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.

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.

To know and be known: Summit 2014 Saturday

Hi everyone! This week I am writing to you from Awana's national high school competition, Summit 2014: Destination St. Charles. We have a week overflowing with events and activities, from Bible Quizzing to Volleyball. Representing Awana programs from across the United States are 97 quiz teams, 32 volleyball teams, and 33 games teams. And that doesn't even include all the high school students participating in the fine arts competitions.

This year's theme is "Know and Be Known," and the week kicked off with a few words from National Director of Awana Youth Ministries Jeremy Pettitt, worship songs lead by Aaron Niequist, and a performance from the Summit Choir.

Sean McDowell pretends to be an atheist to remind kids to
love nonbelievers even when defending faith.

Our guest speaker tonight was Sean McDowell. McDowell teaches apologetics at Biola University, has published several books, and earned a double masters in theology and philosophy. Tonight he role-played as an atheist, answering questions from the audience from an atheist's viewpoint.

After about 30 minutes of going back and forth with the students, he stopped role playing, commended the students for their efforts and good questions, and asked the students a question of his own: "What sort of attitude did you have toward me as an atheist?" Words such as "rash," "harsh," and "not good" echoed through the audience. McDowell mentioned that at one conference, when he entered the role, many in the audience began booing him. He also shared answers from atheists about what Christians can do better: be willing to listen. If we don't listen to what they have to say, why would they be willing to listen to us? He pointed out that we're commanded many times in scripture to love our enemies and our neighbors. And 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 explains that even if we have all knowledge and all faith, if we don't have love, we're nothing.

Earlier in the day was check-in and various games for the kids to play. One game was Cross Boards — a game similar to King of the Hill. Only four players played at a time, and all began at the outside ends of two two-by-sixes that crossed in the middle. Each of the four extensions of the "x" was a different Awana color. Players tried to push their opponents off their colors without falling themselves. Players were out if they did not keep at least one foot on their own color or if they touched the floor.

Kids participated in several activities before the opening
ceremony, including 9-Ball.

Kids also lined up around the corner and down the wall for 9-Square-in-the-Air — a cross between four square and volleyball. There were nine players at a time in a grid three blocks by three blocks (9 blocks total) that stood on supports about 7 feet tall. The server stood in the middle block and lobbed an 18-24 inch indoor rubber ball over the top of the pipes and into another player's block. Players had to hit the ball back over the pipes to other players without letting it touch the ground, go under the pipes, or leave the grid. As long as the ball remained in their individual block, players could hit the ball as many times as needed to get it over the pipes.

Along with the high-energy games were three giant Jenga stacks and several Sport Stacking stations.

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

Preliminary Warm-Up

Now that August has arrived, churches all over the region are gearing up for the start of the new club year. Last post, I shared how the Awana missionaries for the Northern California, Northern Nevada region prepare during the summer for the upcoming year. One of the bullets in their long list was the planning and running of 11 team building dinners.

Pastors, commanders, directors, and key leaders attend these dinners, which accomplish several goals. The first is to excite the leaders with an opportunity to fellowship, share ideas and have some fun. The dinners also serve as a time to impart news and information about what Awana Headquarters is doing different for the new year. Finally, these dinners serve as a chance for the backbone of the area's Awana ministry to pray for the surrounding clubs that are about to begin.

Tomorrow is the team building dinner for my area, and I will be using the opportunity to talk with commanders about what they do for Awana during the summer and what they're doing to prepare for the new Awana year.

Check back next Monday to find out what I learned! In the meantime, what are you and your churches doing to gear up children's ministries for the school year?

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.

5 Ways to Spend Free Time: West Coast Honor Camp Thursday through Friday

West Coast Honor Camp offers a variety of activities for the three hours campers have after Cabin Rest. There's stuff for the beach-goers, the swimmers, the wildlife hunters, the speedsters, the crafters, and even the wanderers and sleepers. Here are a few old-time favorites and at least one brand new to this 2012 camp year.

Campers race around the Lassen Pines Speedway at Free Time
Photo provided by Laura Carpenter

Lassen Pines Speedway

At the Lassen Pines Speedway, you can race against four other campers or staff members in one of the all-new go karts (much faster than the old ones). Steer your way around the winding track, dodge the side barriers, squeal tires on curves, and collide with the other races other as you battle for first. Tickets can be purchased at the Snack Shack on the beach.

Gutterball

Opposite the speedway, on the other side of camp, is the most popular hangout during the Free Time hours — the beach. Here, you'll find campers spending their entire Free Time competing at one of the four Gutterball tables. The tables are long, narrow alleys with a "gutter," or deep square pocket, at each end. In front of each pocket are seven circular indents, arranged in a 2-3-2 pattern. Seven pool balls are placed in these indents, resulting in 14 balls on the table. You bowl a 15th ball down the length of the table in an attempt to knock your opponent's balls into the gutter. Then they bowl down the table to hit yours. The winner is the first to clear all seven of his opponent's balls. This game has multiple optional special rules, which are determined each game by the table's current champion.

Fishing

Maybe you like water, but not the noise, crowds, or flying sand associated with the beach. Then you may be interested in checking out a fishing pole, bucket, and bait from Philip Bairrington  at the Nature Center. You can choose from a wide selection of bait, including salmon eggs, Power Bait, and plastic eggs in a variety of colors — all at no cost to the you. Once equipped, you could catch bluegill, green sunfish, golden shiner, mosquito fish, or trout (planted right before camp from Darrah Springs Hatchery). If you have a successful day, then perhaps you can enter into one of Bairrington's contests — daily contests for the number of fish caught or the size of the fish (longest or shortest).

Campers create duct tape flowers. There are also patterns for
wallets, handbags,and notebook covers.
Photo provided by Laura Carpenter

Duct Tape

But maybe you're the more artistic type. In which case, you may make your Free Time home at the Rec. Hall among others working on crafts. This year, you could try a new craft was added to the repertoire: duct tape art. You have the option to craft flowers, notebook covers, handbags and wallets from a rainbow of colored and patterned duct tape.

Blob

The floating red-and-blue striped pillow only made a guest appearance this year, but this camp classic expected to return to West Coast Honor Camp 2013. Just off the beach, you slowly climb the ladder to the top platform as your neon orange life jacket brushes against the wood. When you reach the edge of the platform, you look down at the floating pillow that appears to be nearly two stories below. You brace yourself by placing your hands on the side rails, and then you silently count to three before thrusting yourself forward into the air. In seconds, you feel the pillow give way under you. When the bouncing stops, you crawl your way to the other end, then sit with your knees bent and arms braced at your side. Your heart and mind race as you wait for the next person to jump. In moments, as the person behind you makes contact with the pillow, you find yourself several feet in the air, hands and legs flailing as you plunge into the water.

These are just a small selection of the Free Time options at Camp. There is something for everyone, whatever your interests are.

Thursday Night's Chapel Lesson: Standing Up When You Feel Down
WCHC 2012 Final Verse Card Count: 174
Junior High Armor: Sword of the Spirit
Special night of reflection tonight, then preparing for home. Prayers for safe travels.

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

Living the Lessons: West Coast Honor Camp Wednesday through Thursday

At West Coast Honor Camp, Pastor Shawn's theme of "Think Right, Do Right, Feel Right" continued last night with "Taking a Running Stand for the Living God" using David as an example.

The story, taken from 1 Samuel 17:8-54, shows three key points of how David took a running stand against Goliath:

The high school campers shared the Gospel Glove at
Grace Baptist Church, Enterprise Park, and
Sierra Oaks Living Care Center.

1) God gives GIANT JOBS in the middle of tiny tasks. David was not a warrior, he was just a cheese delivery boy. But when he saw the problem, he seized it.

2) God gives an ENORMOUS EDUCATION in the middle of everyday life. David had killed a lion and a bear in order to protect the sheep in his charge. Because of fulfilling the jobs of his daily life, he was prepared to face Goliath.

3) You need TREMENDOUS TRUST in spite of the overwhelming odds. David approached Goliath with nothing but a stick, some rope and a few pebbles, but had the faith to tell Goliath "This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel" (1 Sam. 17:46).

Earlier yesterday, the high school experienced the points first hand, serving in the five different ministries and facing challenges in Redding, Calif. The challenges began when one of the buses broke down. For Johnathan Inscho, the camp worship leader, the necessity of a working bus making two trips became a blessing, providing a "big job in a tiny task".

"The bus driver was asking questions down and back," he said. "I asked Mr. Trautwein for a Bible so I could write down verses for him to read. If the first bus hadn't broken down, I wouldn't have had that witnessing opportunity."

When the campers and staff returned, many had stories on ways they helped others, ways they made others smile, and ways that God challenged them. Below are a few of those stories. Enjoy.

Several of the high school campers did maintenance at
Mountain Meadows Bible Camp.

Mountain Meadows Bible Camp

The high school campers worked at this Bible camp to clean brush, haul and strip logs, and complete other maintenance. According to the Mountain Meadows staff, "It would have taken six weeks to do what you have done."

Emily, Junior
"I was carrying a huge log by myself with no one around. On the end of the log were spikes, and I didn't have my gloves on. I tried lifting it on my shoulder, but it was very painful. So I knelt and prayed, 'God give me strength to do what needs done.' I put my gloves back on and got a bruised shoulder, but I got it done...It was really inspiring that we could all come together as the body of Christ, as a team to accomplish what we needed to do — move brush, etc."

Ellen, Senior
"God showed me how easy it is to clean my room compared to cleaning His forest."

Grace Baptist Church

Here, the campers canvased the area for children to attend a brief Awana-style program. The high school kids ran water games, sang songs, presented a Bible lesson, performed either puppets or a skit, and broke into small groups to present the Gospel Glove to the children.

Rory, in his Chapel testimony
"We weren't just reaching the kids and the parents, but we also reached those whose apartments were knocked on who didn't have any kids."

Colin, Junior
"We went out to canvas, but didn't find any kids, so we weren't sure how many would actually show up. When we finished canvasing and returned, there were 30 kids waiting for us. One child came to Christ, which was cool because we weren't sure we were getting through."

Laura, Junior
"One of the families there whose door we went to came to our presentation. They had five kids, and the parents stayed, listening more than the kids were. Apparently, they used to attend Sunday School, and were considering attending again. It's really cool that we brought the parents back."

Campers served food and took time to listen to the stories of
the homeless at the Gospel Rescue Mission.

Gospel Rescue Mission

 Here the high schoolers filled and carried food trays to homeless people at tables. The campers also did general cleaning, such as washing cars and mattresses, and sorting clothes.

Bill Harben, Staff
"The high school kids sat down with the homeless and did some talking, but they mostly listened as the homeless shared trials, hardships, and persecutions. I overheard one man as he thanked a high school camper for listening. It had been two years since someone sat down and listened to him."

Cooper, Junior
"I talked to a couple of older guys who were having a hard time. One of the gentlemen got excited about kids serving. He was encouraged about people out ministering at such a young age.

Enterprise Park

Here the campers ran programs just like at Grace Baptist Church. They ran through the program twice, and about 13 children trusted Christ as Savior.

Jim Schleusner, Graduate
"The greatest challenge we faced was we came expecting a hose, and there wasn't one, so we had to use the sinks in the bathroom. However, the volcano wasn't working, so the kids weren't distracted."

Chloe, Senior
"There was a traveling preacher at the park, and he prayed for us. We always pray for our ministries, but to have someone from outside pray was encouraging."

At the Sierra Oaks Living Care Center, the high school
campers and the senior citizens sing hymns together.

Sierra Oaks Living Care Center

The high school campers sang hymns, gave a Bible lesson, performed a puppet show, met with the seniors and shared the Gospel Gloves. They presented the program twice in two different areas. Two 100-year-old ladies trusted Christ.

Maggie, Sophomore
"My most memorable moment was one old lady with a batman shirt and dog. She put makeup on just for us, and she enjoyed the songs."

Silas, Junior
"I was talking with a lady there, and she asked if I enlisted in World War II to fight. She also thought I was married and had kids. But even though she had off moments, she was already a Christian, and she challenged me to be a better brother to my siblings. I was able to learn from her rather than... her learn from me.

Tana Richards, Staff
"Many of our kids were nervous, not sure what to do. Some were bold and went up and talked to the residents. It was neat to see them step outside their comfort zones, and the residents loved it. You could see their faces light up."

Wednesday Night's Chapel Message: Taking a Running Stand for the Living God
Total Verse Card Count: 120
Junior High Armor: Helmet of Salvation
All photos were provided by the high school ministry groups. As for us, one more full day left! Prayers we finish strong!

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

TDF Right: West Coast Honor Camp Tuesday through Wednesday

The West Coast Honor Camp's speaker for this year is Pastor Shawn Thornton. Pastor Shawn, as he is affectionately known, has a 20-year history as a pastor, and he, his wife of 21 years and his three children currently hail from Westlake Village, Calif, where he serves as the Senior Pastor at Calvary Community Church. His history with Awana Clubs International spans even longer, as he started with the program before the creation of Sparks or Cubbies, and he currently serves on the Awana Clubs International board of directors and the Awana International board.

Pastor Shawn waits to teach "The
Three Things about Standing Out."
Photo provided by Laura Carpenter.

On Monday, Pastor Shawn began his theme for the week,"Think Right, Do Right, Feel Right," began with  Philippians 4:8-9 and a life-experience-turned-allegory story of a cat, a dog, and Gary the Goldfish. Every day, the cat and dog would chase each other around the house at breakneck speeds, frequently passing by Gary's bowl. Only at night did the chasing stop, because the pair was confined to the bedroom. But one day, Pastor Shawn came out after a night's rest to discover that even though the cat and dog were away from the fish bowl, Gary was on the floor, dead.

"I got to thinking," said Pastor Shawn, "that maybe, possibly, what could of potentially happened, was this..."

Gary saw what fun the cat and dog were having, chasing each other around the house day after day, and he decided he really wanted to join in. So, he started practicing every day, swimming as fast as he could around the bowl, trying a few jumps, getting better and faster, preparing to run with the cat and dog. Finally, one night, Gary was ready. He leaped out of the bowl and hit the floor — where he was found that tragic morning.

"God did not design Gary to run with the cat and dog," Pastor Shawn said. "Unfortunately, the sad truth is many people think like Gary. So this week, we're looking at living the way God designed you to live."

Gary's tragedy began when he started thinking about things outside of God's design. He wanted to be something other than what God had planned — he thought wrong. Those thoughts lead him to practice for the role God did not design him to fill — he did wrong. Ultimately, his wrong actions lead him from the safety and joy found in the place God designed him for, and it didn't feel too good.

In Philippians 4:8, God provides us with the blueprint for thinking right:

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things" (NKJV).

The first half of verse 9 shows how to do right, and the second half explains how they feel right:

"The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." More rewards for thinking and doing right can be found in Romans 5:1

The theme of "Think Right, Do Right, Feel Right" continued into Tuesday with three things about standing out — because when you think, do and feel right, you will feel like you're not part of a group. We considered Elijah and the sacrifice on Mount Carmel, as written in 1 Kings 18:18-39.

1) It's not how many you follow, but it''s WHO you follow that matters. Nearly 450 prophets followed Baal, yet only Elijah, as far as he knew, followed the LORD.

2) It's not how much you trust, but WHO you trust that matters. The prophets of Baal screamed, hollered, sacrificed a bull and cut themselves to show their devotion, Elijah only prayed a single statement.

3) It's not what you have to offer, but TO WHOM you offer it that matters. The prophets of Baal sacrificed the better bull on the solidly established alter. Elijah build an alter of wood and some rocks and water, upon which he sacrificed the poorer offering.

Baal remained silent. God consumed the wood, the rock, the water, and the sand in fire, leaving nothing but a cater of scorched earth.

Today, the 114 high school campers put the process of "Think, Do, Feel Right" into action as they served the Redding, Calif. area in five different ministries. Stay tuned tomorrow for some of their stories.

Tuesday's Chapel Lesson: Three Things about Standing Out
Tonight's Verse Card Count: TBA
Junior High Armor: Shield of Faith
Halfway mark! Please keep praying as we continue to "train them to serve Him."

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

Confessions of a Cabin Inspector: West Coast Honor Camp Monday through Tuesday

Each year of West Coast Honor Camp, I'm faced with a variety of new experiences. This year, for example, I am learning the duties of general staff: specifically, I'm learning the role of a cabin inspector. I am inspecting the rawhides (where the junior high girls sleep) while they are away at their Bible lessons. I have only been inspecting for two days with my partner, Liz Benesch, but I have already made some observations based on what I've heard from other inspectors and what I've seen myself.

Inspections are much harder than one would think. We're given a sheet with eight categories — grounds, floors, beds, clothes, shoes, suitcases, bathrooms, and bonus — and each category has a potential of five points. The inspection process itself begins at the communal bathrooms. We have to check both sets of shower stalls for any sand or mud or hair around the drains, any curtains pulled to different sides, any undumped trashcans and any unlabeled left-behind bottles or towels or clothes.

Then it's on to the two sets of toilet stalls. As with the showers, we look for lost items, curtain conformity, clean floors and empty cans. But then we have to check for any unflushed bowls — and sometimes, we find them. (Yuck!)

After grading the bathrooms, the real challenge begins: we have to walk through eight rawhides and one tent, judging each of the criterion — all in less than an hour (hardly enough time).

We start outside with the grounds: Is there trash around the rawhide? Are the porches swept? Any wayward shoes or clothes below the clothesline? Is the clothesline labeled?

Once we grant points for the outside, we slowly open the door to the sleeping area, never knowing what to expect. Today we were showered with patriotic confetti; greeted by a giant teddy bear holding a fish, a bouquet and a bunch of taffy for us; directed along a trail of sparkling stars and shoes to a trophy; given a story about a picnic in celebration of soldiers and pie accompanied by the picnic scene (the people and animals celebrating, but no pie); and provided with a poem about a bunk that collapsed yesterday. Others left us necklaces, notes and various candies. Such creativity, along with the use of patriotic decorations and sticks and rocks and pine cones all go into the bonus category, often making or breaking a winning score.

From there, we begin down the list. Floors: Did they sweep? Is there any clothing under the bunks?

Beds: Are sleeping bags zipped? If not, is there a note explaining a broken zipper? Are there any lumps?

Clothes: Any to be seen? On the line outside, are they neat? Undergarments should never be found, ever!

Shoes: Do they make a distinguishable pattern? Are they uniform in presentation?

Suitcases: Are they zipped closed or is there an explanation for why they're not? Any Bibles or lesson books to be seen (They should be with the kids at the lesson, NOT in the rawhide)?

More often than not, rawhides, along with the tepees (junior high boys) and cabins (high school), do well with some scores and not with others. Unfortunately, this can lead to problems. Camilla Taetzsch, one of the cabin inspectors, explains. "How do you choose between a cabin that's hyper clean but has no decorations and a cabin that's moderately clean but has lots of decorations?"

Other times, the ultra-clean cabins give the inspectors grief. "What I hate most is when everything is fine except for one thing," Taetzsch said. "Like when the grounds are perfect except for one pair of shoes, or all beds are perfect except for one person's. I think 'What happened?' and feel bad for not being able to give a perfect score."

The best parts of inspections are leaving the kids candy and watching how the rawhides improve throughout the week, and like all the other staff, we inspectors hope and pray the children are improving and growing as well.

Monday's Evening Lesson: Think Right, Do Right, Feel Right: Introduction (more information to come)
Tonight's Verse Card Count: At least 85.
Junior High Armor: Shoes of Peace and Breastplate of Righteousness
High School head to their ministries tomorrow. Please keep them in your prayers.

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

Guns and Gloves: West Coast Honor Camp Sunday to Monday

Hey all, this week I'm writing to you from West Coast Honor Camp -- the camp for all clubbers in the region sixth grade and up who earned their Excellence award and completed this year's requirements.

Throughout the week, I'll *attempt* to provide updates and insights on what the kids are learning. This year's theme is Patriotic, and Eddie Hester, regional ministry director for Central and Western Europe at Awana International, kicked off the week appropriately last night with a definition of a patriot: someone who loves, supports and protects their country and its interests with devotion." He then embodied the definition with a war story from his time in Vietnam — one mission with two miracles: two deadly bullets that didn't kill.

Hester served in the armed forces as pilot. Part of his responsibility included flying a helicopter into enemy fire to rescue his fellow soldiers. On this particular mission, one bullet hit his "chicken vest" (had it hit his copilot in the same spot, his copilot would have died). Another bullet hit his copilot in a new ballistic helmet (had it hit Hester in the same spot, he would have died). Both bullets hit the right places on the right people -- to Hester, the two saved lives are both signs of God's love for His people.

The story also serves as an allegory for the Greatest Patriot: Jesus Christ. Christ loves, supports and protects the citizens of Heaven, even to the point of entering into enemy fire and dying to rescue those He loves.

The high school campers practice the Gospel Glove
to present to kids on Wednesday's ministry trips.

This morning, other patriots of Heaven began training for missions. On Wednesday, groups of high school campers will depart in various directions — some will work sorting stuff at a mission or cleaning and performing maintenance around other campgrounds. Other groups will go to different locations to host a one-day Awana. These kids will lead water games and songs, perform a puppet show or skit, present a lesson and a testimony, and, most importantly, share the Gospel with the attending children and parents.

Each year, the high-schoolers are taught a new Gospel tool, which they present to children on the Wednesday of the WCHC week. Today, they received this year's tool: the Gospel Glove. One side presents the Gospel message with verses, images and symbolic colors; the other presents a message about obedience and growth for those already saved.

Between now and the trip, the high school campers are encouraged to practice by presenting to their fellow junior-high campers.

In the meantime, the junior high will be completing training of their own: training on how to use the Armor of God. Today's piece: the Belt of Truth.

One final key trait of WCHC is the completion of verse cards: a card split into six days, each day having one or two verses. To complete a card, a camper has to recite all six days' worth in a single sitting with only two helps. As of this evening, the verse card count stands at at least 50.

So here we stand, one day completed, and one more opportunity to teach children to know, love and serve the Lord.

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

Awana at the Movies: National Awana Movie Day

On Saturday, Oct. 1, Awana leaders all over the United States will be available to watch your children so you can go see the newly released movie, “Courageous.”

The movie, from the makers of Fireproof, tells the following story: “Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. When tragedy strikes home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering.”

The kids will enjoy a few games, some snacks, and some fun!

For theaters in your area showing the movie, check out the theater listings.

Check with your local clubs to learn when the leaders will be available. You can find the clubs in your area using the Club Locator.

“Honor Begins At Home.”

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

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