6 ways to get your clubbers thinking about Easter

For Christians, Easter is the most important holiday of the year. Sure, Christmas is important because of the celebration of Jesus’s birth, but if Christ didn’t rise again, then Christmas and Christianity itself would be pointless. Jesus’s resurrection is the crowning moment on a sinless life that sets Him apart from every other person on Earth. If He had stayed dead, then He would have been just like us spending eternity paying our debt of separation from God because of our sin, as per Romans 6:23. Instead, by rising again, Jesus proved that our debt was paid in full, and He made new eternal life with God possible. So with that in mind, here are six ways to help your students celebrate Easter and its significance.

1. Have a “Christmas in Spring” theme night and tie Christmas to Easter

2. Share “The Wordless Book” using jelly beans. Bring extra beans for snacking — and enough for the kids to snack, too

3. Host a “Walk With Jesus” night during club night and have clubbers invite their friends and families. Let them count anyone they bring for the “Bring a Friend” section in their handbooks

4. Replace pins, beanbags, and batons with Easter baskets, plastic eggs, and fake flowers

5. Make a scavenger hunt using Resurrection Eggs (instructions here)

6. Host a “Good News Basket” drive by having the kids bring in stuff to make gift baskets for less fortunate kids. Examples of items include small toys or stuffed animals, new kid-sized clothing items, kid’s books, and of course, candy. Make sure to include some presentation of the Good News in your Good News Baskets, such as a child-focused tract or a salvation bracelet with an explanation card.

What are some things you do to bring Easter into your club?

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Super games for standard equipment: Beanbags

The second installment in our list of new ways to use standard Awana game equipment takes a look at beanbags. Awana beanbags come in five designs: the four Awana colors and a black-and-white stripe pattern. They’re the perfect size for balancing on one’s head or holding in one’s hand to throw. Here’s a couple of beanbag games to help clubbers perfect their aim.

Game 1: Greed

Materials needed:

• 1 player per team
• 1 beanbag per team
• 1 small basket or bucket per team
• Center pin
• Game Square

Place the baskets at the intersections of the diagonals and the circle. Players start at their colored diagonals. At the whistle, players run around the circle once. When they return to their colored diagonals, they can either choose to drop the beanbag into their basket for 100 points, or throw the beanbag at the center pin, getting 300 points if they knock it down, or no points if they miss. Players get only one throw, and they must decide between the basket and the center pin within 10 seconds of completing their lap.

Game 2: Overthrow Relay

Materials Needed:

• Whole teams
• 1 beanbag per team
• Color lines

Players begin lined up on their color lines tallest to shortest. The shortest player starts with the beanbag. At the whistle, the shortest player tosses the beanbag over his team to the tallest player. When the tallest player catches the beanbag, she runs to the end of the line where the shortest player is. She then tosses the beanbag over the team to the second-tallest player, who runs to the end of the line and tosses over the team to the third-tallest, and so on. First team to have all players back in their starting positions wins. Players not throwing or catching may (and probably should) duck.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

The intents behind teen events

It’s event season for Trek and Journey students in northern California and northern Nevada. That means that Northern California, Northern Nevada Events (NCANN Events), a ministry of West Coast Honor Camp, has volunteers, such as myself, organizing and running two Trek Weekends and one Journey Weekend from January through March. Some also volunteer at Summit (the national Journey event), which extends the event season through April. So why do we dedicate so much time and effort to these three weekends for Trek and Journey?

1. They let us share the Gospel 

This is the number one reason why we put on these events. Each of these three events has a speaker present the Gospel message — not necessarily for the participants (although one never knows), but for those in the audience. On average, 10 percent of the kids attending an Awana club don’t attend church. But their family and friends may come to watch them compete during these weekends. That means these events may be the only time some of them hear the Gospel, and it’s an opportunity we don’t want to miss.

2. They encourage fellowship 

These events give teens a chance to meet other Awana teens outside of their home clubs. Students gain an appreciation for the bigger Awana ministry, and they get a chance to expand their network of likeminded Christian peers. Many of our attendees, including leaders, establish friendships at these events with people who live several hours away. They look forward to seeing each other next year when the event rolls around again. Some, including me, see these events as a chance to meet up with friends we made at camp.

The NCANN Events team actually thought this point was so important that we put together two “Fall Fellowships” in November so there were even more opportunities for the teens to come together throughout the year. The Fall Fellowships are much more laid back, focusing mostly on hanging out and playing games like Nine-Square-in-the-Air, Gaga Ball, and Volleyball.

These events also provide an opportunity for the teens to bond with their leaders and teams. Some of our participants make it a huge deal as a team trip. We’ve had some teams come over the day before the event, either check into a hotel or sleep over at the host church, and do some other fun activities in town.

3. They encourage scripture review

In the Bible Quizzing competition, students are quizzed on memory verses, key terms, and other material from the current year’s curriculum. Bible Quizzing consists of an individual written quiz, a team multiple choice quiz (they hold up paddles with their answer), and a team speed quiz (with a buzzer to press if they know the answer). As participants prepare for the quiz competition, they review the material from the beginning of the year, which reinforces the Biblical truths stored in their hearts and minds.

4. They encourage friendly competition

These events provide a chance for teens to compete with teens from other clubs. The AwanaGames competition has teams from different churches across the region vie for first place in a standard set of games played on an Awana Game Square. Every event awards points for sportsmanship to emphasize the principle of friendly competition during the games. And as students participate in both AwanaGames and Bible Quizzing, they are encouraged to maintain positive attitudes toward God, judges, coaches, teammates, and opponents. Teens are expected to participate in a way that brings glory to God and uplifts others through friendly and respectful actions, such as exchanging high fives, giving compliments, respecting a judge’s decision, and staying optimistic when accidents happen or mistakes are made.

5. They encourage service and spiritual growth

Our events encourage students to start looking at ways they can serve the Lord and become more like Him. When students practice for Bible Quizzing, they become better prepared to share God’s message with others and are reminded of the standards God wants them to strive for in their own spiritual walks. At the Fall Fellowships, students practice showing others God’s love through a service activity, such as stuffing boxes for Operation Christmas Child. And at the Journey Weekend Fine Arts Festival, students can practice serving God and ministering to others through their talents in a fine-art category, such as piano or photography. Some submissions, such as paintings, are inspired by a scriptural concept or Bible verse, while others, such as public speaking, share a story of salvation or Christian living. The participants present before a panel of judges with backgrounds in the appropriate fine art, who provide feedback on how they can improve, encouraging the students to stretch themselves and actively seek out how God wants them to use their talents for His glory.

6. They’re fun!

Planning these events is challenging, and when the three-events-in-three-months timeframe hits, our free weekends become scarce until April. But we have so much fun watching these teams play the games they practiced before coming; seeing the students learn God’s truths by studying for Bible Quizzing; hearing the laughter among friends who have not seen each other since Camp or the Fall Fellowship; and sharing the Gospel with those who have never heard it before. And when we see how much fun the teens have and how they grow closer to the Lord each year, we’re reminded about how these events are absolutely worth the late-night preparations, coordination complications, and last-minute scrambles.

For more information about upcoming NCANN events, visit www.westcoasthonorcamp.org/ncann.
To find out about youth events in your region, talk to your regional Awana missionary.
For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

5 ways to encourage clubbers to finish their books

Clubbers who complete their books can squirt a candle that
 a leader is holding.

Many Awana clubs are either nearing or entering the last quarter of their club year. This means it is time to more actively encourage clubbers to complete their books. Here are five ideas you can use. Each of these reward ideas works best when implemented or advertised several weeks before the end of club.

With any of the ideas below, please bear in mind that we would prefer to have the clubbers understand the verses and not finish the book rather than finish the book and not understand the verses. Also, leaders should always have the option to not participate in any given activity. Do you have a favorite way to encourage clubbers to finish their books? Share in the comments!

1. Candy Jar Guesses

What you need: 1 jar; enough candy to fill the jar; method of tracking clubbers’ names and guesses.
Prep: Count each piece of candy as you put it in the jar.
How it works: Every time a clubber passes two sections, he gets to guess how many candies are in the jar. On the last club night, give the candy to the child whose guess was the closest (you may want to keep the jar for next year).
Alternative: Have a different jar and candy for each age-bracket (Sparks, T&T, etc.)

2. Drawing

What you need: big-ticket, gender-neutral prize (e.g. scooter, giant Star-Wars Lego kit); slips of paper for recording names
How it works: Every time a clubber passes two sections, she gets her name in the drawing. On the last club night, draw a name.
Alternatives: Have more than one prize, have a drawing for each age bracket

3. Squirt the Candle

What you need: willing leaders; several stick candles; a lighter; either squirt guns or spray bottles; water; plastic trash bags with head-holes.
Prep: Fill the squirt guns or spray bottles with water. You may designate a runner to refill the squirt items.
How it works: On the last club night, clubbers who finished their books get the chance to try and squirt out the flame on a candle. The catch: leaders hold the candle. Call up the same number of participants as leaders. Give each participant a squirting device and have them stand about five feet from the leaders. Instruct the kids to aim at the candle flames and squirt until the flames go out. Relight the candles and call up the next group of participants. Have leaders hold the candle by the base directly in front of them. Leaders may drape the plastic bags over their upper body, and they may also shield their eyes.

4. Pie the Leader

What you need: willing leaders; either a grassy area or an area covered by a sheet of plastic; empty pie tins; several tubs or cans of whipped cream; plastic trash bags with head holes; towels.
Prep: Fill each pie tin with whipped cream. Have leaders sit or kneel on the grass or plastic sheet, as the whipped cream my drip. Have leaders slip on their plastic bags, covering their upper body and arms.
How it works: On the last club night, clubbers who finished their books get to pie a leader in the face. Call up the same number of participants as you have leaders. Give each participant a whipped-cream-filled tin and have them stand directly in front of the leaders. Instruct kids to gently push the cream onto the leader’s faces—no slamming or throwing, as we don’t want broken noses. Once participants have emptied their tins, call up the next group. At the end, let leaders wipe off excess cream.

5. Party Privileges

What you need: Year-end party with food (e.g. pizza or ice-cream sundae makings, etc.)
Prep: Arrange food buffet style.
How it works: Clubbers who finished their books go first in line. There could also be a book-finishers-only dessert or ice-cream toping.

*With any activity using food, please be conscious of the allergies of the participants and the possibility of staining clothes or carpets.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Super games for standard equipment: Pins

Some clubs don’t have a big enough budget to purchase unusual game equipment. Other clubs may not have space to store more than just the standard game equipment kit from Awana. And sometimes, clubs just like using familiar equipment to try something different. In such cases, game directors have to think outside the Awana Game Box and come up with new ways to use basic equipment. Here are a couple games using Awana pins.

Game One: Pin-up

Materials Needed:

• 1 player per team
• 4 circle pins
• Scoring pin and beanbag, or 4 scoring pins
• Game Circle

Play begins with circle pins laying on their sides where their matching colored diagonals intersect the circle. Players start at their team’s color diagonals. At the whistle, players run one lap around the circle. When they reach their colored pins, they sit down and use only their feet and legs to stand the pin up. For Sparks, once a player’s pin stays standing, the player runs in to grab the scoring pin for first or the beanbag for second. In T&T, Trek, and Journey, the first player to knock over his or her scoring pin with his or her hand wins. Players may only use their feet and legs to stand the pin upright.

Game Two: Pin Defender

Materials Needed:

• 1 player per team
• Whole teams
• 4 pins
• 2-4 foam balls
• Game Square

Begin by placing a pin in each team’s small triangle in the center of the Game Square. One player from each team comes to the center and either straddles or stands in front of his or her team’s pin facing the circle. The remaining players stand outside the circle. At the whistle, players on the circle throw the balls and try to knock over an opponent’s pin. Players in the middle defend their teams’ pin. When a pin is knocked over, the player who was defending said pin returns to his or her color line. Last team with their pin standing wins. Players in the center may not leave their small triangle unless their pin is knocked down. If a player accidentally knocks over his or her own pin, he or she is out.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Unusual Game Equipment Spotlight: Hula-Hoops

It’s a new year, which means new chances to expand your game-equipment arsenal. And with winter still several weeks from being over, maybe adding hula-hoops can bring slight relief by inspiring thoughts of the tropics. Here are a couple games to start your imagination. Have any other hula-hoop games? Share them in the comments!

Game One: Three’s a Crowd

Materials Needed:

• 3 players per team
• 1 hula-hoop per team
• 4 circle pins
• Scoring pin and beanbag, or 4 scoring pins
• Game Square

Players begin at their color teams’ diagonals. Trios stand inside their team’s hula hoops, holding the hoops at their waist. At the whistle, trios must work together to race around the Game Circle and cross their colored diagonals without leaving their hula-hoops or knocking over circle pins. Sparks must run one lap, and the first team to grab the scoring pin wins while the team to grab the beanbag gets second. T&T, Trek, and Journey clubbers must run two laps, and the first team to knock over their scoring pin with their hands wins. All three players from each team must be holding the hula-hoop as they carry it around the circle.

Game Two: Hoop Hop

Materials Needed:

• 1 player per team
• 1 hula-hoop per team
• Game Square or other flat race area

Before playing, move two teams to the sides, creating an alley through the Game Square and leaving two color lines empty. Designate one empty color line as the starting line and the other as the finish line. Players start by standing in their hula-hoops behind the starting line. At the whistle, players must lift the hula hoop up over their bodies. Once the hoops are over their heads, players toss the hoops out in front of their feet. Players then jump with feet together into the hoops and lift them up over their bodies before tossing again. Players lift, toss, and jump until crossing the finish line. First player to successfully jump into her hoop across the finish line wins. Players must successfully complete the jumps to continue forward. For Sparks, players who miss a jump (i.e. toss the hoop too far in front to successfully jump with feet together) must retrieve their hoops and try the toss again. For T&T, Trek, and Journey, players who miss a jump must go back to the starting line and start over.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.

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

Sometimes a candy cane is just a candy cane

“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” – Acts 17:11

In November, I was looking around on Pinterest for a simple object lesson to teach my Sparks about being thankful. I found one on sundaychidrensfocus.com that used a donut and a rhyme coined by an unknown author, “As you go through life, make this your goal: look at the donut and not at the hole.” The premise was that we should be thankful for what we have — the donut — and not be upset by what we don’t have — the hole.

The lesson was a hit, and now whenever the kids see a donut, they can be reminded of the Biblical truth of gratitude. Now, does that mean the creator of donuts built them specifically to remind people to be thankful for what they have? Unlikely. It makes more sense that many years after donuts were made, someone was eating a donut and thought, “hey, that’s a neat idea. I can use this donut to help people understand gratitude.”

Unfortunately, especially around Christmas, many Christians become confused when meanings are given to objects, and then these meanings are widely shared without question as the historical reason for the existence of the object. It’s like reading somewhere that donuts were created specifically to teach others about gratitude, and just agreeing with it. Or taking it the next step, presenting this donut origin story as historical fact to others.

For a more common Christmas example, consider the origin story of the candy cane — or rather, consider all three stories. Yes, there are three, and none of them have strong historical evidence. In fact, one story completely contradicts history by stating that it was a secret symbol to help oppressed Christians in Europe during a time where Europe was predominantly Christian.

Another story says that in the 1670's, a nameless choirmaster asked a nameless candy maker to create a treat to be given to the choirboys to help keep them quiet during the church’s Christmas service. But the candy needed to be a teaching tool as well so the parents would let the choirmaster give the candy to the kids. The problem with this story is that there is no documentation to support it, and candy canes aren’t referenced by name or associated with Christmas until somewhere in the 19th century, nearly 200 years after the story is said to have happened.

The third story states that a nameless candy maker in Indiana wanted to make it with each element having a Christian meaning, complete as a hard, white cane with three small red stripes and one large red stripe, and that through time, the meaning was lost. The problem with this story is that it also lacks historical documentation. At minimum, the candy cane was pure white when Americans started using it in the 1800's, and stripes weren’t added until the early 20th century.

Does that mean that candy canes can’t be used to remind others about why we as Christians celebrate Christmas? No. In fact, I plan to share the story of God’s gift of eternal life to my Sparks by using candy canes this week. What this does mean is that we should check our facts before sharing stories like the “Origin of the Candy Cane.” And this isn’t limited to just object history and meaning. In Acts 17:10-11, Paul and Silas commended the Jews of Berea for double-checking what the two were saying. “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”

We want to teach our kids the truth, both Biblical truth and our own post-Biblical history. But to teach it, we have to research it on our own to verify that it is indeed true. And while we can use objects like candy canes and donuts to help children and youth remember God’s gifts and plans for us, sometimes a candy cane is just a candy cane, and sometimes a donut is just a donut.

Games for the giving season

I love the Christmas season with all its giving. I love giving physical presents. I love giving time to family and friends by caroling, attending a Christmas Eve church service, or simply being together. Most of all, I love reflecting on how God gave the ultimate Gift of eternal life by sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and rise again.

Here are two games to bring the giving spirit into your club night. Have any other giving or Christmas games? Share in the comments!

Game One: Giveaway

Materials Needed:

• 1 player per team 
• 1 hula-hoop per team 
• 5 miscellaneous items per team, each item must be small enough or light enough for a child to carry with one hand 
• Stopwatch or other time-keeping device 
• Game Square 

Place each player's hula-hoop where the player's team's color diagonal intersects the white circle, and each player's five items inside their respective hula-hoops. Have players stand up straight with their hands behind their backs next to their hoops. At the whistle, players must pick up items from their hoops and “give” them to the other players by placing them in an opposing player's hoop. The first player to successfully empty his hula-hoop, or after 30 seconds, the player with the least number of items in his hoop, wins. Players may only carry one item in each hand, meaning two items total per trip. Players must set items in the hoops—no tossing. If a player still has items in his hands when the whistle blows after 30 seconds, those items are included in his own count.

Game Two: Wrapping Relay

Materials Needed:

• Whole teams 
• 1 small box per team 
• 1 piece of pre-cut wrapping paper per player. Pieces must be big enough to initially cover the box 
• 1 roll of masking or scotch tape per team  
• Game Square 
• Optional: enough candy or trinkets in each box for all team members

Pre-game setup: Cut enough sheets of wrapping paper for each player to have at least one. Put candy or trinkets in the boxes and close the boxes. 

Start with the sealed boxes in each team’s small triangle in the center of the Game Square, along with a stack of wrapping paper pieces and tape. Have players spread out along the white circle between their colored diagonal and the colored diagonal immediately clockwise. At the whistle, player 1 (player furthest right on each team) runs in, grabs a piece of wrapping paper and wraps the box as quickly as possible. When finished, player 1 runs back to his place in line and tags player 2 (immediately left of player 1). Player 2 runs in, grabs another piece of wrapping paper and wraps the box. Play continues until the last player finishes wrapping the box. First team whose last player holds the completely wrapped box over her head wins. Wrapping does not have to be neat. Leaders may need to help Sparks wrap the boxes. If using candy or trinkets, at the end of the game, have all the teams unwrap and open their boxes. Let each clubber have a candy or trinket.

Option: After all the boxes are wrapped, have teams return to their lines, leaving the boxes in the middle. At the whistle, have a predetermined player race to unwrap the multiple layers of paper using only one hand. First player to completely unwrap the package and hold it up wins. Hand out the candy or trinkets to all the clubbers.

*With any food game, please be conscious of the allergies of the participants and the possibility of staining clothes or carpets.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

7 ways to get your clubbers thinking about Thanksgiving

1. Replace pins, beanbags, and batons with pumpkins, apples, and Indian corn

2. Play some harvest or Thanksgiving-themed games (here are some ideas)

3. Have a Pilgrims and Indians theme night

4. Hold a canned food drive for those who can’t afford a Thanksgiving meal

5. Teach a Large Group lesson on the Fruit of the Spirit using a cornucopia as a visual

6. Read “Sparky Shines His Light” by Jack Eggar

7. Have clubbers write what they’re thankful for on feather-shaped pieces of paper, then stick the paper onto a turkey wall decoration

What are some things you do to bring fall and Thanksgiving into your club?

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Unusual Game Equipment Spotlight: Pumpkins

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere! Pumpkin decorations, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, muffins, and cookies, and pumpkin-scented candles. Here are a couple games to bring these seasonal squashes into your Game Time. Have any other pumpkin games? Share them in the comments!

Game One: Pumpkin Partners

Materials Needed:

• 2 players per team
• 1 medium-sized pumpkin per team (players must be able to lift it together)
• 4 circle pins
• Scoring pin and beanbag, or 4 scoring pins
• Game Circle

Players start by holding their pumpkin between them at their color teams’ diagonals. At the whistle, all pairs must work together to carry their pumpkin around the Game Circle and cross their colored diagonals. Once a pair crosses their diagonal, they gently set the pumpkin down and run in to the middle. Sparks must run one lap, and the first team to grab the scoring pin wins while the team to grab the beanbag gets second. T&T, Trek, and Journey clubbers must run two laps, and the first team to knock over their scoring pin with their hands wins. Both players must be touching the pumpkin as they carry it around the circle.

Game Two: Pumpkin Bowling

Materials Needed:

• 1 player per team
• 1 medium-sized pumpkin per team
• 4 circle pins
• Scoring pin
• Game Circle

Players start at their color teams’ diagonals. At the whistle, players carry their pumpkins around the outside of the circle pins to the bowling zone (the space between their colored diagonal and the colored diagonal immediately clockwise). When players enter their bowling zone, they try and knock down the scoring pin in the center of the circle by rolling their pumpkin from outside the white circle toward the middle. First team to knock down the scoring pin wins. Players must stay outside the white circle when bowling, but may bowl from anywhere along the circle in their bowling zone. If players miss, they must go get their pumpkin and return to their bowling zone before bowling again.

*With any food game, please be conscious of the allergies of the participants and the possibility of staining clothes or carpets.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Unusual Game Equipment Spotlight: Brooms

Game One: Clean Sweep

Materials Needed:

• 1 player per team
• 1 broom per player
• 1 ball (or other rolling object) per player
• 4 circle pins
• Scoring pin and beanbag
• Game Circle or other flat race area

Players start at their color teams’ diagonals. At the whistle, players sweep their balls around the Game Circle for one lap and cross their colored diagonals. Once a player crosses her diagonal, she drops the broom and runs in for the scoring pin or beanbag. Players may only use their brooms to touch the balls, and balls must go around the outside of all the circle pins.

Game 2: Pony Express

Materials Needed:

• 3 players per team
• 1 broom per team
• 1 letter envelope per team
• 1 basket
• 4 circle pins
• Game Circle or relay area

The starting players on each team begin at their color team’s diagonal. They must straddle the brooms like stick horses and hold their envelopes. At the whistle, players “ride” their “horses” around the outside of the circle pins to the passing zone (the space between their colored diagonal and the colored diagonal immediately clockwise). When they enter the passing zone, player 1 hands the horse and “mail” to player 2. Player 2 then rides around the circle and hands off the horse and mail to player 3. Player 3 goes around the circle and crosses his colored diagonal. Once he crosses his diagonal, he rides his horse to the middle of the circle and “delivers the mail” by dropping the envelope into the basket. First team to deliver the mail wins.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Encouraging leaders to teach Large Group

At the Awana club where I serve, most of my Sparks leaders are in high school or college. Many of them are still uncomfortable when speaking to a crowd — a circumstance they will likely face many times not only in school, but also once they enter the workforce.

So to help them gain more confidence, I encourage them to give Large Group presentations to the Sparks. Below are four reasons why encouraging leaders to teach Large Group is beneficial.

Practice with less pressure

Sparks are between the ages of 5 and 8. They’re still learning both Biblical and social basics and won’t care if leaders get a bit tongue-tied or forgetful. Because Sparks don’t care about the quality of the presentation, leaders can make mistakes with no fear of being graded or scored. Leaders may also find standing in front of a bunch of kindergartners is a bit less intimidating than standing in front of a bunch of peers or adults.

Practice clarity

Sparks don't understand big words like sanctification or atonement, so leaders need to learn how to fit their presentation to their audience. I encourage beginning presenters to use canned lessons so they experience what a well-organized, age-appropriate lesson is like.

Leaders who have presented more than twice before have an option to challenge themselves to create their own lesson to present God’s truth in a clear, age-appropriate way.

In school and at work, teens and adults need to be able to present ideas in a clear manner, often to people who know nothing about a topic or the topic’s jargon. An English teacher may require a student to give a presentation about an author to the class, or an employee may need to articulate an idea to a committee or project team. So why not practice now by presenting a lesson to a group of kids?

Practice precision

Sparks not only have a limited vocabulary, but they also have a limited attention span of about 5 to 8 minutes. So leaders have to both speak clearly and prepare and present a lesson that is engaging and to-the-point. Again, this is a good skill to have for school and other areas when there are time or attention-span constraints.

Practice presenting the Gospel

The purpose of Awana, or of any kids’ ministry for that matter, is to teach children to know, love, and serve the Lord. To fulfill this purpose, Awana volunteers need to understand the core of the program — the Gospel.

But knowing the Gospel and sharing the Gospel can be two very different things, and unless the leaders get opportunities to practice clear Gospel presentations, they may not be as confident, clear, or precise when children ask questions. An unprepared leader could actually make for a more confused child. By giving the leaders a chance to present the Gospel in Large Group, not only do they gain more confidence in sharing, but the clubbers get to hear God’s salvation plan frequently.

And maybe, as leaders gain more confidence speaking to a crowd, a Spark in that crowd may take to heart the leader’s message and make the decision to trust Christ.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

4 tools for presenting the Gospel

The Gospel is at the core of everything Awana does, and it’s important to be able to share the salvation message in different ways to reach different people. It’s also important to find a presentation method that makes the presenter comfortable, confident, and clear when sharing.

A high school student from West Coast Honor Camp explains the
Gospel Bracelet to two children in Redding, Calif.

Discovering new tools and figuring out which ones work for you can be daunting. So at West Coast Honor Camp, we help Journey students get started in their search. Each year, the high school campers receive and learn how to use a different tool to share the Gospel. Then on Wednesday of the camp week, they use the tools to share the Gospel with people around Redding, Calif. After camp, they take the tools home to share in their own communities. Some may even use them as Large Group messages at their Awana clubs.

But these resources aren’t restricted to the high school campers; below are four of the tools provided by West Coast Honor Camp over the years. And if any of your Journey students (or former Journey students) attended camp, maybe they can teach you how to use theirs.

EvangeCube – This is a cube made of eight smaller cubes. The cubes are joined together in a specific way so they can be unfolded to show 7 different images that illustrate the salvation message. Cubes come in different sizes depending on the desired presentation.

Gospel Bracelet – This is a leather or rope bracelet containing colored pony beads. Each color represents a part of the Gospel. The bracelet is so easy to make that the presenter can have the audience members make their own as they talk about the meanings of the colors.

Gospel Glove – This is a two-sided plastic glove. One side presents the Gospel with verses, images and symbolic colors; the other presents a message about obedience and growth for those already saved.

U-Turn Cards – This set follows the Roman Road. The tool uses 9 double-sided road sign-themed cards with letters and images that allow for an interactive, fast-paced presentation.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Unusual Game Equipment Spotlight: Donuts

Sometimes it’s fun to break away from the traditional and try something different. Unusual game equipment switches up the Game Time routine and adds something fresh to keep the kids excited and wanting to come back.

In a previous post, I discussed some ways to use car sponges, ping pong balls, and combats. But sometimes unusual game equipment can include food items*, as is the case with this week’s article. Today, I want to share a couple games using donuts.

Donuts come in many shapes, sizes, and levels of messiness, which makes them fairly versatile. Also, many kids (and leaders — make sure you have enough for them, too!) love the treats, often covered in glaze, chocolate and/or sprinkles. Donuts can make any game time sweeter!

Here are two donut game ideas to start your creative brain train. Do you have any other donutty games? Share in the comments!

Blind Donut

Materials needed:

• Several 3-foot pieces of string (1 piece per team of 3)
• Several messy ring donuts (1 donut per team of 3)
• Powdered mini donuts work for younger kids
• Glazed regular sized donuts are great for older kids and adults

Pre-game prep: Tie a donut onto the end of each string.

How to Play: Break players into groups of 3. Each group must decide who gets blindfolded and holds the string, who gives directions, and who eats the donut. Eaters lie flat on their back with their arms resting comfortably — they are not allowed to use their arms or hands for the duration of the game. Nor are they allowed to sit up or lean forward. String holders are blindfolded and placed at the heads of the eaters, dangling the donuts at least a foot above the eaters’ mouths. Direction givers stand next to the string holders.

At the whistle, direction givers must tell the string holders how to move the string so the eaters can eat the donut. First team with a completely swallowed donut wins.

Jelly Donut Feed

Materials needed:

• Jelly Donuts
• Bowls (1 bowl per player, disposable are recommended – easy clean-up)
• Optional: Whipped cream and/or chocolate syrup

Pre-game prep: Slice the donuts into sizes appropriate for the ages of the players (quartered, halved, etc.). Put one slice into each bowl. Optional: add whipped cream and/or chocolate syrup to each bowl.

How to Play: At the whistle, players must eat the donut slices out of the bowls using only their mouths. First player with a completely swallowed donut slice wins.

Variations:

• Make it a team event — all team members eat at the same time. First team to have all players swallow their donut slices wins.
• Make it a relay — one player from each team eats a donut piece, then tags the next player.
• Make it a relay race station — team chooses a representative to eat the donut piece. When the representative swallows, team can move to the next station.

*With any food game, please be conscious of the allergies of the participants and the possibility of staining clothes or carpets.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

News of what’s new at Camp 2015

Junior high campers volunteer during free time to help with a
maintenance project at Camp.

This was a year of “news” at West Coast Honor Camp — a new activity (archery), several new crafts, new floating toys for the lake, and even a new concrete floor in the chapel (Yay! No more choking on wood-shaving dust during worship!). But these activities and improvements weren’t the only new elements introduced this year — Camp also provided campers, counselors, and staff with two new chances to serve the Lord through ministry.

One of the core elements of West Coast Honor Camp, as well as the biggest highlight for many of the campers, is the high school ministry trip. High school campers spend Monday and Tuesday preparing to go into Redding to serve and minister in several different locations and communities. You can learn more about the ministry options in my article, “Living the Lesson.”

But this year, ministry training and service weren’t limited to the high school campers — we offered a ministry opportunity to the junior high campers as well. Like their high school peers, interested junior high campers trained on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, they served our own camp by working on a small maintenance project during free time. They replaced and painted the wooden backrests on the benches of Reflection Circle — which hadn’t been fixed or replaced for many, many years. Then they got to sign their names on their work so they and their friends can see the fruits of their service for years to come.

West Coast Honor Camp also introduced a craft ministry, which allowed not only campers, but also counselors and staff, to participate. The idea this year was that instead of paying to make crafts for themselves, interested individuals made crafts and kits for free to give to children in impoverished countries through Operation Christmas Child. Participants made small packages with cars and trucks; kits with chalkboards, chalk and erasers; colorful bookmarks; hairclips; headbands; necklaces; and more to be put in shoebox-sized boxes and given to children who may have never received a gift before. Some campers even wrote letters or decorated the boxes. People also had the option to donate money through the week and through an offering at Thursday’s chapel to help ship the boxes. Together, we raised enough money to send 82 boxes filled with our crafts, along with toys, gospel messages, hygiene products, and school supplies.

The main reason I help with West Coast Honor Camp, and with Awana in general, is that I love helping the clubbers not only learn about God and the Bible but also watching them apply what they learn through the ways they chose to live and serve. This year was truly amazing in seeing the new ministry options embraced by everyone at camp, and I look forward to seeing both the ministries and the tweens and teens who serve through them grow in years to come.

For more information about West Coast Honor Camp, visit westcoasthonorcamp.org.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Billy the Pumpkin

Scripture: James 2:10, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Romans 6:23, John 8:12

Materials:
1 Pumpkin
1 Tea candle
1 Lighter
Wax paper or saran wrap or newspaper- something to cover a table for easy cleanup.

Prep:
The night before or the day of the lesson, carve a simple happy or goofy face on the pumpkin, save 2-3 handfuls of the internal goop in a bag or plastic container.

Right before the lesson, cover the area with wax paper and return the goop to the inside of the pumpkin. Wear short sleeves and nothing on your wrists, as you will be reaching inside the pumpkin. Also, have a leader stand near the room’s light switch, ready to turn it off on your cure.

Tell the clubbers a story similar to the following. Disclaimer: This is a narrative I created to address Sparks. There may be others available online, or you can create your own.

Hi everyone! I'd like you to meet Billy. Billy comes from a Christian home, and as such, he does a lot of good things. He goes to church every Sunday and Awana every Wednesday, and he was baptized when he was six. He also donates some of his toys every year, and is respectful to his teachers.

But, Billy has a problem (remove the top of the pumpkin). You see, even though Billy does all sorts of good things, he still has all this icky stuff called sin. This (pick up a little bit of the goop) is from when he complained to himself when teacher asked him to help Jake put the art supplies away. This (pick up a little more of the goop) is from when Billy took just a little peek at Stephanie's spelling test because the only word he couldn’t remember was “cracker.” And this (pick up a little more of the goop) is from when his mom asked if he had finished his homework and he said yes, even though he had only done half of the math problems.

(Present your handful of goop to the kids) That doesn’t look like a lot of goop. I mean, none of those were big sins, right? Nobody heard him complain, he got all the other spelling words right on his own, and he would get the homework done before class tomorrow. And he’s done all those other good things, too. So all those good things make this small pile of icky sin unimportant, right? (Put handful back inside pumpkin).

The fact is that to God, sin is still sin, no matter how small we may think it is. In James 2:10, we’re told that "Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble at one point, he is guilty of all." We’re also told in Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5 that there’s nothing we can do to make that sin disappear on our own. So all those good things that Billy does — having Christian parents, attending church, getting baptized, being respectful, giving to the poor — none of it can make that icky sin go away.

What’s worse is that tiny amount of sin has a giant, terrible consequence. Romans 6:23a tells us, “For the wages [or consequence] of sin is death.” Death means being separated from God forever. Poor Billy!

Fortunately, even though Billy can’t do anything, God can. The rest of Romans 6:23 tells us that “the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” In Titus and Ephesians, we’re told that God’s mercy and grace are what save us. Mercy means not punishing us even though we deserve it, and grace means that instead of punishing us, He wants to give us a gift we don’t deserve. God loves us so much that He sent His son Jesus Christ to face that consequence of sin so that we wouldn’t have to.

When Billy trusts that Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking the punishment Billy deserves, God cleans out all that nasty sin. (Remove the remaining goop from the pumpkin as you talk). Now does that mean we won’t sin anymore? No, we’re still not perfect, and we’ll still make mistakes. But once we’ve trusted Christ, God cleans out not only the sins we already did, but ALL our sins, even the ones we haven’t done yet!

And that’s not all God does! When we trust Christ, not only does God remove all our sin, He also promises to walk with us and help us to not sin. Once we trust Jesus, we’ll want to follow Him, and we’ll want to be obedient and do the right things to please Him. And He’ll help us to do those right things.

When we are obedient and follow His commands with His help, something happens. (Forewarn the clubbers that it will get dark, and ask them to not scream or yell). In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (Put the candle inside the pumpkin and light it. Have your helper turn off the light).

Can everyone see God’s light in Billy? When we trust Jesus and follow God’s commands, we show God’s light and God’s love to others, just like Billy.

If you haven’t trusted that Jesus faced the consequences for your sin and you want to, talk to your parents, your handbook leader, another leader here, your pastor, me, or your Christian friends. God loves you and wants to clean away all that icky sin. If you have trusted Christ, awesome! You can ask God to help you show His love and light to others.

Have leader turn lights back on. Ask for a couple of clubber volunteers to help close in prayer.

For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Loving the Lord and ministering in His special place for us: Summit 2014 Tuesday

This week, I had the chance to ask Awana Co-Founder and President Emeritus Art Rorheim a question: "What is the one thing you want the students to remember as they leave Summit?"

He responded, "the answer is all wrapped in verses." He then cited Philippians 2:16, Acts 20:24, and 1 Corinthians 15:58. The last reference, which he often writes alongside his autograph, reads, "therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

"If you apply these verses, it could change your life," he said.

Art challenges us to ask ourselves, "How much do you love God?"

"Your answer determines your whole life," he said. "If you deeply love God, you will pray more and witness more. This is the key and God's commandment, to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart.'"

A fine arts winner role-plays as Ruth, sharing her story of
faith and strength.

Tuesday, the final day of Summit 2014, we saw what loving the Lord and holding steadfast can do. It was the day when the top competitors in AwanaGames, fine arts, Bible quizzing, and volleyball received recognition and shared their performances and presentations with everyone.

The morning began at 8 a.m. with a message by Western Oregon Awana Missionary Ed Gossien. "God's got a special ministry for you that only you can do," he said. He encouraged the kids to keep persevering, despite the trials and difficulties. "The sovereign Lord is my strength," he said, quoting Habakkuk 3:19a (NIV). And, in agreement with Rorheim, Gossien pointed out that filling that special ministry requires loving God and trusting Jesus. "I don't care when you trusted Jesus," he said. "The question is, do you trust Him today?"

The 33 games teams received a sample of perseverance through friendly competition as they played each round of games. After two rounds of competition on five circles, teams were gradually eliminated until the last three teams claimed first, second, and third.

Students showed passion and perseverance during games, volleyball,
quizzing, and fine arts.

After the games, several fine arts presenters were chosen to share the ministry samples they had prepared for Summit. These were the judges' choices — exemplary performances that didn't earn first place, but that the judges felt were done well and needed shared a second time.

At 6:30, the top 10 quiz teams began the platinum round. This round of quizzing pushed the student's memory and understanding of the year's material to the max. They worked hard quoting verses, reciting lists, providing Bible summaries, explaining worldviews, and sharing any other material needed for the answers, all while presenting the gospel to the audience.

Summit concluded with the top participants from all the competitions receiving their awards, and the fine arts winners repeating their performances for the entire audience. "At the end of the day, this is about you," Jeremy Pettitt, the director of Awana YM, said, referring to both those students who took the stage and those in the audience. "God has a special place just for you."

For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

2 Summit destinations, 6 Citation ceremonies, and online fine arts coming in 2015

Change is coming to Summit. Why? Out of the 18,000 to 20,000 Journey students across the nation, only about 900 currently attend Summit. Those in Awana Youth Ministries want to bring Summit and all its components to as many kids as possible. They also want to encourage more kids to come and make more friends, more connections, and more relationships.

With this in mind, here are the changes coming for Summit 2015.

Two Summit Destinations

Next year, Summit will be held in Kansas City, Mo., and Washington D.C. in the hopefully warmer month of April.

Many students cannot afford the cost or time to attend Summit. By hosting two Summits, the Awana YM team will provide two options so teams can choose the location best for their wants and needs.

These are not regional — teams from California can travel to D.C. if they choose.

Six Citation Ceremonies

In addition to the ceremonies held at the two Summits, ceremonies will be held in Atlanta, Chicago, California, and the Northwest.

Currently, only about 10 percent of Citation achievers attend the Citation Ceremony. By hosting six ceremonies, the Awana YM team hopes that more students will gather and celebrate their accomplishments with their peers.

Online Fine Arts

Journey students will submit their entries to Awana YM online. According to Awana YM Director Jeremy Pettitt, his team will send the entries to the "best famous fine arts professionals we can find" for judging and feedback.

Finding enough professional judges willing to spend a week at Summit was difficult. Finding enough rooms for all the performances also presented a challenge. By submitting online, Awana YM does not have to coordinate either people or rooms for that single week. More importantly, students will have a greater chance of professional feedback, as well as a chance to make connections with famous professionals in the fine arts world.

Online fine arts will serve another purpose as well. "We need to be using digital media to spread the gospel," said Pettitt. "Jesus should be on the internet."

More details and instructions will be released closer to the event dates next year.

For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

Going for Gold: Summit 2014 Monday

Monday was part two of Bible quizzing and fine arts, as well as the introduction of athletics. This post will cover the various forms of fine arts judged, as well as the volleyball competition.

These were some of Monday's displayed visual arts. Visual arts had 81 total
submissions, including 44 photographs.

High school students had the chance to participate in four fine art divisions: musical, non-musical, visual, and creative writing. Each division had several categories, including instrumental, expressive arts, public speaking, and photography. All the students were encouraged to base their submissions and performances around the Summit year's main theme verse or one of the supplementary verses provided. This year's theme verse is John 10:14, " I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own." Other related verses included Psalm 100:3, 1 Corinthians 13:12, and Philippians 3:10.

This year, there were 208 registered entries: 23 piano, 26 vocal, 16 instrumental, 35 public speaking, 13 expressive arts, 14 creative writing submissions, and 81 visual arts, 44 of which were photographs. The visual arts were on display Sunday though Tuesday in the Marsalis Ballroom across from the Summit Store.

Within each category, students' submissions and performances were judged based on how well they reflected the various theme verses and how well they met criterion specific to their categories. The entries were individually ranked on a bronze-silver-gold scale, and the students received awards corresponding to their ranking. The students also received the judges' comments about what was done well and how to improve.

High school students with the top scores in each category will receive trophies Tuesday at the closing ceremony. Some of the trophy winners will also receive $500 scholarships to the colleges of their choice, depending on the number of entries in each of the four divisions.

One of Summit's 32 volleyball teams work together to return the ball. 

Once quizzing and fine arts judging concluded for the day, the students and leaders turned their sights to the first athletic competition of the week: volleyball. There were 32 coed teams ranging between 6 and 7 players competing. Some were formed by groups from a single church, while others were formed from several churches in a region. Time was provided for the hybrid groups to practice, since many of those teams had never played together prior to Summit. Then the tournament began.

Each match had a 10-minute time limit. Teams either had to score 15 points or score the most points within the 10 minutes to win. Teams earned points when their opponents let the ball touch the ground, hit the ball out of bounds, or hit the ball more than three times before returning it. Teams also earned points when their opponents reached the three-hit limit without both genders hitting at least once.

All teams played three qualifier matches. The teams were then ranked based on the number of matches won. In the instance of ties, teams were ranked based on how many total points they scored across the three matches. The top 16 teams continued on into double elimination. The final three teams received medals, while the top team earned a trophy.

For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.

God's Award Ceremony: Summit 2014 Sunday

The morning began with a Sunday message from Saturday's guest speaker Sean McDowell, and he discussed three types of knowing. The first type was facts, such as the demons knowing who Jesus is. The second was experience, such as knowing how to ride a bike or just "knowing" when you fall in love. The third and most important was knowing in a personal way, such as how man was made to know God and was not meant to be alone. God designed us to build relationships with other people, serve together with the body of Christ, and pursue a relationship with Him, ignoring any other "gods" or "idols" in the way.

After the service, the students went to either Bible quizzing or fine arts performances. On Monday, those who quizzed Sunday will either watch their teammates' fine arts performances or perform themselves, while those who participated in fine arts will quiz. This post will cover the Bible quizzing, and I will discuss the fine arts on Monday.

There are 97 teams of students sharing their knowledge through Bible quizzing.
One team's members will earn $500 scholarships to the colleges of their choice.

Of the 97 quiz teams, 48 participated in the first two rounds Sunday. Quizzing began in four rooms, each with 12 teams. After the first round, the teams were sent to compete against different teams for a second participation round. At the end of the two rounds, the 24 teams who scored the most points advanced to the silver round, and the top 12 teams from the silver round advanced to the gold round.

The remaining 49 teams will follow the same process tomorrow, and the top five teams from today's gold round will compete in the platinum round with tomorrow's top five teams. The members of the winning team will receive $500 scholarships to the colleges of their choice.

In the evening, after the conclusion of quizzing and fine arts, came the highlight of many Awana students' and leaders' Summit trip: the Citation Awards Ceremony. 

People who earned Citation awards each completed 10 years of Awana curriculum. They each memorized about 836 passages of scripture, read through the entire Bible and summarized each book, served at least one year in active ministry, and attended at least four ministry leadership conferences. At the ceremony, they received their awards from Awana's President and CEO Jack Eggar and Awana's Co-Founder and President Emeritus Art Rorheim.

Recipients were not limited to high school seniors. At least two fathers received their awards alongside their children, and a couple "that's my mom!" cheers echoed from the audience. Even the Awana missionaries from Ohio, Kenneth and Deborah Rohrer, received their citations tonight.

Throughout the ceremony, we were introduced to Stephen Maphosah, the Africa area director, and Awana leaders and directors from Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and India--only a few of the over 100 countries where Awana programs run. Maphosah shared about how God was using Awana in Africa, including the efforts to translate the materials into French for use at Burkina Faso in West Africa. We also met four high school students who went to serve in Nigeria. They emphasized how God qualifies those he calls, emphasizing that He called a group of teenage boys to serve and witness in Africa.

Awana's Co-Founder Art Rorheim encourages the kids to be
bold in sharing the Gospel.

As the final Citation recipient exited the stage, Art Rorheim himself, 95, took the microphone. He began by discussing the Olympics and how Olympians spend their lives building up to the medal podium. When they finally reach that podium, there is nothing more to be done: they've given their all and cannot add or subtract from their accomplishments.

"We spend our lives building up to God's podium," He said. "One day, we'll be at God's Awards Ceremony, and He will present awards of gold, silver, fine jewels, wood, hay, and stubble. Imagine, standing there having wasted your life. You didn't take a stand, you didn't share the gospel. Those awards will be tried by fire. If all we earned is burned, we will suffer great loss."

He finished by reminding the audience of Philippians 2:16, encouraging them to hold "fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." We should stand bold and spend our lives aiming for the prize.

For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.