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.

What is love?

With Valentine’s day next Sunday, I got to thinking about how much love is discussed in the Bible. Love is such a big Biblical theme that people even refer to the Bible as God’s Love Letter to us. It covers all kinds of love: brotherly love, tough love, romantic love, and even sacrificial love. It also defines love and shows how love should be used. This week, I want to share with a small sampling of verses that define love, show how God loves us, and tell us how we should love others. Don’t see your favorite verses about love? Share them in the comments!

What is love, and what does it do?

It’s a result of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

It builds us up
“We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” – 1 Corinthians 8:1b

It brings peace
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” – Proverbs 10:12

How does God love us?

Christ died for us
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8

He will deliver us from our enemies and rejoice with us in our salvation
“The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” –  Zephaniah 3:17

He never stops loving us and always seeks to draw us close
“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.’” – Jeremiah 31:3

How should we love?

Love God first
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” – Mark 12:30

Love as God loves us
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” – John 15:12-13

Always, without excuse, act with love
“Let all that you do be done with love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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.

Fear God. Honor the king.

“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” – 1 Peter 2:13-17

One of my years as a counselor at West Coast Honor Camp, we had a Bible lesson that discussed Romans 13:1, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” As the teacher explained the idea of being subject to all those in authority, one of the junior high campers asked, “even Obama?” The teacher paused, took a deep breath, and reluctantly answered, “Yes, even Obama.”

From statements in social media, on the news, and even in the conversations I hear around me, I can easily understand why the camper asked the question. When authority figures make mistakes or decisions we disagree with, we sometimes resort to slander and contempt, forgetting some important Biblical points about those in authority.

As we prepare to elect new authorities in government, and also when we consider those in other authority positions (e.g., church leaders, teachers, police officers, etc.), let’s remember these three ideas.

Earthly authorities are appointed by God

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” – Romans 13:1-2

Some authority figures are elected, such as school board members and the President. Others are hired, such as police officers and school teachers. Still others just volunteer on their own time without elections or paychecks, such as kidmin volunteers. And yet all are only in their positions of authority because God allows it. And whether or not we like the actions and decisions made by those in authority, we need to recognize that God permitted them to be there for a reason. Therefore, we need to trust that God knows what He is doing and obey Him by respecting those He appointed.

Earthly authorities are human

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” – James 2:10

Humans make mistakes. Noah got drunk. King David committed both adultery and murder. My first pastor — the pastor I was saved under, who taught on the sanctity of marriage and the importance of family — was caught in an affair. And we’ve all seen in the media the instances of police brutality. Does that make it right for us to lose all faith in the system, disparage and slander the individuals, and discredit every good choice they’ve made?

Here in the United States, the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights grants us the right to free speech, as well as the right to petition the government to correct things that we see as wrong. These rights allow communication between authority figures and those impacted by their decisions. It also gives the authority figures the chance to rectify poor choices and help better the lives of those under their authority.

However, when authorities do make mistakes, we as Christians should not take these rights as excuses to irrationally attack the character of the individuals, nor should we hold said individuals in contempt. We should instead forgive and pray for leaders who mess up, because by God’s standards, we all fall short, and we’re all just as guilty. When we think the choices leaders make are wrong, we should be respectful in our petition of redress and have a little empathy and compassion as we remember that nobody’s perfect.

We should also remember that even though we all fall short, we have a God who is forgiving and can still work through our leaders’ mistakes for His good. In Romans 8:28, we’re told, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” God worked through Noah to save humanity from the flood, and He worked through King David to establish the Kingdom of Israel. He worked through my first pastor to present His truth and share His salvation plan with me. He works through the government to create and regulate laws to maintain peace and order, administer justice, and protect the people. God is big enough to bring blessings through those in leadership despite their mistakes.

Earthly authorities are temporary

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.” – Isaiah 65:17

Unfortunately, sometimes there are truly corrupt leaders who completely and purposely disregard God’s law. Consider the religious council who had Stephen stoned, despite his innocence and complete compliance. When faced with such authority figures, we can take comfort in knowing that our true kingdom is not here on earth. Earth and all of its authority structures are temporary.

In Stephen’s case, he was brought before the council under false accusations of blasphemy. He defended himself, as he was asked to do. Although Stephen spoke the truth, the leaders chose to put him to death instead of recognizing his innocence and the Holy Spirit speaking through him. If anyone had a reason for disrespecting leaders, Stephen did. But he still didn’t use this wrong against him as justification for disobedience or slander. Instead, he died with the confidence that he had obeyed the Holy Spirit and the assurance that Jesus was waiting for him. As an ultimate reflection of God’s forgiveness, He prayed with his last breath, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:60).

Now it’s unlikely that we’ll find ourselves under the authority of hard-hearted, wicked leaders such as those Stephen faced. Most of our leaders desire the best for everyone, even if some of them fill their authority positions poorly. So before we rant to our friends or post on social media, let’s check ourselves. Let’s remember that we’re all human, we all make mistakes, and we all fall short of God’s standard. And let’s remember that despite the mistakes authorities make, God still appointed them as authorities for a reason. As followers of Jesus Christ and examples to those around us, let’s do as God commanded: “Fear God. Honor the king.”

Stars and dots

In a previous post, I talked about how it’s nice to have lessons you can “pull out of your back pocket” if your Large Group speaker cancels on you at the last minute, leaving you no time to prepare a replacement.

This week, I want to share with you another lesson from my back-pocket library: a book titled “You Are Special,” written by Max Lucado and illustrated by Sergio Martinez.

The story takes place in a village of small wooden people called Wemmicks. Every day, the Wemmicks stick gold star stickers on other Wemmicks who are pretty or talented. They also stick grey dot stickers on Wemmicks who are not pretty or talented, like Punchinello. And no matter how hard he tries to get gold stars, Punchinello always gets more grey dots instead. But one day, he meets a Wemmick with no stickers at all — whenever someone tries to give her one, it just falls off. When he asks her how she avoids other Wemmicks’s marks, she directs him to their creator, a woodcarver named Eli, who lives on the hill. And when Punchinello visits, Eli helps him realize how special he is, regardless of what other Wemmicks think.

While the book itself doesn’t come with a verse, it pairs beautifully with Psalm 139:14, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” It can also easily be a springboard into the salvation message by talking about God’s love for us.

The book comes in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and board book (for really young ones) at Christianbook.com. There is also a Spanish version.

Living a healthy life

January is filled with goals people make for the new year, many of which include proclamations of becoming healthier. Some resolve to lose weight, some resolve to eat healthier food, and some resolve to get up at 6 a.m. every morning to jog.

Creating and maintaining a healthy physical lifestyle are noble pursuits and support helping others and serving the Lord in certain ways. Many areas of service, from pruning the trees at the church to building a school in Africa during a mission trip, require stamina from eating healthy and strength from exercise. Other areas of service may not be quite so physically demanding, but still require attention to personal care. It’s hard to focus on what someone is trying to teach when it’s visibly (and pungently) apparent the teacher needs to do laundry (I knew an Awana club that had to turn a leader away because of this — he was scaring the kids).

But living an overall healthy life doesn’t stop at physical health — it’s more than maintaining personal hygiene, eating right, and exercising. In 1 Timothy 4:8, Paul tells Timothy, “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” Even though physical health improves life on earth, this life is still temporary. As such, we should also maintain a spiritually healthy lifestyle, as it gives life both now and once we enter Heaven.

The concept of living a spiritually fit life is reiterated in 1 Peter 2:1-2. In the first verse, we’re commanded to set aside “all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking.” In other words, make an effort to “clean out the junk food” and replace it with the healthy food — God’s Word with all its promises, commands, and stories of God’s love — mentioned in verse two: “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”

As we consider the goals we set for ourselves, let’s evaluate what we’re doing to take care of not just our bodies, but also our spirits. Perhaps our resolutions can include praying frequently (1 Thessalonians 5:17), memorizing scripture (Psalm 119:11), or making an effort to meet up with Godly friends more often (Hebrews 10:25). Here’s a link to a previous post for some simple and more specific ideas to get you started: 5 Easy ways to start the New Year with God.

May the rest of your year be healthy and happy as we take care of ourselves so we can be prepared to better serve God and others!

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.

5 Easy ways to start the New Year with God

It’s New Year’s resolution time! As we prepare our list of goals for the new year, let’s take time to reflect on 2015—what worked, what didn’t, how God changed us, and how well we served Him. From there, we can consider how to strengthen our walk with the Lord, serve Him more, and better share His story and love. Here are five easy suggestions to get you started.

1. Read at least one verse each day. There are numerous resources available, from verse-a-day emails to multi-chapter in-depth studies. Or you can just open your Bible and read a verse from Psalms or Proverbs.

2. Pray each day. It doesn’t take long, and can be done even while doing something else. I like having my talk with God each day as I drive to work.

3. Before going to bed, think about one way that God blessed you that day, and thank Him for it.

4. Join a Prayer Group. Some groups meet together periodically for an hour to pray. Others simply collect and share prayer requests, praying during their own time with God.

5. Set up automatic payments to the Bible-based charity of your choice.

I pray God blesses each of you greatly as we all work together to serve Him and further His kingdom in the new year.

The Song of Mary

As part of my devotions this month, I’ve been reading through Luke’s version of the Christmas story. In Luke 1:46-55, after an angel tells Mary that she has been chosen to be Jesus’s mother, Mary sings a song of exultation about the things God has already done for His people. As I reflected on the passage, I realized that not only is it a reflection of her past and the past of her people, but also a prophecy of what will come because of Jesus’s birth.

“And Mary said:
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.’”

This Christmas, let us too reflect on the things God has done for us, especially that He sent Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and bring us eternal life. Let us also remember that God is faithful, unchanging, and a keeper of His promises. As He took care of those who trusted Him in the past, so too will He take care of us in the future.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

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.

White as Snow

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” - Isaiah 1:18a

I love the snow, at least when I’m not having to drive in it. I love watching the tiny flakes through the window as they gracefully make their way to the ground. I love bundling up and walking the sidewalks, leaving my bootprints in the fresh powder. I enjoy building snowmen and throwing snowballs, even if for only a few minutes before coming inside and warming up with a hot beverage.

But most of all, I love looking out first thing in the morning at a fresh snowfall—a sparkling blanket covering everything the eye can see, unblemished by feet or any other markings. The landscape is beautiful and whole, unified by the glistening white cover.

As I look out upon this unbroken mantle of white, I’m reminded of how God sees me.

Before I trusted Christ, I was stained by sin. Isaiah 64:6 describes those who don’t trust God as “unclean things,” with the good things that we do amounting to no more than “filthy rags.” In Isaiah 1:18, our sins are compared to stains of scarlet and crimson. I was filthy, blemished, stained by sin.

But just like new fallen snow transforms the landscape into a glistening scene of pure, clean white, trusting in Jesus’s death on the cross transforms us into clean, perfect, sinless individuals in God’s eyes.

However, Jesus did so much more than snow can ever do. Snow only makes things look white by covering them up. Jesus doesn’t just cover our sins when we trust Him; instead, He completely removes our sin, “cleansing us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7). In Psalm 103:12, we’re told, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

When God looks at me, He doesn’t just see a mask over my sin; He sees me as holy and sinless, clean and without blemish. When He looks at any who have trusted Him, He sees people glistening with purity in His radiant glory. Next time you wake up to see an untouched covering of white sparkling brightly in the morning light, may you be reminded of how Jesus removed your sin, making you as beautiful and spotless as those blankets of snow.

Thank you for the rain

“I thank You for the sunshine
Lord, I thank You for the rain,
Lord, I thank You for Your healing touch
When my life was filled with pain,
And I thank You for my family
And the trials You brought me through
And I thank you for my sorrows,
That’s how I learn to lean on You.”

- Chorus for “What Grandma Said” by The Needhams

Each year as Thanksgiving approaches, the above lyrics come to my mind. I love the way that The Needhams include both the good and that bad in this song’s lines, showing that each has its purpose and place. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

It’s effortless to give thanks for things that we easily see as good, like the sunshine and God’s healing touch. But the truth is that sometimes the rain falls, and many times the ugly nature of our broken, sinful world fills our lives with sorrow. And yet, even these are things we can be thankful for. Rain brings water for puddles to splash in and life to grow. Sorrow, as the song states, helps us to learn to lean on the Lord, making us stronger and preparing us for great joy. In Romans 8:28, we’re told, “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

This Thanksgiving, may God remind you of all the blessings He’s provided, and may He grant you many, many more!

Are you ready to follow?

"Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6

I have a friend who loves to kayak. Recently, his fiancée joined him for one of his many kayak trips. As they prepared to set off down the river, he took her aside. "The water is not as smooth as it appears to be," he said. "There are places where the water looks fine but under the surface, the weeds are dense and the mud is thick. If you try to kayak through them, you will get stuck. I know this river and where it's safe to row, and I need you to follow me." He paused. "Are you ready to follow?"

Without a second thought, she said yes and they set out. She gained confidence and felt like she had the hang of controlling her kayak as they rowed down the river. After a while, she spotted a bank. We're headed over there to take a break, she thought. I want to beat him there! She veered from his path and rowed straight toward the riverbank. Like a fly in a spider's web, her kayak stuck in a thick entanglement of weeds.

He pulled her boat from the tangled mass, and before they resumed their journey, he looked her in the eyes again. "You told me you were ready to follow," he said, "but you didn't, and you got stuck. Are you ready to follow?"

She looked away embarrassed but replied, "yes, dear," and they set out again. Her confidence rose as she followed in his wake. Eventually, they came within view of a beach. Surely we're headed to that beach. I really want to show him that I can do this and handle the kayak on my own, so I'm going to beat him! Her thoughts echoed with determination as she pointed her kayak straight for the beach — embedding her boat in the cement-like bog where the river suddenly got shallow.

With a sigh, he patiently worked her boat loose from glue-like river bottom. Once she was free, he faced her a third time. "Twice you've said you'd follow me, twice you didn't, and twice you've gotten stuck. I ask again, are you ready to follow?"

Defeated, she nodded and replied, "Yes, dear. I am ready to follow."

My friend’s story reminded me of times in the Bible when God’s people said, “we will follow You,” then thought they saw a better or quicker way. Consider when Abraham had Ishmael with Hagar after God promised many descendants. Abraham and Sarah knew God’s promise, but instead of trusting to see how God would bring it to pass, they tried their own path. Their attempted shortcut resulted in generations of conflict between the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Isaac.

So what does it mean to "follow God?" According to Proverbs 3:5-6, following God has two parts.

Lean not on your own understanding.

In Luke 9:23, Jesus told the people, "if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” 

Following Jesus means denying oneself, or not making decisions simply by relying on what you see or think. What we see may not be what actually is. My friend’s fiancée thought she saw safe water when it was really a tangle of weeds or a muddy bog. Eve saw fruit that was pleasing to the eyes and nose. Sarah saw barrenness in the face of a promise of children. The Israelites saw giants in the land of Canaan. In all cases, they acted on their own accord and either got stuck or missed out on blessings.

Trust in the Lord and acknowledge Him.

Acts 16:31 tells us, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” 

Following Jesus means trusting Him, and acknowledging that He knows what he’s doing. My friend knew the water. He had kayaked on the river many times before and through experience knew where both the hazardous and the safe spots were.

God also knows where the hazardous and the safe spots are in our lives. Along with being omniscient, Jesus walked on Earth himself. He knows the struggles and trials you face, because he’s been there.

Sometimes, this means acknowledging His wisdom and authority, even if it doesn’t make sense. Abraham had to trust and follow without being told a destination. The woman with only a little oil in 2 Kings 4 had to trust God when Elisha told her to fill every jar she could get her hands on. The disciples had to trust God when Jesus called them away from their careers and livelihoods to follow Him. And in all cases, when they acted according to God’s instructions, they were blessed abundantly.

Once my friend’s fiancée stopped attempting shortcuts based on her own sight and started trusting where my friend was leading, they finished their kayaking trip, and they both had an amazing time. Once Abraham and Sarah trusted God to do things in His way and His time, God blessed Sarah with Isaac. And as God promises in Proverbs 3:5-6, when we trust and acknowledge God and seek His guidance and instruction instead of trying to get to His ends using our means, He will direct our paths and lead us to where we need, and ultimately want, to be.

"The Gospel Truth about Children’s Ministry" book review

Earlier this year, Awana released a book called “The Gospel Truth about Children’s Ministry.” The book shows a summary of the findings from two surveys of over 800 children’s ministry leaders throughout the United States. Its purpose is to help remind KidMin leaders and volunteers of what’s most important in ministry and help them take a hard look at their own ministry to see if the focus is in the right place.

Here are my thoughts on this book.

What I liked:

The survey and findings are applicable to all children’s ministries. Children’s ministry leaders will relate to at least one struggle covered in the book.

The information provides a clear picture of children’s ministry’s current impact on the world, showing what leaders want their ministry priorities to be, the impact of their current ministry efforts and activities, and the outcomes of their ministries. For instance, the majority of responses rated making disciples as a very important objective of ministry. However, less than half said their ministry was actually fulfilling this objective.

The end of each section includes questions to help leaders and volunteers assess their own ministries, such as “in your program or curriculum which comes as a first priority, Scripture/substance, or subject/style?” These questions, combined with the presented findings, make it easy for leaders to determine where changes need to be made and priorities need to be shifted to make their own ministries more effective in teaching children to know, love and serve the Lord.

The infographs were easy to read and understand.

Awana was clear and transparent on how the surveys were conducted, how the results were processed, and how conclusions were reached.

What I didn’t like:

The offered solutions are Awana specific. Only including Awana material and technology as solutions made the book seem like it was an advertisement for Awana with the message, “You have a problem, buy our products for the solution.” For me, this dampened the book’s impact and slightly diminished its purpose of encouraging flexibility and proper focus for children’s ministry overall.

I think that since the study itself covered children’s ministry as a whole, there should have been resources from other ministry partners alongside the Awana options, or just general solutions that could be tried with any children’s ministry.

Conclusion:

I think “The Gospel Truth about Children’s Ministry” provides excellent insight into the challenges children’s ministry is facing. I would recommend this book for all KidMin leaders because the book’s findings can help them more easily identify where they may need to change their ministry to make it relevant to the current generation while keeping its focus where it needs to be.

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.