One More Relationship: Consistency

On Sept. 24, I had the pleasure to attend my first Awana Ministry Conference outside of Reno. After a 4 a.m. awakening and a three-hour drive, we arrived in Elk Grove near Sacramento.

The conference was worth every sleepless moment.

This year’s theme was “One More:” One more boy riding in your car to Awana club; One more girl in handbook time; One more invitation to meet the Savior; One more family changed forever. For me, the overarching theme was One more relationship.

The age group you’re working with does not matter, nor does it matter whether you are a parent or just someone who works in youth ministries. Connecting and instructing children may be defined in three key pillars: consistency, respect, and response. In the next few blogs, I will take a more in-depth look at each of these pillars.

Consistency

Children are like trees. They need a place where they can dig their roots deep to blossom and grow. Too many transplants or too shifty a soil will prevent the tree from opening up and reaching his full potential.

“Ninety percent of leadership is showing up,” said Brannon Marshall, who taught a workshop about how to teach middle school and high school students. When a child sees that you care enough to come and support her, whether as a weekly Awana handbook leader or a parent attending her soccer game, she will be more likely to listen to what you have to teach, as well as share with you what is on her mind.

Be warned: this is a two-edged sword. Consistent availability can, and should, be found at home with the parents and at church with the congregation members, youth and Awana leaders. But it can also be found at school and the neighborhood with peers and those walking with the world and away from God. Children will sink their roots wherever they find people willing to spend time with them - will you be their soil?

Consistency applies to how you act as well. “Actions speak louder than words” is not obsolete. Children, especially at a younger age, are impressionable, and will learn right away if you practice what you preach. What does your child see when you are not in your Awana uniform, not at church, and not around other people?

"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle," Marshall said, quoting Christian writer Brennan Manning. Regardless of what you say, children, and people in general, perceive what is most important through how you act. Does what you say have merit? Prove it by visually applying it to your daily life.

Consistency in discipline is also highly important. Children want to feel secure in their environment, and will therefore test the boundaries to find out how secure they are. If you are sometimes lax in presenting the consequence to his action and at other times dropping on him with a sledge-hammer, he will become scared and confused, never knowing what to expect, and never willing to let out his roots. He will also look elsewhere for more consistent boundaries and will most likely find himself going over the edge and into danger.

For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage.

To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.