professionals, and students who seek out those who are deemed “less than” or “outsiders” in the city of Houston with the goal of training and developing them to realize and live out their God-given dreams.

As culture shapers, we recognize the greatest challenge of human development in our city is not irresponsible sex, crime, or social apathy. Our greatest challenge is displaced passion. We are passionate about the wrong things. Deflated and displaced passion can leave our city lifeless and angry. We long for something different and more meaningful but most of us are afraid to reach beyond our places of comfort to explore a new passion that refuels itself. Pure Passion is the only thing that can revive our city because when our passion is in the right place; responsibility, creative expression, and healthy lifestyle choices will follow. We challenge and equip our community members to discover and live true passion, and they are then sent out into the community to spark change and make a positive impact on society.

Since 2005, AM has seen success in its endeavors to accomplish its mission. It has grown from a seventy-five member base to a movement that connected over 2,000 young people in the Greater Houston area. A non-traditional spiritual movement, we use art and the power that lies within creativity to engage and inspire people to live the extra-ordinary lives they were destined to live. Utilizing an intersection of art forms and professional disciplines, AM seeks to equip the residents of Third Ward with the knowledge and tools necessary to not just make a living but to hone their talents–whether traditionally artistic or not–for life. AM programming seeks not to simply duplicate other churches by teaching a biblical message and being a place of Christian refuge from the world, but to train and equip its members to become missionaries and go out into the world to apply the message of Christ’s love to their everyday lives, further igniting a movement of social, political, cultural and societal change.

Since our inception, we have been nomadic as a movement. We have met all over the city in unconventional places, having sacred moments in BBQ joints, The Breakfast Club, Warehouse Live, former gas stations, bars and university auditoriums. We believe that the presence of God is not limited to a specific building, type of structure or program.  In 2011, we ended our worship gathering and are now serving the city with The Eat Gallery as our primary mission and focus.