10 Ways to Stay Connected to your Awana Students Remotely

We are praying for each of you and want you to know that we are here for you and with you through this difficult time. We understand that you want to be with your Awana kids each week and are struggling to find answers. You may be dealing with hard decisions of whether or not to hold Awana like usual and how long to postpone your meetings. We wanted to send out something to help stay connected with your kids and possibly develop better relationships with them and their families through this time! Here are 10 ideas that we found to be great examples of outside of the box thinking to continue to invest in your students. 

1. Pray for/ with them:  Have your small group leaders reach out to their kids and ask them how they could be praying for them while you are away. If permissible, you could even share some of the things going on in the other kids’ lives in their small group, so that the kids could be praying for each other. Be sure to get permission before sharing ANY prayer requests. 

2. Facebook live/ Youtube meetings: Most Awana ministries have a Facebook page dedicated to their Awana club. You might consider “going live” from that page to do the large group time lesson for that week. This might be a good way to direct parents to that page if they have not been there before, which will also help with your communication in the future.

3. Video call sections: The idea would be that your small group leaders would work with the parents of the students to arrange a time through the week to Facetime or video chat with the clubbers in order to work through their sections. Once again, this may be a strategy for the future when there is not a sufficient amount of time in the night to work through it or if the clubbers need to miss a week of Awana. 

4. Meal delivery: Does your club offer a meal or snack to your students or their families at Awana? Consider continuing this by working with the families to deliver a meal to them at their home. This would be a great way to connect with the kids and their families as well as meet a physical need that the family might be having through this time. 
 

5. Parent small group leaders: We are always looking for ways to get our parents more involved in what their kids are learning each week. You might work with the parents and have them work through the small group portion of the book with their kids and then have them send in a picture or video to the leader of the completed section. Typically we encourage someone other than parents to sign off on sections, but in unique times we need to remain flexible and look to the “big win” of getting parents and kids working through this together! 

6. Theme night picture challenge: You may be missing out on a theme night while this is going on. You might consider opening it up to your ministry's Facebook page for a themed picture challenge. For example, if it was supposed to be crazy sock night you might ask them to post a picture of them wearing the socks they would have worn to club and offer a prize or points for their team when they return to club (if they participate). 

7. Game time challenge: Once again through social media or messaging you could come up with a game or fun project that the families could do together in their home and send a video or picture of them playing it to you. Points or shares could be awarded for those that participate. Keep in mind that you need to come up with games that do not use props, or alternatively use props that typically would be in every home i.e. water/soda bottles are great bowling pins. 

8. Postcards/ letters from the leader: Be sure to give your leaders a few kids each to send a postcard or letter to while you are away. Kids love receiving mail! It makes them feel special and parents will love that someone is making their kids day! 

 

9. A small group in the leaders home: As we know the guidelines given are to stay distant from large groups, but your families might be open to having a small group at their leader's home! It would be a cool way to put a different atmosphere into your small group time, bake a pizza, and play some games while you go through a small group lesson with them. Parents might even stay to see what their kids are learning or they might just appreciate a break from the kids now that they are with them all day. This is a delicate situation- make sure that no one feels uncomfortable with offering their home for this time or that no parents feel pressured to have to attend despite their concerns. Again, exercise caution and request permission for any/all activities.

10. Offer coloring and activity pages: Some of your little ones are not going to be getting onto Facetime or video calls. Be sure not to overlook them and perhaps make their worksheets and coloring pages available on your church website or Facebook, or send them directly through email. 

We are grateful for you and your desire to work through this time in the best way possible. Our hope is that these ideas may give you some tools and options for you to use to continue building into your kids’ lives. They might even spark another idea in your mind- run with it! Please let us know if you need any help with any of these technologies we have suggested or any other concerns that may arise.

My Week March 9-15

982 Miles
1 Rental Car
2 States
2 Different Beds

Monday- Spent a great day meeting with missionary team members and other Awana leadership discussing how to reach MORE kids. What a blessing.

Tuesday- I drove to visit Life Baptist Church in Las Vegas. Co- Awana Ministry Directors Angela Engebretson and Marlo Simpson have built a great team of leaders who really poor into the kids at Life. Angela shared that her Cubbie group has broken out of their room and now has to meet in two different rooms- Praise God for all He is doing at Life.

Wednesday- I went over to Hope Church Boulder City. This is Hope's first year doing Awana, and they are doing wonderfully. What a joy to see the discipleship of children at Hope. Hope serves dinner for anyone who shows up at 6 pm and club starts at 6:30. 

While I was in Boulder City, I was hosted Mike and Bea Aikens. Here is my room. What a wonderful couple who serve the Lord by allowing me to stay in their home. So thankful for the people I get to know across our ministry area. 

Thursday- It was a long drive home. Nevada is such a beautiful and diverse state. I am constantly reminded how blessed I am to not only serve in such a beautiful area, but with such wonderful, friendly and Godly people. 

Friday- I spent the day emailing and contacting church who might someday want to consider starting an Awana Ministry.

Saturday and Sunday- We spent a good part of the day on Sunday shoveling snow from one of the few snowstorms we've had this winter, and then complying with the "Social Distancing"  requirements we broke out some of the old video games we used to play when Jack and Ryan were young and reminisced about memories of family time from years ago.

Resilient Disciplemaker Blog 1

What is a Resilient Disciplemaker? He or she is a common everyday, ordinary person who God uses to do extraordinary things. They are moms, dads, grandpa's and grandma's, plumbers, doctors, teachers, office workers; everyday people. They volunteer at both large and small churches alike. God is using these people to build a new generation of faith. They are teaching the church members, pastors, missionaries, elders, deacons of the Church of 2050, building their faith one brick at a time, precept upon precept, week after week. They love and are loved by kids, they teach and learn from kids, they invest in and are invested in by the local church, they help kids learn about Jesus and in turn learn more for themselves, they see joy and experience joy through the relationships with the kids they serve. They've risen their hands and said "Here am I Lord...use me". They are true heroes of the faith!

It is such a privilege to see God using these people to build His Kingdom.  

Resilient Disciplemaker blog 1 is:  Regina Crawford

Where does she serve: New Life Fellowship in Lovelock, NV

How long has she served: 2 years

What is her favorite thing about serving kids in Awana: "I love teaching Sparkies about Jesus".

Thank you Regina for loving the kids in Lovelock!

My Week March 2-9

1123 Miles
3 States
1 Rental Car
1 Train Ride
2 Uber's
3 Different Beds
Lot's of coffee

Monday- Is an admin day with calls, video calls, meetings with team members, field director and other admin work

Tuesday- I got to help Judy with the Awana Store at Sierra Bible Church- Truckee. I truly enjoyed this as I got to spend time interacting with the children here. Although I am a "children's missionary", I very rarely have time with children...so much fun. My favorite question for these kids when working in the store is "What are you going to buy your mom?"  I received numerous different replies.

Wednesday- I drove south along Hwy 95 to Pahrump Community Church. For most of my trips south, I fly, however every now and then I like to drive as it gives me a heart for these small towns in Nevada that have kids who need to know Jesus. I'll stop and meet pastors along the way. I stopped in Hawthorne at the El Capitan for coffee, and then headed to Pahrump.

Awana Ministry Director Caleb Walker and his team are doing a wonderful job reaching and discipling the kids of Pahrump with the love of Jesus. I had the opportunity to share with the Sparks and T&T Clubbers all that God is doing in Nevada and beyond through the ministry of Awana. I asked them to pray for the children in Nevada and hope this will give them a heart for missions in Nevada.

Thursday- Long drive to New Life Fellowship in Lovelock, NV. Pastor Verna and David Vetter are really reaching out to the children of Lovelock. As I stood near the front door of the church, I began to see children coming. Coming on bikes, walking, getting rides from parents or grandparents. Pastor Verna tells me there are over 60 children registered to come to Awana here. What a joy to see God working in Lovelock. 

Friday/ Saturday- Got on the train and headed to Sacramento for the Northern California/ Nevada "Journey Weekend". This is a time where High School Journey students from all over Northern California and Nevada come for a Fine Arts Competition, Bible Quizzing (this year on the book of Romans) and an AwanaGames event. So much fun to spend time with both the teens and adult leaders. While there, I get the chance to encourage and thank these people for their service to the teens in our area. 

My Week Feb 24, 2020- March 1, 2020

Monday- Monday is my "admin day". Online meetings with my Field Director, with my team of missionaries and other colleagues. I also use this day for completing expense reports, correspondence and other reporting activities.

Tuesday- I drove out to see everyone at Winnemucca Christian Fellowship. Winnemucca has had Awana for several years and has a very good club. This Tuesday, a young T&T girl put her faith in Christ. I was so excited to see God using Awana Ministry Director Lori Taylor to share Jesus and pray with this girl. Praising God for His work in Winnemucca.

Wednesday- I went out to Sierra Bible Church- Reno. SBC Reno is the oldest club in Nevada...with a couple of breaks during those years, SBC has had Awana for 50 years. I went for a couple of reasons. One was to see everyone who are discipling the kids at SBC, but I also invited the leadership team from another church who is considering starting Awana. It is one thing for me to describe what an Awana club looks like, it is entirely something else for someone to see "Awana in action". I introduced the leadership team to Awana Ministry Director Christy Cronk as she gave a "tour" of the club at SBC. This prospective church most likely will start Awana later this spring.

Thursday- I drove out to Hilltop Community Church in Carson City. Hilltop has had Awana for 30 years....Wow!! Praise God for the thousands of children who have heard about Jesus over the last 30 years. While there, I had the opportunity to share with the Sparkies all that God is doing through the ministry of Awana in Nevada and beyond.

Friday- New club development day. I spent the day identifying and emailing churches that do NOT have Awana about how a healthy children's and family ministry is a great benefit to the long term health of any church.  Although not every church will use Awana, my long term goal is for EVERY church in my ministry area to know about Awana and how we can serve them. 

Weekend Rest- Winter is prime time for us to travel and visit clubs. Judy and I have had only a couple of "off days" since before Christmas. Winter came back, so we decided to start a fire, sit back and enjoy the day from home. (Although as I write this, Judy is pricing items for the Awana Store at our home church, Sierra Bible Church- Truckee)

My Week 1/5/2020-1/19/2020

1,100 Miles
2 States
2 Rental Cars
4 Different Beds
Visited 5 Clubs
Visited 3 Churches
3 New Clubs Started

Periodically, Summit Christian Church in Sparks, NV invites me to set up a booth for their weekend services. They do this as a way highlight all the ministries at Summit. That same week, I also was invited to share with all the T&T kids at Summit their weekly Large Group Time lesson. Anita Clune shared with me what Summit Awana does for their "Bring a Friend" nights.  When a Sparky brings a friend, Anita snaps a couple of polaroids and shares them with the Sparky and friend. She also gives them both a pack of stickers. 

I got to visit Sierra Bible Church in Reno. What a great group of people and great ministry. Sparks Director Tiffany Kozsan did a wonderful job at giving the Large Group Time message.

Pastor Mitch Forster at Mason Valley Southern Baptist Church in Yerington, NV shared the Large Group Message

Canyon Ridge Christian Church Awana. Lot of kids...lot of excitement. I met with the Trek Missions team and they shared with me all the outreach their Trek club was doing...WOW!!

New Clubs Starting!! The Church of Amargosa in Amargosa Valley, Eagles Landing Ministries in Pahrump and Wells Baptist Church in Wells, NV are all starting Awana- Praise God!

Opening Ceremonies- Oasis Baptist in Las Vegas and Sierra Bible Church Truckee- Sparks club

9 Reasons why Awana is important to the long term health of the Church

As we begin the year 2020, I thought it might be good to remind some why you are serving in Awana, encourage others to consider starting an Awana ministry and a few others to relaunch or revision the Awana ministry at a church that either dropped Awana or is on life support. 

To be clear, when I say the word "Awana" in this blog, I don't necessarily mean the books, awards, game circle or uniforms that are typically associated with an Awana ministry. Those tools are certainly part of some Awana ministries, but not all. When I refer to "Awana" in this blog, I'm speaking of a fun, exciting, gospel centered, scripture rich legacy ministry that involves parents, trains teens to serve the church and develops adult leaders that create disciples who will propel the Church into the future. 

So, here are 9 reasons why Awana is important to the long term health of the Church.

1. First and foremost, children are important to Jesus. From the beginning to the end of God’s word, God speaks about the importance and worth of children.

• Matthew 18:1-5 says “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

• Continuing on in verse 10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

• Mark 10:13-16 13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Because children are important to God, they should be important to us.

2. Children, even in the United States, are an “unreached people group”. In the ministry area that I serve, the state of Nevada, according to the US Census there are 887,000 children under the age of 18. Through the ministry of Awana, we are reaching between 3,000-4,000 of these children, there are other ministries and churches reaching more of these children, but nowhere near that 887,000. From a salvation standpoint, the reality is that there are a small group of these children that have received Jesus and are on their way to heaven, yet there is an even larger group of these children that have had NO chance to hear about the message of Jesus and their destiny most likely is hell. As ministry leaders, the question we must ask ourselves is are we comfortable with that fact, and more importantly what are we willing to do about it. To add to this, those 887,000 children are a moving number. Meaning every year, there are a new group of children entering and leaving that demographic, ie the children of today grow up, and an entirely new group of children and their eternal fate is up for grabs. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NV

3. Evangelism is most effective among children. According to Barna Research, almost half of all Christians (43%) accepted Christ before age 13, and 2 out of every 3 born again Christians put their faith in Christ before age 18. What does that mean for our churches? Take a look around the seats of your santuary on Sunday morning and know that two thirds of those seats are filled by people who accepted Christ as a child. The other side of that coin, is that if the Church neglects robust children’s ministry, we are sacrificing the future of the Church. Juxtapose the health or unhealth of the children’s wing in many of our churches with the fact that there are more and more churches closing their doors every year and it causes a sober evaluation for the future of the Church in the US. https://www.barna.com/research/evangelism-is-most-effective-among-kids/

4.  Sunday morning attendance patterns are declining- There is a popular saying among many churches and children’s pastors, “Make Sunday morning the best hour of a child’s week”. At first glance, this seems encouraging, however, in light of the current attendance patterns there are several issues worth addressing in this line of thinking.

• With 168 hours in a week, is 1 hour a week/ 52 hours a year a realistic reality to increase the Biblical literacy of the children in your church? 
• Taking into account sports, sickness, family vacations, families desire to sleep in on Sunday morning occasionally, Barna research says the average child attends Sunday morning church an average of 1.7 times per month. This means that if our only strategy for child discipleship is Sunday morning, we now only have 20 hours a YEAR to evangelize and disciple our children. Considering children spend 6-8 hours a day at school, 3-4 hours a day on TV and social media, it is easy to see that we simply don’t have enough time to truly make an impact on the lives of the children in our churches. 

Bottom line, we can’t disciple children in our churches who aren’t there. Having a solid ministry option in addition to Sunday morning is vital to the discipleship of our children. Most pastors are already aware of this for their adult ministry as is seen in the rise of midweek small groups...why not midweek for kids?

5.  Awana teaches teenagers to serve. The harsh reality is that the church in the US can be very consumeristic, ie many church members want to know how the church can serve them as opposed to what can they do to serve the church.  The most common response I hear when asking a church how I can pray for them is “We need more volunteers”. A healthy Awana ministry, provides a steady stream of teenage volunteers to serve and indeed lead your children’ ministry. In addition, when a teenager prays with and leads a child to Christ, in many cases their faith is now in concrete. Serving is not a burden, but a discipleship opportunity for our teens. 

6. Awana forces the church to take its eyes off itself and reach out into the community- Everywhere I go, without exception, when a church has a strong healthy children’s ministry, that church is growing. If not, it is quite obvious that church is in a slow decline. Very simply, if there are no new members coming into the church, the church has no place to go but down. Having a fun, vibrant,  gospel centered ministry that is attracting to both children and families in your community is a great long term strategy to keep your church full. 

7. Awana can create a long term legacy ministry- Churches that have used Awana for years often have children, parents and grandparents all involved at the same time...WHAT A WIN! In my home church, our Awana club is governed not as a children’s ministry, but as a “Community Group”. The mission of our church is “To Follow Jesus and Make Disciples”, so our Awana club is aligned with that vision as a Community Group of children, teens, parents and grandparents who follow Jesus and make disciples. Indeed a healthy Awana club is a ministry that makes disciples who make disciples who make disciples.

8. Awana is a ministry that involves parents (and grandparents)- God’s plan is that parents are the real spiritual leaders of their children. Awana creates and encourages an atmosphere where parents and children learn about God together. Parents are encouraged to serve as volunteers, parents and children work together in a parent/ child activity workbook throughout the week which involves finding and discussing scripture, wrestling with theological issues and memorizing God’s word together. Creating an environment where parents and children work together as oppposed to a “drop off” mentality is a key ingredient to successful child discipleship. 

9. Because it works!- In 2006 Awana and Baylor University did a study to find out if Awana was effective as a ministry that raises children who upon adulthood were functioning, productive members of the church, ie regular attendance, giving, serving, reading their Bible and sharing their faith. The results...92.7 percent of Awana Alumni (as defined in this study) are still attending church at age 30. Download the study from the link below. I often tell people this success is not due to “Awana” per se, ie God doesn't give special favor to kids who wear Awana uniforms, but it does conclusively say this...weekly child discipleship, combined with loving and caring adults, combined with parental involvement produce lasting results for the Kingdom.
Alumni Survey https://drive.google.com/file/d/10RpCCkuVo-D7eHWrAhasK_AqsFuaJRQV/view?usp=sharing

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