Swipe and Deploy

Old friends are some of the most precious, and Darren Adwalpalker continues to find new ways onto our short list of stories to tell in awe of the Almighty God.

In 2008, Darren met the Yoda of reFocusing, Kirk Kirlin. At the time, he pastored an older, fairly traditional church in Southern California made up of both Spanish and English speakers. And God had set Darren’s hair on fire to see the congregation make new disciples of Jesus Christ in their community! So, Kirk coached him as the forerunner and walked his congregation through the Missional Pathway. As a result, the church turned inside out and found their way into a concerted, meaningful life on mission together!

Darren has since moved to Casper, Wyoming to serve as a pastor for community and global engagement. But the DNA of his former church has fundamentally transformed! In his absence, others have taken up the torch to perpetuate “presence-ing Jesus” in their unique spheres of influence.

And Darren’s story is far from over! His relationship with Kirk thrives, and his soul knows increasingly well the power of a restored identity in Christ. Not only does he believe that we can saturate whole neighborhoods and networks with Christ’s fame, but every believer has a special platform to carry the Good News of Jesus into the lives of the lost. He has watched the Lord work through the process to change lives on so many occasions that he leads Awaken in a juvenile detention center, a men’s prison, and a junior college in his new city! Why limit the transformative process to an organized church scenario?! May the Lord multiply his disciples in the most unlikely places, as he invites his people to a renewed sense of identity! God bless your creative son, committed to Your work and submitted to Your voice!