"Awana Never Stops"

Throughout the Awana club year, Awana commanders, directors, and leaders pour energy, sweat, and heart into teaching the children. Then, when the year comes to a close, whether it be summer or a couple months at some other time of year, they welcome the break. Awana Missionary Joel Cook sums up the sentiment, "When I was a commander, I told the workers and myself I wouldn't use the 'A' word throughout the summer."

Joel and Virginia Cook, along with the other northern
California, northern Nevada Awana missionaries,
help start new clubs during the summer.

Yet, he also pointed out that now as a missionary, "When the club year ends, planning for the next year begins." For the three Northern California, Northern Nevada Awana missionary couples, the summer is just as busy as the club year.

Missionary Mike Sexton agreed. "I always laugh when people say, 'Awana's closed down for the year, you must be on vacation.'"

Joel and Virginia Cook, Mike and Becky Sexton, and Jeff and Judy Gilpin have three focus areas during summer: New club development, event planning, and church care.

"Ministry never goes away," Sexton said, "there are always people to talk to, to encourage, and to challenge. We want to become a partner with the local church, encouraging the pastor and pastoral staff. Sometimes we're even called to help with personal issues."

The Sextons often help in the role of church care by making presentations, meeting commanders, and establishing between three and six substantial contacts with each of the churches.

"I also want to connect with commanders, kids who grew up in Awana and are now married, and long-time leaders who are no longer leaders" he said. "That's what it's all about, connecting with people. Summer's also a time when we, through various avenues, connect with our ministry team and ministry partners, like by attending West Coast Honor Camp for a day."

Along with communicating with churches, the families work together to plan the different events through the year, including coordinating the 11 team-building dinners and making the new commander packets.

Mike and Becky Sexton take the leading role in planning the next calendar of events. They have to talk with the facility heads, check facility calendars, get contracts for the gyms, and recruit workshop teachers for the three conferences.

Sexton also maintains the special role of planning and coordinating the Commander Colleges for the southwest ministry teams, which includes California, Nevada, and Hawaii. This means he also has to coordinate with the missionaries for those areas and work with their schedules. In the last five years, there have been about three Commander College 101s and one Commander College 201.

"I'm the main point person for all of those missionaries," he said.

And yet, even with all of these areas of summer ministry, there is one other area that takes an extreme amount of focus. New club development peaks during the summer months, as the missionaries use this time to canvas areas and make communication with new churches, get the word out about Awana, and start training new leaders.

Jeff and Judy Gilpin brainstorm procedures to make the
limited summer time more efficient for the missionaries.

"The summer months allow us to take club visits off the agenda so we can focus on helping clubs start," Cook said. "Summers are when churches learn about Awana and contact us about Awana, because they want to start their new club at the beginning of the new year." This summer, from May until the beginning of July, he made two church presentations and spoke at three churches for Awana. At the time of this interview, he was preparing for a training one week away.

Unfortunately, reaching out during the summer takes its toll. Even though summer is the peak of new club development, only about one or two churches can start at a time. Therefore, this summer Jeff Gilpin is brainstorming procedures for exponentially increasing the number of new clubs. "Currently, if we have a church that wants to start the program, we hold a training on one Saturday for that church," he said. "As a missionary, when you have to train a church, it takes away time from talking to a new pastor."

Gilpin's vision is to teach the members of the Northern California, Northern Nevada Ministry Team how to train a church, and then hold three regional trainings three times a year.

"This way, when new leaders come on, we can send them to the trainings so they mix with established leaders and ministry team members."

Gilpin also has a vision for training the Ministry Team to help with the church care. "We want to give away more and more ministry, because then overall ministry in northern California and northern Nevada can be bigger," he said.

With the amount of things to do and the challenges to face, sometimes the missionaries feel overwhelmed. Gilpin sometimes finds himself second guessing his presentations, thinking "If I would have..."

"At those times, I try to relax and have faith, remembering that I'm planting the seeds and need to let God do the work."

Mike Sexton faces the challenge of balancing ministry
with home repairs and family.

For Sexton, his biggest challenge comes in trying to balance the ministry with family time and home repair time. "I could work all of the time and still not be done," he said. "I'm still leaning when to wait." He also continues because of 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, "For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

And for Cook, one of his biggest challenges is making the connections during the summer. "I find it rather difficult to make contact during the summer with commanders, since they are on break," he said. When things get difficult for him, he turns to his "Rainy-Day Binder" — a collection of all the letters he's received from kids. "I respond to each letter within 24 hours of receiving it," he said. "I also keep the originals in this binder. When I'm feeling down, I read the binder to remind me why I continue in the program."

The missionaries ask that we continue praying during the summer, because "Awana never stops."

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

The Ministry-Days of Summer

Many churches hold a Vacation Bible School during the summer.
Photo provided by Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church

Ah, summer. The time when Awana leaders and other church members become hyper busy with ministry (sometimes) above and beyond Awana. It's the season for church camps, like West Coast Honor Camp. It's the season for picnics (My home church's annual church picnic is in just a couple weeks). And it's the season for Vacation Bible School.

This week is Good Shepherd Wesleyan's VBS, and we spent all last week planning and preparing to welcome the kids to "Adventures on Promise Island." This year, I'm serving as the games director and as Hunter, Madie's geeky and annoying sister, in the nightly skit. Each night, Madie and Hunter are taught by island native Kamalie about God's promises: "I am with you," "I care about you," "I give you what you need," "I will save you," and "I will answer you."

Check back next Monday to find out how our Awana missionaries minister during the summer! What about you? How are you ministering to people this summer?

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

A personal reflection: West Coast Honor Camp

This past week at West Coast Honor Camp, I've been discussing what Pastor Shawn was teaching and what the students were learning, as well as some of the other activities at Camp. Today, I'd like to take the opportunity to share the things God taught me and the ways He's challenged me personally.

God challenged campers and staff alike at Camp. 

This week, God reminded me that when we tell Him we're willing to do something, He'll hold us to it. Through a variety of circumstances, I got my counselor/staff application in late, and so I honestly didn't know what spaces were left to fill. As such, I stated I would do whatever it was God wanted me to do. However, in my head, I was looking forward to serving as a junior high counselor for my second year.

Camp training came, at which point I learned my application had been missed by accident, so I had not yet been assigned a position. However, I heard that they were doubling counselors in each cabin, and my mother was informed that they hoped to have her serve as staff this year. Once again, I claimed my willingness to serve wherever, though my desire to serve as a counselor grew stronger.

Sometimes what we want is not what we need, nor is it what God has in mind — and at all times, when we make a promise before God, He challenges us to keep it. Two days before camp, the volunteer list came out: my mom was a counselor, I was staff.

The challenge of doing what I told God I was willing do came at least twofold this past week. For those of you how haven't read my bio, I am studying at the University of Nevada, Reno to become a journalist and writer. When people ask what I want to do once I graduate, I tell them I want to use my writing in ministry, possibly at a Christian publication, helping people and sharing the good things God is doing in people's lives. This desire to apply what I'm learning was also the inspiration in starting Twofifteen Bits. And this desire is the reason there were a few posts here and there prior to this past week

As staff at this year's camp (which I did enjoy, and from which I learned a lot), I had more spare time than I would have had as a counselor. I also had access to a computer and to internet. And I had access to the junior high and high school campers, as well as other staff members. Combine these together, and I had a God-given opportunity in the field to use my education in the way I said I would. Using termonology from Pastor Shawn, I was given a "giant job in the middle of a tiny task."

This week, God reminded me that He has plans for me and showed me reasons for why He does things the way he does. He also helped me remember and understand that when we're willing to follow through with promises and serve where He wants us instead of where we want Him to want us, he will bless us in ways beyond our imagination. That's how I was challenged and what I learned this year at Camp.

Though West Coast Honor Camp is over for the year, I encourage you all to continue checking back to Twofifteen Bits, either subscribing here or liking it on Facebook. Lord willing, I will try to post every 2-3 weeks about what's going on in Awana and what God is teaching me through it.

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

Dark Caves and Dusty Feet: West Coast Honor Camp Friday through Saturday

This past week at West Coast Honor Camp, Pastor Shawn Thornton taught on "Think Right, Do Right, Feel Right," using examples from the Old and New Testaments. On Tuesday, we looked at Elijah and "Three Things About Standing Out." On Wednesday, we looked at David and Goliath and "Taking a Running Stand for the Living God."

Pastor Shawn taught "Stand Up When Feeling Down" Thursday.
Photo provided by Laura Carpenter

On Thursday, we learned how to "Stand Up When Feeling Down," once again looking at David. This time, we looked at 1 Samuel 21-22:2. David was on the run, as Saul had become jealous and wanted to kill him. Initially, he fled to Gath, but because he killed Goliath, his life was in danger there as well. So, David found himself in a deep, dark cave — a fugitive in the very country he was annointed to rule after Saul.

It was during this time alone in a cave that he wrote many of the Psalms and provided a blueprint for how to "Stand Up When Feeling Down."

1) Tell God How You Feel. This was what David did in the first Psalm he wrote in the cave, Psalm 142.

2) Praise God for Who He Is. In Psalm 57, David praised God intentionally, in spite of his "deep-dark-cave experience."

3) Serve God by Helping Others. In, 1 Samuel 22:1-2, we're told about how word spread of David's predicament and how those even worse off than David came into the cave to dwell with him, making him their leader. Suddenly, David had others to care for and teach about God, which we see in Psalm 34.

Service remained the focal point of the closing message of the week as well: "Stand Up by Stooping Down." For this message on Friday, Pastor Shawn looked at the Last Supper in John 13:1-17, 34 when Jesus washed the disciple's feet. In this passage, Jesus set the example of how to "think right, do right, feel right," teaching the disciples three requirements for "Standing Up by Stooping Down."

1) Stooping down requires personal humility, even when no one else expects it. The disciples expected the lowest of them, or even the lowest servant of the house where they ate, to wash their feet, as was the custom. Nobody expected Jesus to don the apron and use the bowl.

2) Stooping down requires practical action, even when no one else seeks it. Simon peter never saught to have Jesus wash his feet, but it was a task that needed done.

3) Stooping down requires Christ-like love. In verses 14-15, Jesus tells his disciples, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you." The command continues in verse 34: "a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

As the children return to their homes, their trials, and their burdens, this is our prayer for them: we pray that they seek to think right, do right and feel right, and are able to stand up for their faith and love and serve as Christ loves and serves them. We pray that the junior high campers can put on the Armor of God that they studied this week, and that the high school campers can apply the lessons they learned in ministry.

Watch tomorrow for one more post to conclude the series on West Coast Honor Camp 2012, and please continue to watch for other youth and Awana-related posts in the following weeks.

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