Meet our Leadership Team
While we have a strong team of people behind the scenes, this is our core leadership team. You will likely see them on Sunday mornings, so feel free to say hi and introduce yourself. We would love to get to know you!
Matt Peterson, Lead Pastor
Matt is the Lead Pastor at Awake Church, as well as the founder of the water supplying organization Hydrating Humanity. From day to day, Matt can be found speaking on the heart of God, helping others to connect with the person of Jesus, and even on occasion, making electrical repairs via scissor lift around the church building. His passion is to release the Kingdom of Heaven, lead others to a safe, healthy place spiritually, and participate with the family members at Awake to find their purpose and live fully alive.
Originally from Oregon, Matt now lives in North Carolina with his beautiful wife Debbie and their five sons. He is an avid storyteller who often shares his own adventure-packed history as well as stories of others that have inspired him. When he is not at Awake, you may find Matt watching an afternoon football game, enjoying his family, or capturing photos of the outdoors.
Dawn Bray, Pastoral Care Pastor
Dawn Bray is our Pastoral Care Pastor, as well as the founder of New Reflection Ministries. She also leads Awake Freedom, a ministry at Awake designed to nurture healthy families through tools for individual connection with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Dawn desires to extend support and care to the body at Awake and is raising up teams to minister and serve every area of need in our congregation.
Dawn has over 20 years of ministry experience. With warmth, insight, and authenticity, she ministers both truth and grace rooted deep in her own story. She invites others on a journey of growth and freedom, crossing the threshold into true intimacy and identity. She inspires many with her servant's heart. Dawn is available for spiritual mentoring, training & equipping for teams, groups, and churches and offers personal ministry by appointment.
Dawn and her husband, Lonnie, live in Kernersville and in her free time, she loves being with her family and making memories with her granddaughters. She also has a passion for worship, writing, exercising, and taking long walks or hikes in nature.
Beth Johnson, Family Pastor
Beth is the Family Pastor at Awake Church which includes women’s ministry, marriage ministry, and meeting with people of all ages!
She loves to encourage people to become the BEST version of themselves by believing and walking in what the Lord has promised.
She loves to teach God’s Word, meet with people, drink coffee, and bake cookies (because she says the way to someone’s heart is through a chocolate chip cookie). 😉
Beth and her husband Tim have been involved in ministry for over 40 years. They have three children and six grandchildren, who bring so much joy!!
Kylan Reasoner, Worship Pastor
Kylan leads our Worship Department at Awake Church. Experiencing first-hand the power and freedom that worship brings, he desires to lead people into God’s presence through passionate praise and worship.
Kylan also leads the Young Adults group along with his wife Rebekah. They live in Winston-Salem with their two dogs, and when they are not at Awake, they run their coffee shop, Sayso.
Kylan enjoys good food, writing music, playing board/card games (anything competitive), and playing sports.
Tim Johnson, Get Together Pastor
Tim helps to oversee Awake's Get Together groups. He is also involved with other ministry teams at Awake including the Prayer and Prophetic teams, Kids Rock, and Awake Young Adults, and from time to time helps with worship.
He is a Winston-Salem native, who has also lived in Oklahoma, Montana, and Colorado. He and his wonderful wife Beth, have been involved in ministry for 30+ years. Tim's heart is to serve the body of Christ.
They have three married children and six grandchildren, whom they love to spend time with. Two daughters live in Colorado and their son lives in North Carolina.
Debbie Peterson, Children’s Pastor
Debbie leads the Children's ministry at Awake Church. She taught elementary and middle school for eighteen years and has stepped away to embrace this privilege of partnering with parents, grandparents, and caregivers in nurturing children and sharing God's amazing love and plan for their lives.
She is married to Matt, the lead pastor and they have five incredible sons.
Stephan Hite, High School Youth Leader
Stephan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was raised here in Winston-Salem. He graduated from UNCG and serves the community as a Fire Fighter. Being a huge sports fan, you will find him cheering for UNC Tarheels (Basketball) and Ohio State (Football) during their respective seasons and sometimes playing on the basketball court.
Stephan attended Reagan High School where he met his beautiful wife, Jada. They have been married for nearly a decade and have three children: Lavender, Lyon, and Halston.
Early in 2021, Stephan felt a strong calling from the Lord, to serve the youth. He believes there is no junior Holy Spirit and that our children need to be discipled and ready to receive the calling God has over their life. Stephan believes that discipleship starts at home and he wants to contribute to what the parents have already started at home. This generation of youth will be vital in moving the Kingdom forward to fulfill God's will! It is Stephan's greatest passion to walk alongside our children and equip them.
Levi Lapinsky, Middle School Youth Leader
Levi is over our middle school youth and longs to lead the younger generation into a more meaningful relationship with the Lord.
He has done missionary work in the Philippines, as well as, spent many years counseling elementary and middle students at school summer camps, ranging from North Carolina to Oklahoma.
Levi and his wife, Grace, live in Lexington, NC with their two dogs and daughter, Finlee.
Levi enjoys competitive sports, a good cup of coffee (at really any point in the day), and growing relationships with his family and friends.
Nicole Johnson, Church Administrator
Nicole Johnson is the church administrator and assistant to our Lead Pastor, Matt Peterson. She also works alongside Tim Johnson in the organization and administration of our Get Together groups. When it comes to questions or requests about our Awake’s fellowship and our building, Nicole is your go-to girl! She has a heart to serve, is gifted in organization, and loves the church body.
Nicole grew up in Texas and moved to Winston-Salem in 2019 with her husband, Dean, and daughter, Evelyn. They spent 12+ years in college ministry and loves to disciple people. When that season ended, they felt a strong desire to stay in Winston-Salem and commit to serving Awake Church.
Nicole enjoys a good cup of coffee, game nights with friends, and playing with her sweet pup, Coco.