Always there, always providing, always helping

If you’ve been in kidmin for any decent length of time, you’ve probably been asked about your favorite verse. If not, then you will be eventually.

In my case, I have more than one favorite. My first favorite is actually a combination of two verses — Hebrews 13:5-6.

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”

What initially attracted me to these verses is the promise God makes. Imagine: God is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Alpha, Omega, Creator, and Master of the Universe. And yet, He has promised to walk beside me, no matter how insignificant or sinful I am. How cool is that?

But as we look at the clauses and verses before and after the promise, the promise itself gains more meaning. Consider the first clause; "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have." This is a command telling us to live a life without wanting something that belongs to someone else. Our actions should be without jealousy, but instead with contentment. Why? Because God will provide. The God who promises to never leave us or neglect us also promises to take care of us. In Philippians 4:19, we're promised, "my God shall supply all your need."

In Hebrews 13:6, we're shown another benefit of God's promise: "So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Since God promises to be with us all the time, we have no reason to be afraid. God is bigger than any adversary or obstacle, and He proves this time and again throughout the Scriptures, delivering those who trust in Him.

This passage gives me the courage and confidence to keep moving forward, because I know that God promises to always be with me, provide for me, and help me, no matter where I am in life.

For my other favorite verse, check back next week! Do you have a favorite verse (I told you you'd be asked eventually)? Share in the comments!

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

A Prayer Request for Kidmin Volunteers

Our church has gone through a difficult time. We are recovering, but there are still many areas in need of prayers and aid, especially in children’s ministry. We’ve lost several of our volunteers for both Sunday school and Awana. This past week, Truth & Training had two co-directors, one ill leader, and one elderly leader in a wheelchair to work with 20 clubbers. In Sparks, I’m fairing somewhat better, with six leaders plus myself for 25-27 clubbers.

Our Awana commander also serves as the church’s children’s ministry coordinator, and she has absolutely no volunteers to teach Sunday school.

We want to reach the hearts and minds of the children in our church, showing them the love God has for them. But unless we gain more volunteers, our leaders will have to sacrifice teaching opportunities and relationship moments in order to maintain the organization and flow of the ministries.

Please be in prayer for us, that more volunteers would join us in serving the Lord through our children’s ministries.

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.

Awana GO shows clubbers Awana clubs around the world, teaches missions

Awana recently introduced a new missions program called Awana GO, and it replaces Adopt-a-Club. The goal of the program is to help clubbers in the United States learn about and become involved in mission work that impacts fellow clubbers in other countries.

“We want this program to disciple kids in missions,” Awana GO Western Coordinator Jennifer Henning said.

When Awana Commanders register for Awana GO, they gain access to material such as short video prayer requests from other countries and to a Facebook discussion group, and they receive newsletters with information about how Awana clubs are doing around the world.

Awana GO also provides many discipleship resources, including enough Large Group lessons to use intermittently throughout the club year. Lessons teach Bible truths through telling stories of clubbers or leaders from other countries. These stories show clubbers in the United States how kids just like them are living and sharing the Gospel in other parts of the world. The goal is to inspire clubbers in the United States to become active in missions, too.

“Awana GO shows kids what Acts 1:8 looks like,” Henning said.

Other resources offered through the program include information booklets about other countries, testimonies from clubbers, testimonies from pastors and leaders, and promotional tools.

The program has a fundraising component as well, though it is completely optional. For those who do want to fundraise, Henning is partial to short-time-focus approaches, such as Awana GO’s Verse-a-Thon.

“We went from barely raising $360 in a whole club year to raising $3,250 in a single night,” she said about using the Verse-a-Thon at her club. “The Verse-a-Thon allows the kids to drive the fundraising. Because of the Awana GO lessons, they’ve seen these kids in other countries, and they know what they’re supporting — that they love Awana and hope to bring Awana to these other kids. Our clubbers also had a blast.”

Instructions for the Verse-a-Thon can be found with other fundraising ideas on the Awana GO website. Money raised and submitted through Awana GO is used to train leaders in other countries and provide them with all the materials they need to start a new club, including a four-year chronological curriculum called Truthseekers. For one child to be reached with the Gospel and to attend an Awana Truthseekers club indefinitely, the cost is only $10. 

Henning and the creators of Awana GO are excited to see clubbers engage in missions by learning from and supporting other clubs across the globe. They look forward to clubbers discovering a world outside their own clubs, churches, and lives, and finding chances to share the Gospel in new places and ways.

“We want clubbers to know how to share their faith with not only the kids in their hometown,” Henning said, “but also around the world.”

For more information about Awana GO, visit awana.org/go, or contact Henning at jenh@awana.org or 206-619-1885. Henning will also be discussing Awana GO Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. during a Google Hangout on Air. Watch the live stream here.

For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage

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