In my last post, we took a look at Daniel 2 where Nebuchadnezzar met God for the first time through Daniel’s ability to interpret a dream. The king acknowledged God was real, wise, and involved in the lives of His people.
In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar encountered God for the second time, this time through Daniel’s friends: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Nebuchadnezzar had a giant statue built, then required everyone to bow down and worship it when they heard music. Anyone who disobeyed would be thrown into a fiery furnace.
This caused a problem for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, because in Exodus 20:2-6, God had commanded His followers to bow to no other gods, especially ones created by human hands. They could obey God and evoke the wrath of the king who would have them put to death, or they could obey the king and evoke God’s wrath instead. They chose to obey God.
When the king heard that three of his advisers (appointed in Daniel 2) refused to bow, he was outraged. He couldn’t fathom the idea of anyone disobeying him, especially when he had the power to end their lives. In fact, we find in verse 15 that he was so angry that not only did he personally command them to bow, but he also challenged God directly; “who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
This wasn’t a question of if their God was real — as we saw in Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that God existed and was even the wisest of gods. But to the polytheist king, God was just like the rest of the Babylonian gods he knew — limited to specific abilities. In his mind, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s only available salvation was to obey him.
However, the three Israelites knew better. They knew that God wasn’t just limited to being all wise, but that He was all powerful as well. And in verses 17-18, they responded to the king’s threat. “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
If Nebuchadnezzar was angry before, then he was absolutely livid now. He commanded his guards to heat the furnace to seven times greater than normal and to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into it with the excessive heat killing the guards in the process.
But God responded to the faith of His people, answering Nebuchadnezzar’s challenge in the process. When Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he couldn’t believe his eyes — he saw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walking around in the middle of the flames. What’s more, they had no singed hairs, no burns, and not even a smell of smoke. And even that wasn’t the most astonishing thing the king saw. Inside the furnace, there were not three, but four men — the fourth of whose appearance looked "like the Son of God!" (v. 25).
In verse 28, the king called Daniel’s friends out of the furnace and exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” And in verse 29, he recognized God’s power above all other divine powers he knew; “there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
Even after nonbelievers are introduced to God and His wisdom, they may still be afraid. Culture pressures them to believe that God is for the ignorant and immature. Or they may be surrounded by a world of sorrow and pain, feeling like nobody can help them; that they screwed up too much or are stuck too deep in their situation. But as God showed Nebuchadnezzar, no pressure, situation, or fire is too great for Him to bring His people through.
Recognizing God’s power is the second step on the path to Salvation. Nonbelievers need to learn that not only is God real, wise, and involved but also has the power to take care of those who trust Him.
For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
God and the King: Acknowledging God’s existence & wisdom
Daniel is my favorite book of the Bible. I love reading about how Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were delivered and blessed when they obeyed God and followed His will.
But in my last reading, I realized that the book isn’t just about them, but is also about the people around them.
Take Nebuchadnezzar for example. The story of this king shows the process God uses to draw unbelievers close.
We’re initially introduced to the king at the end of the first chapter of Daniel, when he chose the best men out of the captives to enter into his personal service. He found none wiser than Daniel and his three friends, and they were all appointed.
The second chapter is where we begin to see God at work. Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream, and he wanted his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and advisers to tell him its meaning. However, even though he wanted the meaning, he chose not to tell them about the dream’s content. Some scholars believe he forgot but would recognize it when it was described. Others think that the king was not confident in the wisdom of the wise men, and that he was concerned they were deceiving him. Either way, Nebuchadnezzar believed that if they had the wisdom and insight they claimed to have, they should have been able to divulge the content of the dream along with its meaning.
Of course, none of the wise men were able to tell the king what his dream was. After asking the king to reveal the dream a couple times and the king declining, they said in verse 11, “It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
Their ineptitude infuriated Nebuchadnezzar, and he responded by issuing an order to kill all the wise men in Babylon. So the soldiers went out seeking the wise men, including Daniel and his friends.
Word of the king’s decree and its reason reached Daniel. He asked his friends to pray, and God revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel (v. 31 - 45). Daniel then asked to see the king.
Daniel proved that the wise men were right when they said that only a god could reveal the dream. He told the king that his wisdom and insight was not his own, but came from God. He then proceeded to tell the king about the dream and its interpretation.
But in my last reading, I realized that the book isn’t just about them, but is also about the people around them.
Take Nebuchadnezzar for example. The story of this king shows the process God uses to draw unbelievers close.
We’re initially introduced to the king at the end of the first chapter of Daniel, when he chose the best men out of the captives to enter into his personal service. He found none wiser than Daniel and his three friends, and they were all appointed.
The second chapter is where we begin to see God at work. Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream, and he wanted his magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and advisers to tell him its meaning. However, even though he wanted the meaning, he chose not to tell them about the dream’s content. Some scholars believe he forgot but would recognize it when it was described. Others think that the king was not confident in the wisdom of the wise men, and that he was concerned they were deceiving him. Either way, Nebuchadnezzar believed that if they had the wisdom and insight they claimed to have, they should have been able to divulge the content of the dream along with its meaning.
Of course, none of the wise men were able to tell the king what his dream was. After asking the king to reveal the dream a couple times and the king declining, they said in verse 11, “It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
Their ineptitude infuriated Nebuchadnezzar, and he responded by issuing an order to kill all the wise men in Babylon. So the soldiers went out seeking the wise men, including Daniel and his friends.
Word of the king’s decree and its reason reached Daniel. He asked his friends to pray, and God revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel (v. 31 - 45). Daniel then asked to see the king.
Daniel proved that the wise men were right when they said that only a god could reveal the dream. He told the king that his wisdom and insight was not his own, but came from God. He then proceeded to tell the king about the dream and its interpretation.
When Daniel finished, the king was in awe. “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets," he said, "since you could reveal this secret” (v. 47).
God showed Nebuchadnezzar that He wasn’t like any of the other gods the king and his people worshiped. He was alive, wise, and actively involved in the lives of the people who served Him.
Acknowledging that God is real, wise and involved is the first step nonbelievers must take on the path to Salvation. They need to learn that He is alive, knows about the world and His people, and takes an active role in their lives.
*Interesting fact: Nebuchadnezzar was named after Nabu, the Babylonian god of wisdom. This is ironic, considering the king had to acknowledge that it wasn’t Nabu who revealed the dream and interpretation, but instead was God though Daniel.
For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
God showed Nebuchadnezzar that He wasn’t like any of the other gods the king and his people worshiped. He was alive, wise, and actively involved in the lives of the people who served Him.
Acknowledging that God is real, wise and involved is the first step nonbelievers must take on the path to Salvation. They need to learn that He is alive, knows about the world and His people, and takes an active role in their lives.
*Interesting fact: Nebuchadnezzar was named after Nabu, the Babylonian god of wisdom. This is ironic, considering the king had to acknowledge that it wasn’t Nabu who revealed the dream and interpretation, but instead was God though Daniel.
For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
Friday, January 30, 2015
5 myths about Awana
When you get an organization as big as Awana, sometimes information can get mixed up or misunderstood. Below are five myths that the missionaries in my region had to debunk in their travels to start new clubs.
Myth: The official order of the colors is red, blue, green, yellow.
Fact: There is no official order.
Myth: Each town is only allowed one Awana Club.
Fact: A town can have as many Awana Clubs as it has groups of people willing to run them.
Myth: You can’t have an Awana Club until you have an official Game Square.
Fact: Some clubs run with no game square at all!
Bonus: Check out these nontraditional Awana Game areas!
Myth: Awana is only for kids within the church; outside kids cannot attend.
Fact: On average, 10 percent of the kids attending any giving club don’t attend a church at all. Awana has complete sets of resources dedicated to bringing in the outside kids, including the “Bring-A-Friend” section in the handbooks and The Great ShakeUP four-week program.
Myth: Awana can only be held in a church building.
Fact: There are Awana Clubs in schools, community centers, parks and apartment complexes, just to name a few.
Have you heard any Awana myths? Do you want to know if something you heard about Awana is a myth or fact? Share in the comments!
For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
 |
| A town can have as many Awana Clubs as it has groups of people willing to run them. |
Myth: The official order of the colors is red, blue, green, yellow.
Fact: There is no official order.
Myth: Each town is only allowed one Awana Club.
Fact: A town can have as many Awana Clubs as it has groups of people willing to run them.
Myth: You can’t have an Awana Club until you have an official Game Square.
Fact: Some clubs run with no game square at all!
Bonus: Check out these nontraditional Awana Game areas!
Myth: Awana is only for kids within the church; outside kids cannot attend.
Fact: On average, 10 percent of the kids attending any giving club don’t attend a church at all. Awana has complete sets of resources dedicated to bringing in the outside kids, including the “Bring-A-Friend” section in the handbooks and The Great ShakeUP four-week program.
Myth: Awana can only be held in a church building.
Fact: There are Awana Clubs in schools, community centers, parks and apartment complexes, just to name a few.
Have you heard any Awana myths? Do you want to know if something you heard about Awana is a myth or fact? Share in the comments!
For more information about Awana, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Unexpected things for which to say thanks
At Awana, as with everywhere in life, sometimes thanking God for certain people, events, and circumstances is easy. At other times, it can be quite difficult. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we're told "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Listed below are four things to be unexpectedly thankful for, along with one thing we thank God for that makes all the good and the bad at club worthwhile.
For Commanders: Thankful for being bored on a club night. Why? Because that means your leaders are effective and handling things correctly. It also means there are no discipline problems or other disasters.
For Directors: Thankful for when a leader is absent. Why? Because you get the opportunity to interact more directly with clubbers, and you gain a greater appreciation for the work your leaders do.
For Leaders: Thankful for those kids who come without practicing their verses at home. Why? Because they are still coming to club, and therefore still learning about God and Christ. It also provides an opportunity to bond with the clubbers by working through the verses with them.
For Secretaries: Thankful for an overwhelming number of awards to prepare for the night. Why? Because it means that the clubbers are doing well with hiding God’s word in their hearts.
For All Awana Volunteers: Thankful for watching clubbers come to know, love, and serve Christ Why? Because it's why we keep volunteering even if we're bored, have too few leaders, have kids who don't practice at home, or have an overwhelming number of awards to prepare in a minimal amount of time. It's what Awana is all about, and what makes every effort worthwhile.
May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!
For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
For Commanders: Thankful for being bored on a club night. Why? Because that means your leaders are effective and handling things correctly. It also means there are no discipline problems or other disasters.
For Directors: Thankful for when a leader is absent. Why? Because you get the opportunity to interact more directly with clubbers, and you gain a greater appreciation for the work your leaders do.
For Leaders: Thankful for those kids who come without practicing their verses at home. Why? Because they are still coming to club, and therefore still learning about God and Christ. It also provides an opportunity to bond with the clubbers by working through the verses with them.
For Secretaries: Thankful for an overwhelming number of awards to prepare for the night. Why? Because it means that the clubbers are doing well with hiding God’s word in their hearts.
For All Awana Volunteers: Thankful for watching clubbers come to know, love, and serve Christ Why? Because it's why we keep volunteering even if we're bored, have too few leaders, have kids who don't practice at home, or have an overwhelming number of awards to prepare in a minimal amount of time. It's what Awana is all about, and what makes every effort worthwhile.
May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Billy the Pumpkin
Materials:
1 Pumpkin
1 Tea candle
1 Lighter
Wax paper or saran wrap or newspaper- something to cover a table for easy cleanup.
Prep:
The night before or the day of the lesson, carve a simple happy or goofy face on the pumpkin, save 2-3 handfuls of the internal goop in a bag or plastic container.
Right before the lesson, cover the area with wax paper and return the goop to the inside of the pumpkin. Wear short sleeves and nothing on your wrists, as you will be reaching inside the pumpkin. Also, have a leader stand near the room’s light switch, ready to turn it off on your cure.
Tell the clubbers a story similar to the following. Disclaimer: This is a narrative I created to address Sparks. There may be others available online, or you can create your own.
Hi everyone! I'd like you to meet Billy. Billy comes from a Christian home, and as such, he does a lot of good things. He goes to church every Sunday and Awana every Wednesday, and he was baptized when he was six. He also donates some of his toys every year, and is respectful to his teachers.
But, Billy has a problem (remove the top of the pumpkin). You see, even though Billy does all sorts of good things, he still has all this icky stuff called sin. This (pick up a little bit of the goop) is from when he complained to himself when teacher asked him to help Jake put the art supplies away. This (pick up a little more of the goop) is from when Billy took just a little peek at Stephanie's spelling test because the only word he couldn’t remember was “cracker.” And this (pick up a little more of the goop) is from when his mom asked if he had finished his homework and he said yes, even though he had only done half of the math problems.
(Present your handful of goop to the kids) That doesn’t look like a lot of goop. I mean, none of those were big sins, right? Nobody heard him complain, he got all the other spelling words right on his own, and he would get the homework done before class tomorrow. And he’s done all those other good things, too. So all those good things make this small pile of icky sin unimportant, right? (Put handful back inside pumpkin).
The fact is that to God, sin is still sin, no matter how small we may think it is. In James 2:10, we’re told that "Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble at one point, he is guilty of all." We’re also told in Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5 that there’s nothing we can do to make that sin disappear on our own. So all those good things that Billy does — having Christian parents, attending church, getting baptized, being respectful, giving to the poor — none of it can make that icky sin go away.
What’s worse is that tiny amount of sin has a giant, terrible consequence. Romans 6:23a tells us, “For the wages [or consequence] of sin is death.” Death means being separated from God forever. Poor Billy!
Fortunately, even though Billy can’t do anything, God can. The rest of Romans 6:23 tells us that “the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” In Titus and Ephesians, we’re told that God’s mercy and grace are what save us. Mercy means not punishing us even though we deserve it, and grace means that instead of punishing us, He wants to give us a gift we don’t deserve. God loves us so much that He sent His son Jesus Christ to face that consequence of sin so that we wouldn’t have to.
When Billy trusts that Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking the punishment Billy deserves, God cleans out all that nasty sin. (Remove the remaining goop from the pumpkin as you talk). Now does that mean we won’t sin anymore? No, we’re still not perfect, and we’ll still make mistakes. But once we’ve trusted Christ, God cleans out not only the sins we already did, but ALL our sins, even the ones we haven’t done yet!
And that’s not all God does! When we trust Christ, not only does God remove all our sin, He also promises to walk with us and help us to not sin. Once we trust Jesus, we’ll want to follow Him, and we’ll want to be obedient and do the right things to please Him. And He’ll help us to do those right things.
When we are obedient and follow His commands with His help, something happens. (Forewarn the clubbers that it will get dark, and ask them to not scream or yell). In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (Put the candle inside the pumpkin and light it. Have your helper turn off the light).
Can everyone see God’s light in Billy? When we trust Jesus and follow God’s commands, we show God’s light and God’s love to others, just like Billy.
If you haven’t trusted that Jesus faced the consequences for your sin and you want to, talk to your parents, your handbook leader, another leader here, your pastor, me, or your Christian friends. God loves you and wants to clean away all that icky sin. If you have trusted Christ, awesome! You can ask God to help you show His love and light to others.
Have leader turn lights back on. Ask for a couple of clubber volunteers to help close in prayer.
For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
The night before or the day of the lesson, carve a simple happy or goofy face on the pumpkin, save 2-3 handfuls of the internal goop in a bag or plastic container.
Right before the lesson, cover the area with wax paper and return the goop to the inside of the pumpkin. Wear short sleeves and nothing on your wrists, as you will be reaching inside the pumpkin. Also, have a leader stand near the room’s light switch, ready to turn it off on your cure.
Tell the clubbers a story similar to the following. Disclaimer: This is a narrative I created to address Sparks. There may be others available online, or you can create your own.
Hi everyone! I'd like you to meet Billy. Billy comes from a Christian home, and as such, he does a lot of good things. He goes to church every Sunday and Awana every Wednesday, and he was baptized when he was six. He also donates some of his toys every year, and is respectful to his teachers.
But, Billy has a problem (remove the top of the pumpkin). You see, even though Billy does all sorts of good things, he still has all this icky stuff called sin. This (pick up a little bit of the goop) is from when he complained to himself when teacher asked him to help Jake put the art supplies away. This (pick up a little more of the goop) is from when Billy took just a little peek at Stephanie's spelling test because the only word he couldn’t remember was “cracker.” And this (pick up a little more of the goop) is from when his mom asked if he had finished his homework and he said yes, even though he had only done half of the math problems.
(Present your handful of goop to the kids) That doesn’t look like a lot of goop. I mean, none of those were big sins, right? Nobody heard him complain, he got all the other spelling words right on his own, and he would get the homework done before class tomorrow. And he’s done all those other good things, too. So all those good things make this small pile of icky sin unimportant, right? (Put handful back inside pumpkin).
The fact is that to God, sin is still sin, no matter how small we may think it is. In James 2:10, we’re told that "Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble at one point, he is guilty of all." We’re also told in Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5 that there’s nothing we can do to make that sin disappear on our own. So all those good things that Billy does — having Christian parents, attending church, getting baptized, being respectful, giving to the poor — none of it can make that icky sin go away.
What’s worse is that tiny amount of sin has a giant, terrible consequence. Romans 6:23a tells us, “For the wages [or consequence] of sin is death.” Death means being separated from God forever. Poor Billy!
Fortunately, even though Billy can’t do anything, God can. The rest of Romans 6:23 tells us that “the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” In Titus and Ephesians, we’re told that God’s mercy and grace are what save us. Mercy means not punishing us even though we deserve it, and grace means that instead of punishing us, He wants to give us a gift we don’t deserve. God loves us so much that He sent His son Jesus Christ to face that consequence of sin so that we wouldn’t have to.
When Billy trusts that Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking the punishment Billy deserves, God cleans out all that nasty sin. (Remove the remaining goop from the pumpkin as you talk). Now does that mean we won’t sin anymore? No, we’re still not perfect, and we’ll still make mistakes. But once we’ve trusted Christ, God cleans out not only the sins we already did, but ALL our sins, even the ones we haven’t done yet!
And that’s not all God does! When we trust Christ, not only does God remove all our sin, He also promises to walk with us and help us to not sin. Once we trust Jesus, we’ll want to follow Him, and we’ll want to be obedient and do the right things to please Him. And He’ll help us to do those right things.
When we are obedient and follow His commands with His help, something happens. (Forewarn the clubbers that it will get dark, and ask them to not scream or yell). In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (Put the candle inside the pumpkin and light it. Have your helper turn off the light).
Can everyone see God’s light in Billy? When we trust Jesus and follow God’s commands, we show God’s light and God’s love to others, just like Billy.
If you haven’t trusted that Jesus faced the consequences for your sin and you want to, talk to your parents, your handbook leader, another leader here, your pastor, me, or your Christian friends. God loves you and wants to clean away all that icky sin. If you have trusted Christ, awesome! You can ask God to help you show His love and light to others.
Have leader turn lights back on. Ask for a couple of clubber volunteers to help close in prayer.
For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage.
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
Monday, September 29, 2014
A Commander’s Calendar
This blog was written in response to a question from one of my readers. Do you have a question about Awana? Email me at twofifteenbits@gmail.com.
Club planning is highly dependent on the club’s location (church, school, military base, etc.), the leaders, and the parents of the clubbers. As such, most of it should be done as a team, rather than a single individual or couple serving as commanders. However, all standard clubs still have elements that need to be planned and communicated in advance for the club year to run smoothly. Here are some tips to help keep you on track.
For a bit more detailed structure, you can download the Awana Commander’s Checklist here. You or your commander may need to customize the calendar and checklist to fit your club's specific situation and needs.
**Bonus: One former commander I spoke with suggests having a white-board in the office where Awana personnel can write the stuff they need as they discover they need it. Come ordering time, you can just take a photo of the white board and voila: an order list to take home.
**Bonus: If you discover your estimate was short, you can place your order after-hours on a week night, such as Wednesday night. There’s a good chance your order will be shipped the next day!
**Bonus: More people planning the calendar means more people brainstorming new theme night and event ideas to keep each club year fresh and exciting.
**Bonus: If you have specific questions about any part of the club night, you may find your answer through Awana’s Club Clinic videos. Role books are also available for purchase.
**Bonus: When the scheduled person cancels last minute, it’s good to have pinch-hit resources available. Consider the Sparky’s Adventures books by Larry Fowler, or other children’s faith and Christian-living books by an author approved by your church.
For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
Club planning is highly dependent on the club’s location (church, school, military base, etc.), the leaders, and the parents of the clubbers. As such, most of it should be done as a team, rather than a single individual or couple serving as commanders. However, all standard clubs still have elements that need to be planned and communicated in advance for the club year to run smoothly. Here are some tips to help keep you on track.
For a bit more detailed structure, you can download the Awana Commander’s Checklist here. You or your commander may need to customize the calendar and checklist to fit your club's specific situation and needs.
Taking inventory
The best way to keep track of inventory during the year is delegate the list-writing to the people using the materials — the secretaries, directors, and leaders. Have them track what they need for their jobs. You can consolidate the lists in July and December, with reasons explained in the next section.**Bonus: One former commander I spoke with suggests having a white-board in the office where Awana personnel can write the stuff they need as they discover they need it. Come ordering time, you can just take a photo of the white board and voila: an order list to take home.
Ordering materials
Awana has been offering free shipping in July. Planning your new-club-year orders around this time can help with both scheduling and saving money. July will be the best time to order materials for the beginning of the year, such as books, uniform awards, and record sheets. You can estimate amounts based on the previous year’s counts. December is a good midway point when you can order year-end awards and any supplies running low. You will need to have a general awareness of your club’s monetary flow, whether through your church or dues or both, so you can have enough at those times to make the orders. Check awana.org/store for details.**Bonus: If you discover your estimate was short, you can place your order after-hours on a week night, such as Wednesday night. There’s a good chance your order will be shipped the next day!
Planning themes and special events
For themes and special nights, you can hold a leader meeting about one month before the first club night and plan as a group. With everyone having a calendar on their smart phone, all can help determine what works best for the team and kids. At that time, you can either plan for the whole year or up through Christmas, then hold another meeting during the Christmas break to plan for the remainder of the year. If you don’t already have someone on the church staff as a leader, invite someone with knowledge about other church events, especially if you’re planning something for a non-club night.**Bonus: More people planning the calendar means more people brainstorming new theme night and event ideas to keep each club year fresh and exciting.
Training your leaders
New this month, all the Getting Started training videos for new leaders or leaders needing a refresher are available online at awana.org. Hands-on trainings can also take place any time your leaders are available, whether during the summer or club year. Talk with your Awana missionary, and they can either direct you to a Getting Started Training at another club, or help you schedule your own. Missionaries can also tell you when regional trainings are, including Awana Ministry Conferences, Commander Colleges, and other information-relaying and team-building trainings.**Bonus: If you have specific questions about any part of the club night, you may find your answer through Awana’s Club Clinic videos. Role books are also available for purchase.
Optional: Inviting guest speakers
Sometimes you may want a guest speaker for a special night, such as a military veteran on Patriotic Night or a missionary on Culture Night. You should confirm their availability and willingness to teach three months to two weeks before the night they present, and confirm with them one week before they’re scheduled.**Bonus: When the scheduled person cancels last minute, it’s good to have pinch-hit resources available. Consider the Sparky’s Adventures books by Larry Fowler, or other children’s faith and Christian-living books by an author approved by your church.
Optional: Planning a multi-club event
In recent months, Awana has turned regional events over to the individual churches and communities. That means if you want your Sparks to play in Sparks-a-Rama or your Trek clubbers to have a Bible Quizzing competition with other clubs in your area, you and the other club commanders need to plan it.For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
Friday, July 25, 2014
God's Perfect Will
This was my second year as a counselor at West Coast Honor Camp — you know, the camp where I’m surrounded by trees and teens, where God likes to teach me life lessons?
He’s consistent.
Anyway, as I said, this was my second year as a counselor. I love being a counselor, as it allows me to work directly with the kids. Unfortunately, making sure my girls completed their quiet times, answered all the questions in their lessons, recited their daily verses and got where they needed to be meant I wouldn't have time to write daily posts like when I was staff. But I didn't mind — I had a plan. I only needed to post once, and I knew exactly when I would post (the three-and-a-half hours of Free Time on Wednesday) and what I would write about (the new Gospel tool the high school campers were using for their outreach ministries on Wednesday). And this year, I had a co-counselor, so I could share responsibilities and gain more writing time.
Remember what I said about God’s consistency with teaching life lessons? Well, this year, God reminded me that our will is not always His.
Along with the daily verse requirement, campers are encouraged to review the whole week’s verses in one sitting with minimal help. The first rawhide (where the junior high girls sleep) with all cards reviewed received a prize. To encourage the girls, I asked them daily about their reviews. On Wednesday, the day I planned to write my blog over Free Time, one said she wanted to review today. She could say the first three days’ worth beautifully; but at Wednesday’s verse, her review fell apart. She clearly needed help during Free Time.
But what about my blog? This was my only chance, the time I had budgeted for. Plus, I planned to meet my husband and sisters-in-law at the go karts once before writing — our only group activity together this week. My co-counselor was also meeting family at Free Time. But this girl really wanted to review today.
I promised to help her during Free Time. Maybe she could finish in the hour before the go karts opened, then I could write as planned.
At Free Time, the girl and I paced the main path, her studying and me waiting until she wanted to try. We discussed the verses where she struggled, I offered memory tricks, she studied and then she tried again. We practiced the whole hour, and she still wasn't quite there. So, she practiced with another leader as I met my family, but as soon as I finished at the go karts, we began working together again.
I never touched my laptop, and she never quite finished. Neither of us had met our goal for the day. Knowing my chance for the week was gone, I told her to get a good night’s rest, and we’ll try again tomorrow. She smiled big and agreed.
The next morning, she reviewed on her first try, and her joy at her hard-earned accomplishment dispelled any disappointment I had of missing my own goal. I found out later that she reviewed during the only chance she had, as she was leaving a night early.
In Romans 12:1-2, Thursday’s verses, we’re urged to be “living sacrifices” for God. We’re also called to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will” (NIV). My plan, even though it was to share a new Gospel tool, was not God’s perfect will. God called me to sacrifice my article and help this girl understand God’s Word and grow in her faith.
For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
Anyway, as I said, this was my second year as a counselor. I love being a counselor, as it allows me to work directly with the kids. Unfortunately, making sure my girls completed their quiet times, answered all the questions in their lessons, recited their daily verses and got where they needed to be meant I wouldn't have time to write daily posts like when I was staff. But I didn't mind — I had a plan. I only needed to post once, and I knew exactly when I would post (the three-and-a-half hours of Free Time on Wednesday) and what I would write about (the new Gospel tool the high school campers were using for their outreach ministries on Wednesday). And this year, I had a co-counselor, so I could share responsibilities and gain more writing time.
Remember what I said about God’s consistency with teaching life lessons? Well, this year, God reminded me that our will is not always His.
Along with the daily verse requirement, campers are encouraged to review the whole week’s verses in one sitting with minimal help. The first rawhide (where the junior high girls sleep) with all cards reviewed received a prize. To encourage the girls, I asked them daily about their reviews. On Wednesday, the day I planned to write my blog over Free Time, one said she wanted to review today. She could say the first three days’ worth beautifully; but at Wednesday’s verse, her review fell apart. She clearly needed help during Free Time.
But what about my blog? This was my only chance, the time I had budgeted for. Plus, I planned to meet my husband and sisters-in-law at the go karts once before writing — our only group activity together this week. My co-counselor was also meeting family at Free Time. But this girl really wanted to review today.
I promised to help her during Free Time. Maybe she could finish in the hour before the go karts opened, then I could write as planned.
At Free Time, the girl and I paced the main path, her studying and me waiting until she wanted to try. We discussed the verses where she struggled, I offered memory tricks, she studied and then she tried again. We practiced the whole hour, and she still wasn't quite there. So, she practiced with another leader as I met my family, but as soon as I finished at the go karts, we began working together again.
I never touched my laptop, and she never quite finished. Neither of us had met our goal for the day. Knowing my chance for the week was gone, I told her to get a good night’s rest, and we’ll try again tomorrow. She smiled big and agreed.
The next morning, she reviewed on her first try, and her joy at her hard-earned accomplishment dispelled any disappointment I had of missing my own goal. I found out later that she reviewed during the only chance she had, as she was leaving a night early.
In Romans 12:1-2, Thursday’s verses, we’re urged to be “living sacrifices” for God. We’re also called to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will” (NIV). My plan, even though it was to share a new Gospel tool, was not God’s perfect will. God called me to sacrifice my article and help this girl understand God’s Word and grow in her faith.
For more information about Awana Clubs International, visit the Awana Homepage
To find a club in your area visit the Club Locator.
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