On my last day of high school forever kids slammed their locker doors for the last time, threw their folders and papers up in the air and ran out of the building, leaving behind any thoughts of what the past year, let alone the past three years, entailed. There was freedom! I imagine for leaders, the end of Awana Clubs could feel similar. So before they or you pack the handbooks and leader guides away and leave the past year behind, do the one thing that will make your next ministry year easier:   Evaluate!   Now that one word is pretty loaded –  and perhaps no surprise to you ..read more

May is an important month in regard to prayer because it’s the month this country observes The National Day of Prayer. When you participate in your local NDP activities, join friends to lift up the needs of the nation or take time alone to pray to God on behalf of your local leaders, you are taking part in a tradition established by the founding fathers of our country.   Since the Continental Congress first asked the colonies in 1775 to pray for wisdom in forming the nation, the call to pray has continued throughout history. From 1789 to now, the President of the United States has proclai ..read more

You have been entrusted to care for the children and youth in your ministry; their spiritual, as well as their physical safety, is of utmost importance. We have put together a bundle of resources, in partnership with our friends at the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention and Julie Lowe, to provide you with tips to keep kids safe in a variety of situations. You’ll want to share these resources with the parents in your ministry, too!   15 Ways to Keep the Kids in Your Ministry Safe and Secure Does your ministry screen its leaders and volunteers? Do you have a process by which someone c ..read more

As we’ve reported for the past two years, our Awana Ukraine team has been at the forefront of the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, ministering and discipling families and children who have lost their homes, belongings and sometimes loved ones. Not only has our team provided Ukrainians a sense of normalcy and safety in these turbulent times but they have also delivered God’s grace.   To hear directly from some of our Awana Ukraine team members and to learn what the past 24 months have been like for them, we invite you to join us at 5 p.m. (CT) March 19, for a video premiere event, Postmen ..read more

You’ve seen their faces when they receive physical recognition for the hard work they put in and the success they achieved. They beam from ear to ear, their eyes dance and they scan the room to make sure they know their family sees them. They’ll proudly display their award in their home and will dream of the next success. This happense at the end of every ministry year during your end-of-year ceremony. But are we talking only about the kids in your club? What about the adults?   Of course there is intrinsic reward with leading and discipling kids, and seeing them understand who Christ is ..read more

The race with the calendar is on! Your Awana club is about to end, yet you have kids who aren’t on track to finish their handbook. And for some of those kids, you are praying for a miracle and a method to get them over the finish line. We can’t promise you anything — except that we’ll join you in prayer! —but focusing on a kid’s learning style may make the difference between their success and struggle.    Kids learn in a variety of ways. There are visual learners, auditory learners and kinesthetic learners. How a child learns also impacts how they memorize Scripture. Visual learners ..read more

The race with the calendar is on! Your Awana club is about to end, yet you have kids who aren’t on track to finish their handbook. And for some of those kids, you are praying for a miracle and a method to get them over the finish line. We can’t promise you anything — except that we’ll join you in prayer! —but focusing on a kid’s learning style may make the difference between their success and struggle.    Kids learn in a variety of ways. There are visual learners, auditory learners and kinesthetic learners. How a child learns also impacts how they memorize Scripture. Visual learners ..read more

When I was a leader, I had a room full of boys working on their handbooks. Only a handful of them made consistent progress on their handbooks. Several of them struggled with memorization. Many of them had a lot of work to do and a short amount of time to do it in as each day brought us closer to closing ceremonies. Around this time of year, many leaders and secretaries start or have been thinking about their kid’s handbook completion. Many of us are asking the question: How on earth are you going to get your kids to finish their handbooks? Well, I believe that all we need is a plan, some creat ..read more

You understand the importance of teaching your kids about mission work and would like to celebrate Missions Month with a creative activity, but time is slipping away. Ne brini! We’ve put together 10 easy ideas for you to incorporate missions into your current schedule.   Even if you have minimal time on your hands, you can still give kids an appreciation of cultures other than their own and the role missionaries play in reaching those cultures. It’s an investment God will bless and will be a blessing to others. Viel spaß!   1. Invite your Awana missionary or a missionary in your chur ..read more

My heart for missions began at a young age because of the influence and example of my parents. Starting when I was 7 years old, my parents were flying across oceans to faraway lands doing momentous things! Every year, they would take a two-week trip to bring the Gospel to broken countries and develop relationships with the people there. I didn’t understand every detail then, but I knew they were impacting lives, and I looked up to them.   When I was 10 years old, I was able to go on my first mission trip! My eyes were opened even more and my heart grew for the nations. I have participated ..read more