End of November Updates
Larry Shetenhelm, Jennings, MI: We now have a full month of Awana. We have three “clubs” Sparks, TnT and Trek. The average attendance in the lower grades has been 18 and in the teen group 10. More than 35 have registered. We have 7 leaders and 5 others preparing the Family Meal. The program begins as the children get off the bus in Jennings. We offer a Family Meal after the club meetings. The idea is to encourage parents and/or guardians to have a meal as they pick up the children. Very few of them have come for the meal. We will decide whether to continue the meal after the first of the year.
One new idea we are using is to send each clubber home with the Scripture verse of the day. The clubber receives credit for the memory verse when a parent and/or guardian signs the Scripture memory card. The goal is to have the Word of God spoken in each home. We know the Word of God will not return void.
We are pleased with the attendance and are trying to be creative in using the Awana materials. (At little cost)
The Trek group is growing as new teens come almost every week. One reason is there is absolutely nothing for teens to do in Jennings. We have challenged them to “take their faith to the next level.”
A church in Florida has donated about 49 uniforms (leaders and clubbers) for our use. We did not plan on uniforms due to the cost.
Some of our leaders have been involved in Awana in the past, which is a great help! One comment they have made is that most Awana clubs are “church kids” plus a few unchurched kids. It is just the opposite here. Only our grandchildren come from a home that makes Sunday school and worship a priority. As of today NONE of the other parents/guardians attend church on any regular basis.
Discipline is a major problem. Most of the children are from undisciplined homes and are often in trouble in school and on the school bus. We use the “5 count” and some are slowly catching on. We will most likely need to begin taking kids home before club is over. It is our prayer that some will see the value in and of discipline.
Ken & Kathy Wagstaff, Andover, ME: We have had 2 Awana meetings so far. The first week was 15 kids and the second was 24. We use the school calendar because the bus drops the kids off at the church on Friday afternoons so we didn’t have Awana last week because of Thanksgiving vacation. This week we are having a prayer & planning meeting for the adults after the club and a quick supper. So far things are going well. Finances are the biggest problem but God is supplying what we need. The catalog has so many neat things but we are sticking to the basics for now. The adults bought their own uniforms and we are sending home information to the parents so maybe some of them will purchase their children’s shirts. The rest we will trust God for!
Jim and Judy Foster, Skykomish, WA: Our Awana is different than most. We have more workers than kids! There are only about 30 kids pre-school-6th grade in the whole area. We have 12 on the roll. 3 of the kids coming are Mormon and 1 is Hindu. We aren’t sure why their parents allow them to attend but we are thrilled. We know God wants to do great things as we have Satan really trying to stop our Awana club from going forward. We know Satan works hardest when he knows God has plans. We are looking forward to the victory and seeing how our Wonderful Lord works it all out.
We only have 2 days a week that we can have anything for kids. Sun. & Mon. evenings are our only times. The school has an after school program until 4:30 so that is not an option. With ski season open and the slopes only 16 miles away Fri. and Sat. are out. Tue., Wed. & Thur. are game nights at the school and the younger kids are on the Jr. cheer team.
We see our church people pulling together and are excited for the program and the opportunity to reach kids for Christ. One unchurched mother said her 2 young sons will not let them forget. This is an open door to this family that we have been praying for. Another mother has not been willing to step inside the church to even pick up her daughter from Jr. church. She would wait outside. Since Awana has started she comes early to pick up her child and sits in the back and listens.
We are going to use the Awana club members in our Christmas Candle light service, hopefully reaching families that have never come before. We are so thankful for what Village Missions and Awana have done to give us this program.
Ray and Karla Berry, Manning, ND: Manning’s Awana Club is going very well I had three concerns in doing Awana 1. Money 2. Personal 3. Space
1. God has supplied very much that we don’t need dues or want for anything. PTL
2. Personal God has supplied all that have been needed we have some helping from other churches. PTL
3. Space God has not stretched the church but with 7-9 kids we don’t need a lot of space.
I still believe Awana for the small rural church needs to be simplified and less expensive if a couple of large donations had not come in we could not have it free and 2 key workers from other churches helping we could not be doing Sparks and T&T as we are. How is it needed to be, I don’t truly know.
I will say as I’ve heard at Awana “if you explain it God may not be in it” May God be praised.
Ken & Charlotte Schmidt, Morton, WA: Well, not too much to report on our end…we started club Nov 1st. the first nite was supposed to be registration, but only 1 clubber showed…so we had to repeat that nite the following week. That means that Nov. 15th was our 1 (and only, up to this point) full blown Awana meeting…consisting of 3 clubbers! It went well, and we expect to get more tomorrow nite…
Andy and Stacy Taylor: Bridge, OR: Bridge Church has had a low of 20 kids and a high of 28 on BARF (Bring A Real Friend) night. In addition, we have had 4 to 8 High schoolers, who have their own study, and then help with games. We are not using uniforms, but had “Bridge Church Awana’s” T-shirts made. Finances and helpers have not been the problem, we could take three times as many kids. I think our greatest challenge right now is letting the community know what is going on. We have clubs on Sun. eve so that we don’t conflict with school events, but it has disadvantages too.
The training in Chicago was helpful, but not crucial. We are finding that what we were told holds true, if we give the teens a ministry, they are more consistent.
Our game director is struggling. The book is helpful, but our space doesn’t allow for a circle, and he does not have internet. We are going to have to have someone else get online for him to help find alternative games.
Bottom line is that it is being effective, to reach kids and even families already.
