Faith Despite Fear

Today, there are many people around the world mourning the injury and loss of loved ones for various reasons, from car accidents to bullets and bombs. Most notably in the United States are the recent bombs at the Boston Marathon and the explosion at the West, Tex. fertilizer plant, which resulted in the injuries and deaths of many, including some who were young enough to be Cubbies or Sparks. And many of those affected and watching these tragedies are asking, 'why?''

Often, this question goes unanswered, or it's answered in a way we don't understand, as it was for Job of the Old Testament. Some people respond to a lack of knowledge or understanding with fear, anger, and hatred, as seen in Job's wife's response in Job 2:9.

But it's during these times of fear that we need faith the most, as pointed out in Job's response to his wife, "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10).

Faith is continuing forward despite fear, knowing that even though God is not preventing the world's tragedies for reasons we don't understand, He is holding our hand every step of the way. And this is constantly pointed out in both the Old and the New Testaments.

God promises us in Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." He reminds us of this promise in Hebrews 13, "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.'"

Today, people are hurting. But today, others are coming together to help and comfort those in need. Today, people are plodding on, doing the little things they can to show God's love and try to make the world a less scary place. We don't know what the future holds, nor do we understand much of the present. But we do know that even in the darkness, God shines His light and guides us forward.

For more examples of people who moved forward in faith despite fear, I recommend reading Hebrews 11.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by these recent tragedies.

5 Pre-Games to start club before club starts

Once the starting whistle blows and the clubbers run to their color lines for the opening ceremony, the night enters a normal routine. But pre-whistle, what can leaders do with all those high-energy kids?

Some clubs have an area for clubbers to work on their handbooks — a great idea for those kids who come with 20 sections ready, or for those who want the little extra help before Handbook Time.

But if your club is like many, then most of your kids don't embrace the extra study time. Many clubs direct the kids to the Game Square and let them just hang. But some prefer a bit more controlled environment. For the latter, cue the pre-games. Below are five ideas to get you started.

Clubbers play a game of Four-Pie while waiting for the club night to begin.

Four Pie

Materials needed:

• Rubber playground ball (or an 18in.-24in. indoor rubber ball for younger players)
• Game Square

This game is derived from Four Square and works well for early arrivals or clubs with smaller numbers. Players rotate each round, but only four clubbers are actually playing at any time.

The Game Circle is divided into four "pies" by the colored diagonals (Hence "Four-Pie"). The pies are numbered clockwise, with 1 being the entry pie and 4 being the service pie. Each player gets one pie. The object of the game is to reach pie 4 by eliminating the people in the pies ahead of you.

The game starts with the server standing behind the white line at the back edge of her pie. She bounces the ball once, then hits it into one of the other three pies. If the ball bounces in pie 2, then the person in pie 2 must hit the ball into a different pie. Play continues until a player is disqualified. The disqualified player exits the game and stands in line outside the Game Square. Remaining players advance one pie until all pies are filled. Then the server serves again. If the ball lands on the lines instead of inside or outside a pie, players may choose to replay the round.

Players may be disqualified five* ways.

• If the ball bounces in their pie and they fail to hit it to another pie.
• If the ball bounces twice or more in a single pie without bouncing in another pie.
• If the players bounce the ball in their own pie
• If the players double-dribble
• If the players hit the ball outside the circle

*Clubs may include house rules, such as no spikes or the ball must bounce in the pie prior to hitting.

Variations:

• Use the Game Square instead of the Circle, making each section a triangle instead of a pie.
• Play in the Center Square for a smaller area of play and a new challenge.
• Play with two or more players in each section instead of one.

Spider

Materials needed:

• Game Square

This is a variation of tag. One person is the Spider ("it"), and the others try to run away. Players may only run away by following the lines of the "web" (Game Square). If the Spider tags a player, then the player becomes "stuck" in the web and cannot move from the place of tagging. Also, no other players except for the Spider may pass a stuck player. The winner is the last person to be tagged.

 

Robbins and Roosters

Materials needed:

• (Optional) A rope or line dividing the Square into two rectangles
• A designated caller
• Game Square or other square or rectangle

This is another tag variation. Play begins with the players roughly divided evenly into two teams: Robbins and Roosters. The two teams face each other on either side of the line at the center of the square.

The caller names one of the teams, for instance, "Roosters." The roosters cross the center rope and try tagging the robins. The robins turn around and run from the roosters, trying to cross the back square line without being tagged. Any tagged robins become roosters. Once all the robins are either tagged or safely across the line, players return to the center. Play resumes with the caller's team announcement. Play can continue indefinitely by alternating calls.

 

Bowling for Clubbers

Materials needed:

• Giant ball, 18in.-24in. or larger
• Game Square or other square area

This is like Rabbit Hunt or Circle Dodgeball, just with a giant ball. Play begins with a designated group in the circle (all clubbers, all leaders, all T&T, all boys, all girls with pony tails, etc.) The remaining players stand around the outside of the circle. At the whistle, the players outside the circle "bowl" the ball, trying to hit the players inside the circle. When players are hit, they become bowlers outside the circle. The last player in the circle wins, and a new dodging group is designated.

Players in the circle are out if:

• The ball touches them below the neck
• They step outside the circle

Players are not out if:

• The ball hits them in the head
• The bowler steps inside the circle
• The bowler throws the ball instead of bowling

Variation: The Gauntlet

Play begins with a designated group of runners standing behind one of the four square sides. The other players line the two sides of the square adjacent to the runners. At the whistle, the runners try to safely pass through "the gauntlet" by running across the opposite line without getting touched by the ball. The players on either side bowl the ball back and forth, trying to hit the runners before they cross the line. Runners touched by the ball join the bowlers. Runners who make it safely through wait for the whistle and then try to run back. The last runner wins, and new runners are designated.

 

Helicopter

Materials Needed:

• Jump rope or long rope with a ball at the end (will hit or wrap around player's ankles)
• Optional: Gloves (prevents rope burns)
• Game Square or other large playing area

Play begins with all but one of the players standing in a circle with the last player in the middle holding the rope ball. The center player holds the non-ball end of the rope and begins rolling the ball around him, gradually letting the rope out until it is fully extended. The players surrounding him jump the rope as it swings by. Players are out if they fail to jump, or if the rope or ball hits their ankles. Once a player is disqualified, play begins again. The game continues until only one player remains.

What are some things you do for that pre-club time? Please share them in the comments!

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

Does ministry have a retirement age?

We live in a time where the norm is working until the age of 65, then retiring and spending the rest of our lives relaxing in leisure and fun, reaping the benefits of our savings from years of hard work.

But what about in the realm of ministry? Last post, I discussed how God can call and certify people at a young age. But once we're called into ministry, does there come a time while we're on Earth when God says, "You've worked enough years, so you can retire"?

God can use anyone to further His kingdom, regardless of age.

In Numbers 8:23-25, God commands Levites of 25 years to work in the Tabernacle until the age of 50. When they reach 50, "they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more."  At first glance, this appears to be God telling the Levites to retire. But is this really a command to cease ministry, or is it a command to change the way of service?

The answer is found in the next verse. In Numbers 8:26, God makes it clear that the Levites are no longer to perform physical labor, perhaps because their bodies became less capable of the physical demands necessary to maintain the Tabernacle. However, instead of allowing them to step out of ministry completely, God commands them to take on a role of advisement and guidance, continuing to do what they could to meet the needs of the people: "They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs." So, it was not retirement from ministry but a change in how they serve.

Older generations filling roles of guidance and advice can be seen in the New Testament as well, as with Jesus's disciple John. John wrote his gospel and letters to the believers nearly 50-60 years after his service by Jesus's side. Some sources suggest John was anywhere between 15 and 30 years old when he began his service, which means he was between 60 and 90 when he advised the Christians in John 20:31: "But these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in his name." John is actually the only disciple to live to see old age, as all the others became martyrs. If anyone deserved a break from ministry, he did, because of working by Jesus side, and because of what he and his fellow disciples had to face. And yet, here is evidence of him still doing what he could to teach and serve others for Christ.

Even today we can find evidence of God still calling those along in years to serve. In the last post, I mentioned that one of Awana's founders, Art Rorheim, began in children's ministry at the age of 17. This year, 2013, he turns 95. And yet, according to his bio on the Awana website,  he still "works at Awana headquarters two days a week to inspire and motivate staff. He also travels worldwide to speak at conferences and meet with ministry leaders and partners."

God is able to use anyone to further His kingdom. I remember one year at West Coast Honor Camp, our speaker taught on the power of God, pointing out three main points: my God is able, my God is able to use me, and my God is able to use me as I am. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:13 that when Christ gives me strength, I can do all things — there is no age limit. When I am no longer able to lift the game equipment boxes at club or perform my flute at church or in a band, I can still teach and guide. I can still help children learn about love, about morals and values, about respect, and about God.

Take note, however, that though there is no retirement from ministry as we breathe, there will indeed come a time when our work will be done and we can rest. In Matthew 25:20-23, Jesus shares the parable of the talents. Those that were faithful servants without knowing when the master would return were put in charge of greater things. But along with receiving responsibility, they received another blessing: "Enter into the joy of your lord."

We too have a blessing, a retirement awaiting us when we finally leave this world. John discusses this spiritual retirement in Revelation 21 and 22. But until such time as we are called home, there is no retirement age to ministry.

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

Graduation and God's Credentials

On Dec. 8, I donned the black gown, black cap, and black tassel with a gold pendant reading 2012 before walking down the aisle and across the stage for a small, rolled up paper bound by a blue ribbon. On Dec. 18, I climbed into my snow-covered car and drove to Reno to take my last final. And sometime in January, I will receive in the mail the framed paper signifying that according to the University of Nevada, Reno, I will be qualified to be a journalist and a writer of English. I will be ready to step into the world and begin doing what I have been trained to do — provided I find someone willing to accept these credentials.

But what is it exactly that makes me qualified? The working world and the education world say it's the piece of paper that shows I spent 16 or more years training. But what about what God says? Am I qualified to work in His world?

The answer is no. And I don't have to be. You see, I am not qualified — I am called. The world says, "You have the training, so I choose you." God says "I choose you, and I will train you." In John 15:16 God tells us this plan, with no age limitation: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should remain."

I was actually called many years ago, as early as five, to begin my training. And that is how God works, calling His children at a young age and training them to be qualified.

One of the youngest in the Bible that God called and trained was King Josiah, found in 2 Kings 22: 1-2. Josiah was only 8 when he was placed on the throne. Now, how much did you know about life at 8 years old? Enough to rule a kingdom? I know I certainly didn't.  Yet Josiah "did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David."

The prophet Samuel was also called at a young age, quite literally. In 1 Samuel 3, we see God's first prophecy to Samuel, who the scripture calls a "boy." At the end of the chapter, we see as God trains him to be the prophet: "So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground."

During the time of the New Testament, men were old enough to work and women were old enough to wed at the ages of 12 and 13. As such, many theorize that Mary was around 12 years of age when the angel appeared to her.

Jesus himself was following God's calling as early as 12, as we see in Luke 2:41-49. Joseph and Mary found him teaching the scholars in the temple. After He was chastised for disappearing, He reminded them of what God called Him to do. "Why did you seek me? Did you not know I must be about my Father's business?"

Even today, God calls before He trains. Pastor Marvin Dennis, who retired this last month, preached for 40 years — 25 of which were at Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church, and the last eight of which I had the honor of learning from his messages. He was called to preach at the age of 15. One of Awana's founders, Art Rorheim, was called into youth ministries at age 17. Today, at 94 years of age, he still teaches at Summit and at headquarters.

In Awana, part of what we are to do is to help children to know where God is calling them, teaching them to be open to the training God has in store. In the key verse for Journey, 1 Timothy 4:12,
Paul points out that even at a young age, Timothy's call is important and has an impact.

So what does that mean for the framed paper I am to receive in January? It means that at the age of five, God called me to write, and now, at the age of 21, I have completed one step of His training.

I pray you all have a Merry Christmas, and I encourage you to meditate on what and when God called you, and how He has given you the training to do His will.

Be sure to check back in the new year as I share the things God is teaching me through the children!

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

Getting JOY through Service: Jesus First, Others Second, You Last

For the last few years, Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church Awana Club has had a theme for the year. This year's theme is Service. In Sparks, we're focusing on how to get JOY through service. In this post, I will share an outline for the Large Group Time message I used to kick off the theme. This was actually a message I remember from when I was a clubber.

Scripture: Matthew 22:36-40

Materials:
3 large squares of construction paper

• Square 1: "J" on one side, "Jesus" on the other
• Square 2: "O" one one side, "Others" on the other
• Square 3: "Y" on one side, "You" or "Yourself" on the other

Have three clubbers come hold the three letters, showing the audience “J O Y.”

Ask Clubbers:
What is JOY?
– Allow Responses. Examples: Happiness, excitement, delight, etc.

How do we get JOY?
– Allow Responses.

Tell Clubbers:
In the book of Matthew, there were some people who had a similar question. Let’s see what Jesus had to say.

Matthew 22:36-38
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the first and great commandment."

Tell Clubbers:

In these verses, we are given the first step to having JOY: Love Jesus First, before anything else. 

Have the clubber with the letter “J” turn his letter around, showing the audience “Jesus.”

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment."

Tell Clubbers:
Jesus is the first step to having JOY.

Ask Clubbers:
How can we love Jesus first?
– Allow Responses. Examples: Pray, spend time with God each day, work on handbooks, memorize verses, obey God, etc.

Tell Clubbers:

Those are all great ways to love Jesus first. Now what about the second step in JOY? Let’s look back and see.

Matthew 22:39
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Tell Clubbers:

In this verse, we learn that the second step in getting JOY is Loving Others Second, after loving Jesus.

Have the clubber with the letter “O” turn his paper around, showing the audience “Others.”




Ask Clubbers:
How can we love others second?
–Allow resopnses. Examples:Be kind, share, say please and thank you, keep God’s commandments, serve (our theme this year), etc.

Tell clubbers:

Those are all great ideas for how to love others. So our second step to JOY is serving others. Now we have Jesus first and others second in our steps to getting JOY. What about the last step?

Matthew 22:40
“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Tell clubbers:

Hmm. Well, here we see that all the other laws rest on Jesus first and others second. So, by placing Jesus and others before yourself, that means the last step in JOY would be You Last. So our third step to JOY is serving You last.

Have the clubber with “Y” turn her paper around, showing the audience “You.”


Ask Clubbers:
Now that we’ve seen what the Bible says, how do we get JOY?
– Correct Response: Jesus first, Others second, and You last.

Let’s pray that God help us to find JOY this next week.

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

Back to the Game Square

My duties as a Sparks co-director go into full swing next Sunday with the first night of club. Part of my job for that day will be leading the games, which means being dynamic and exciting, starting with a bang. As I sit here trying to think of games that will make that goal, I can't help but remember what some of my favorites were growing up in the program. These are three of them:

Octopus

Materials needed:

• Game Square or other square or rectangular area, like one made with cones or pins.

This is a variation of tag, and I've run across similar games such as Sharks and Minnows. Start with everyone behind one side of the rectangle and one person, called the octopus, standing in the middle. When the octopus calls "Octopus!" everyone has to run to the other side without leaving the rectangle and without being tagged by the octopus. Once they're all on the other side, the octopus calls again. If a child is tagged, she stands in the spot where she was tagged and becomes "seaweed." She can then use her arms to also tag people, but her feet must remain stationary. The last untagged person wins and becomes the new octopus.

Variations:

• Have more than one octopus.

Steal the Bacon

Materials needed:

• Beanbags (or tires or tubes or any objects of equal size)
• Paper and pencil
• Whole teams
• Game Square or other square or rectangular playing area

This game is similar to the AwanaGames Beanbag Grab. Teams spread out tallest to shortest along their color line and are numbered off from the left. The game director stands to the side with the beanbags. She calls a number and tosses the beanbag into the square. Whoever received that number on each team runs in to retrieve the beanbag and carry it back across her line. If the bag is thrown across the line, it is considered "dead" and no points are awarded. If someone is tagged while in possession of the bag, the bag becomes dead. When a number is called, it should be written down to give the director an idea of which clubbers have and have not played as often.

Variations:

• Call more than one number in a play. You may just throw one bag, or the same number of bags as the amount of numbers you called (if you call 2 and 6, throw 2 bags). Players can work as a team to get a bag across the line.
• Once the bag is touched, if the toucher is tagged while in possession of the bag or not, the bag is dead.

Tails

Materials needed:

• 4-8 tails. These could be bandannas, crepe paper, strips of cloth, or braids of yarn. They need to be long enough to be easily grabbed
• Game circle or other defined playing area

This is a time-enduring game still popular at many clubs today, and quite possibly, my favorite. One clubber from each team has a tail put through his back beltloop or tucked shallowly in his waistband. The back of his shirt may have to be tucked in. When the whistle blows, he has to pull out the other team's tails without having his pulled. If his tail is pulled, or he steps outside the circle or cone perimeter, he's disqualified. The winner is the last person with his tail intact.

Variations:

• Two clubbers from each team. When it's down to four clubbers total, have them move to the center square.
• Have a leader in the center square also trying to pull out tails.
• Have the teams stand outside the circle and try to pull out tails.

What were some of your favorites as a clubber? Share them below in the comments.
Please keep our leaders, clubbers and parents in prayer as many Awana clubs across the country start in the next few weeks.

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

Taking Command of the New Awana Year

In many ways, Awana commanders are like mini-missionaries: they cary many of the same responsibilities of the three Northern California, Northern Nevada Awana Missionary couples, just on a smaller scale. For instance, commanders' summer duties include planning the new club year, coordinating with their churches, and recruiting new leaders. And for many commanders, this is a summer-long, ongoing process. Some even schedule time for Commander College.

Awana commanders spend much of their summer planning, coordinating,
ordering new supplies, and recruiting leaders, plus much more.
Some even take time for Commander College.

Melissa McMullen, who is beginning her 13th year as an Awana commander and second year as a commander at Wheatland Baptist Church in Wheatland, Calif., said her responsibilities do not stop once the club year ends. "Although I give the staff the time off of thinking about the club and such," she said, "I continue to plan for the upcoming year." Along with the normal inventory check and calendar planning, she uses summer time to plan a balance between the personalities of her leaders. "Many of the leaders are sprinters, so they are on fire at the beginning, but they burn out quickly. The long-term leaders are slow and faithful, but sometimes lack the fire needed to get the kids really excited." Because the sprinters burn out quickly, they often look for other activities to keep busy and be involved, so McMullen continually has to recruit new leaders.

Hilltop Community Church Commander Matthew Beier, in Carson City, Nev., also finds himself constantly thinking and planning Awana throughout the summer. Beier, preparing for his second year as a commander, uses the time to focus on paperwork — setting up an attendance file with formulas for averages, updating clubber and leader files, creating forms and filling in the club calendar. His biggest challenge is identical to Awana Missionary Mike Sexton's: leaving Awana long enough to spend time with family. "I set a specific time to work Awana stuff, which keeps it off my list for a certain time," Beier said about how he balances family with Awana. He also has a problem similar to Missionary Joel Cook's: contacting people. "It's harder to get a hold of parents to finalize information for camp and other events."

And yet, commanders still manage to find a fair amount of time to breath. For Penii Jo Trautwein, commander of Sierra Bible Church in Reno, Nev., the summer months provide a period of down time. In fact, her problem is starting up again.

"During the club year," she said, "everything is very structured and I know what needs to be done each week to be ready for upcoming events, weeks, and club nights, while in the summer I have down time, which is needed and enjoyed. I have to get myself motivated to get back into the office and get things ready." Her definition of "getting things ready" is cleaning up the mess in her Awana office (in shambles after Award night), sorting records (some get filed and others get moved for continued use in the new year), taking and organizing inventory (stuff needs ordered, the Trek and Journey materials need replaced), and creating the calendar (regional events, national events, and club events, coordinating as best as possible with the church's events).

Then there are commanders with different types of Awana clubs, like Jim Disbro's. Disbro serves as commander for the Mountain Warfare Training Center Chapel in Walker, California. This club doesn't have a church where it meets. Instead, the families from three churches in the community come together for a club that meets right at the base. This club still faces similar challenges, such as coordinating and creating a calendar and recruiting leaders. However, the reasons for these challenges are quite different.

"Because club is on the base, we have three churches who contribute leaders and supplies," he said, "most clubs are run by one church at the church. The base is also a government facility, which means we have to make sure we have permission to use it. We also need to let the guards know that we're coming onto the base."

Also different is the fact that not only does his club have difficulty recruiting leaders during the summer because of vacations and other travels, but also the fact that the military families move to a new base every three years.

To maintain the connections throughout the summer, Disbro send out the KidsPrint and Sparkles Newsletters, available through Awana ART. He also encourages the leaders at the different churches to establish relationships internally at their churches to recruit.

At every level, from leader to Awana missionary, some degree of Awana continues year-round.  Awana still remains in the minds and living rooms of the commanders, like at my house with Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church Commanders Randy and Shirley Moore, where new inventory accumulates, old records shift, and new plans grow.

Please pray for our Awana clubs as the pre-planning ends and the new Awana year begins.

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