Creative Ways You are Joining God Where He is Working

Apr./May 2016
Celebrate your club’s
reach during your
Awards Night.
Awana GO helps you plug
into the spiritual
responsiveness of
children and help them to
make a difference in the
world. We are celebrating
with you!!!
Year-end celebration
packets for sharing
during your Awards night
are being shipped to
registered GO Clubs the
beginning of April.
awana.org/go
Creative Ways You are Joining God Where He is Working
“One of our 6th graders was so moved to raise money for Burkina Faso,
that she raised over $1,100 herself. She not only had over 19 pledges,
but she sent each one a thank you card when it was over.”
AMAZING! This young lady is helping 110 boys & girls in Burkina Faso be able to
attend Awana!!!!
“My favorite personal story is of a little Cubbie named Luna. Luna is 4
and doesn't come on Sundays, but every Tuesday night in February she
came up to me and I had to kneel very close to her while she said the
couple verses she had memorized that week. The first week, she looked
at her mom as she whispered them, the second week she whispered
them to me, the third week she said them loud and proud and by the
last week I got a high five when she finished. She went from shy and
meek to proud and confident as she practiced and we got to know each
other.”
Amanda Alberts, Appleton Alliance Verse-a-Thon Coordinator
You can also download
the celebration video or
certificates here.
awana.org/go-promotional-tools
GO Reach Kids Lesson
Winning 1st place float…the kids put together at Awana during game
time. $100 prize money went to GO Reach Kids + $230 they collected for
outreach in Dominican Republic.
Thomas Habina, Commander - First Baptist Church – Licking, MO
*Use the form included at the end of this newsletter to mail your Missions Month or
club year-end donation or you can give online at http://awana.org/goreachkids.
Apr./May 2016
Children’s Ministry has the
Power to Change the Lives of
Kids and Families
You Are Making Hope Happen – Celebrating Your Creativity
Unfortunately, it’s not
always clear that the
work a person does with
kids is really making a
lasting difference. In fact,
research over the past decade has
revealed an alarming lack of longterm spiritual growth as children
progress through student
ministries into adulthood.
Relational Children’s Ministry
equips children’s ministry leaders
with practical tools to disrupt the
status-quo approach to
discipleship with children,
realigning their ministries for
greater long-term impact.
SIGN UP HERE TO CLAIM A FREE
SNEAK PEEK AT A CHAPTER FROM
THE BOOK!
awana.org/RCM
If you are part of the GO Facebook
group (see below) – you will have
the chance to be entered into a
drawing for a signed copy of the
book during the month of April!
“Every week during Missions Month at Large Group Time, I presented
more information on Awana GO, using the lessons provided to me
online. Since our club sponsored countries in South Asia, every week I
would give specific information on a different country. As the clubbers
brought their money in, I would put their name on a South Asia doll
which would be placed on the South Asia map. The kids had a great
time with the program and our club raised $1280. Our club goal was
$700 and kids greatly exceeded it. It was the largest amount our
church had ever raised, even
with the years of ADOPT-ACLUB. Alongside of the map, I
also decorated a bulletin board
that gave all of the information
about where their money would
be sent and also what it was
going for. It was a great
opportunity for the clubbers to
raise money for other clubs in
need and I loved the idea of
how each clubber could support another child on their own.”
Nichole Campbell - Grace Community, Herndon, PA
WANT TO BE IN “THE KNOW”?
Join the GO Facebook Group
•
•
•
•
•
Hear from Awana Missionaries
serving in the field.
Weekly prayer focus.
Be part of a tribe - Learn and
celebrate together.
APRIL DRAWING for a signed
copy of Relational Children’s
Ministry book and The Gospel
Truth as a bundle.
– author Dan Lovaglia
Join the group TODAY.
We love hearing from you and celebrating how your club used GO to connect
your kids to God’s mission. [email protected].
Bible Truth
By serving God and others we store up
heavenly treasures.
“But store up for yourself treasures in heaven….”
Matthew 6:20
© 2016 Awana® Clubs International
Apr./May 2016
Awana Leaders…Open the door to
adventure this fall!
Awana is teaming up with Adventures in
Odyssey to provide GO! Clubs with a
special Awana–inspired story called
“Where Your Treasure Is” - coming
November 2016.
Be sure you're registered as a
GO Club to receive this exclusive
episode in November.
A VBS Missions Project that will make
an eternal difference for kids.
When discipleship takes root in a home, it’s potential to
transform people’s hearts over a lifetime increases. This
four-session family experience is a gift to families in your
ministry. Our desire is to encourage and equip your
families in their walk with God. We created Go TogetherGrow Together as a heart-shaping discipleship resource
that will expand families’ view of how kids are being
reached for Christ around the world as well as in homes
across the US. Visit awana.org/gotogether for more
information and to access the lessons.
Many kids in Burkina Faso don’t have
adequate food to eat or time to play. More
importantly, they have no hope without
Jesus Christ. You can change that. If you
choose to help kids in Burkina Faso as your
VBS mission project, YOU can give them
hope! You can pray for them, show them
the love of Jesus, and put a smile back on
their faces. Every $10 helps one child be
able to attend Awana where they will hear
about Jesus…maybe for the first time.
Will you help? Watch for more details.
AFRICA MINISTRY UPDATE
Awana is growing in Ethiopia! Currently
there are 275 clubs serving almost 53,000
children!
“Awana has done a lot for me and I am
glad to be able to serve Awana as the
Coordinator for the Southern Sector. I
started Awana at about age 7. I was so
excited to be a part of Awana, however
my father would not let me come for
club meetings. There were times in my
teenage years that I was locked out of
the house because I went for club
meetings. At other times I was not
given any food to eat. Yet, I persisted in
attending club faithfully while performing
all my house chores and school work.
I can testify that Awana made a
difference in my life. I encountered
Christ at Awana and got saved and this
brought about a whole change in my life,
as my father would later testify. I am
grateful for Awana and I will
recommend to parents to encourage
your children to attend Awana Club
meetings. They will be properly discipled
in Christ.”
-Noeline Kumar, Ghana
Many of the churches recently trained
reported amazing progress, but one of
them particularly captured the attention of
Missionary Girma Gebremedhin. Just last
year, in this church the children’s ministry
was very unorganized with 70 children.
After two leaders from this church were
trained to open an Awana Club, they
reorganized the program in their church.
They started attracting many children who
come from Christian as well as nonChristian families. They now have 300
children in their Awana program. Out of
these, 65 children have come to know Christ
as their Savior during this last year.
We give all the glory to God! Can there be
anything more exciting for a Christian
than seeing boys and girls, men and
women coming to Christ?
AMERICAS MINISTRY UPDATE
“When we first started club in April 2014, we only had 8 leaders and 20
children every Saturday. Our only challenge back then was our dining
area…or so we thought. Due to our growth we have started club in the
plaza right in front of the church. This plaza used to be a place of
violence, drugs and abuse.
More children were added and we have now exceeded 60 children. Some families are coming to
know the Lord and their situation has changed. We have now challenged ourselves to reach 200
children and we trust God will continue to work. Thank God for the ministry of Awana that
challenged us to keep on working for the children.”
-Paola, Awana Leader in Paraguay
Meet 7 year old Gabriela from Colombia. She was born to
a pastoral couple and believed in Christ as her Savior at
age 5. She has a great ability to become a leader, and is
very responsible with her school work as well as during
Awana Club time. Her Awana leader encourages her to
share what she learns during club so that other children
can be saved too.
Gabriela goes to school with more than 1,000 students
where paganism rules due to the Barranquilla Carnaval.
She likes music and dancing, yet Awana has helped her
gain insight to face this atmosphere with her classmates.
Learning the Word of God has been such a blessing to her.
Gabriela has also shared the Word of God with children
from her neighborhood. We thank God for her life and
pray that the Word of God that has been sown in her
heart continues to grow and bear fruit in season.
EUROPE MINISTRY UPDATE
“We are very glad to know Awana program.
With the help of Awana, we plan to start a
church here. First of all, we want to start
Awana Club and do regular meetings with
children. We did the summer camp for
children this summer and there were 160
children. We hope to have many children at
Awana club, as well. And this is the way for us
to have the church in Pushkovichy Village.
So, the Seed Planter’s Conference is very
useful for us and we thank everybody who did
this Awana Training.”
-Kristina and Yuriy Lysenko, Awana Leaders
from Pushkovichy Village, Ukraine
Awana Romania
Check out this Ukraine Club Video
https://youtu.be/A62R5df7iPw
“The church has no future if there is no
children’s ministry.”
-Senior pastor from Kiev Ukraine
Awana Russia
MENA MINISTRY UPDATE
Little children in Egypt who are too young
to join Awana can’t wait until they’re old
enough to join. Some of them have
already memorized many verses by
hearing their siblings working on their
verses. They see the happy leaders at
Awana, so they are happy too!
Some testimonies from Awana
Clubbers in El Minia, Egypt:
“I love Awana! I love game time, team time
and council time! I encourage my friends to
attend Awana, too!”
-Amany
Marcelino is a 10 year old boy who attends
Awana in Egypt. He recently had a very
difficult surgical operation on both of his
legs. He had to stay in bed for two months
without movement, so he was unable to
attend Awana. That made him very sad.
He asked his mother to take him to Awana
by bus. Once he got there, his leader carried
him to watch games and to team time for
discipleship. He was very happy that he
could finally attend Awana! During the
holiday, his family wanted to travel to Cairo,
but Marcelino did not want to go. He did not
want to miss the discipleship of Awana or
leave his team at game time.
“I used to be afraid to memorize Bible
verses, but after attending Awana I am
changed! I have learned a lot, and now I can
confidently recite verses in front of
everyone!”
-Mary A.
“My name is Ramiz and I am in the third
grade. Sometimes my friends laugh at me
because I have difficulty speaking. Because
of this, I used to refuse to answer questions
or recite verses during Awana. But my
leaders helped me and encouraged me, so
now I am more involved and have even begun
memorizing Bible verses!”
-Ramiz
“I have learned many new things in Awana,
especially during team time. I have learned
about Adam and Eve, Jesus, and sin and
how it separates us from God.”
-Esther
NORTH AMERICA MINISTRY UPDATE
In Springfield Center, NY, Pastor Gary Tyler and his wife Marie felt
called to reach children and their parents using Awana so they
started an Awana TruthSeekers club. Soon the church halls were
full of children. People in the community have begun to notice.
Kids ride the school bus right to the door of their church. Following
a light meal the children and leaders begin memorizing verses and
playing games. In the evening all the parents and church family are
invited for the Bible lesson. The church has truly seen great fruit
from this wonderful ministry. They are now running as many as 32
kids and 10 adult volunteers.
Pastor and Mrs. Tyler wanted to do something special to "pass on
the blessing of Awana" while also helping an even smaller church in
their area. They decided to give their "Roots of Faith" Book One
materials to Pastor Rick Kinney from Old Stone Community Church
in Schuyler Lake, NY. They are now running around 20 kids and
adults in their TruthSeekers program. Pastor Rick feels it has
created a solid foundation from which to grow and he loves the
biblically sound and easy to understand lessons.
Great things are happening in New York where there are many
small churches reaching kids and families with the Gospel of Christ
using the Awana Truthseekers program to impact lives in their
communities!
Meet Airon. He is a kindergartener who lives in Greensboro, North
Carolina. He participates in Awana as well as in his church's afterschool program which ministers to the neighborhood children, many
of whom are the children of immigrants. Airon worked hard to earn
his Sparks vest, and was so thrilled when he finally got it that he
wore it to his public school the next day. When he got off the bus at
the after-school program still wearing his vest, he proudly shared
with everyone that not only had he worn his vest to school, but that
he had shared John 3:16 with his teacher. She told him she'd never
heard it before! We rejoice that God is using him as a missionary
even in his young faith!
PACIFIC RIM MINISTRY UPDATE
My name is Casper. I
am eleven years old
and currently a grade 5
student in my school. I
have two brothers and
one sister and I live in
Komuvatha Village, in
Fiji. I joined Awana at
my church this year
and I am very happy to
be a part of this Awana
Club.
Awana has changed my life even though I am
small, and I know it will lead my life in the way I
should be, till I grow up to adulthood.
In Vietnam, 62 Awana youth and leaders
gathered at Binh Duong Hotel with their hearts
on fire to go out and share the Gospel with
children as well as start new Awana clubs. We
trained them how to share the Gospel with
accuracy and urgency through evangelism cubes
and gospel bracelets. Toyditz Cosico, a
worldwide teacher from 4/14 window
movement, has challenged them to serve God
faithfully and inspired them with powerful
messages.
Going through Awana lessons, my life was
changed; I began to know more about God and
understand how powerful God is. I really enjoy
Awana especially in singing praises, worship and
more of hearing the Word of God and learning
about him. I like Awana because it is interesting
and very important for my life. Awana makes
me happy.
Please pray for these
brand new Awana leaders
who have just been
trained to open Awana
Clubs in their own
churches in the Calamian
Islands in the Philippines.
SOUTH ASIA MINISTRY UPDATE
My name is Veronika and I live in Pakistan. I am 12 years old and
in the 5th grade. I belong to Christian family and my mama and
papa love me very much. Before joining Awana I did not spend
time in prayer or memorizing verses. Instead, I used to spend all
my time watching cartoons or playing indoor games. I learned in
Awana that Jesus loves me very much. It is a great
encouragement and happiness to me! I have brought many of
my friends to Awana, and now we enjoy spending time reading
Bible verses and learning them by heart. Now I do prayer daily
before going to school and at night before going to bed. Please
pray for my family.
My name is Saurab, and I live in Haryana, India. I used to
be uninterested in church activities, until I began
attending Awana. Now, there is a big difference in my
life. A new enthusiasm has come into my heart and I
have learned so much about God through Awana. I never
had a thought in my mind that our God is so big and that
He can do anything! It changes my view about Him and
His Word. In my understanding, being Christian means
sharing with others about Jesus. Now I am a child of God
and have begun sharing the Gospel and things about God
with my friends at school and in my village. Some of
them have begun coming to Awana along with their
brothers and sisters. Please pray that God will help me
to improve more in His knowledge.
“For the past ten years, I have been involved in children’s
ministry. I never looked at children as being missionaries
or God’s servants. I saw them only as small children. Only
now, after attending this Seed Planter’s Training do I
really understand the importance of children’s ministry.
Awana has made a big impact in our lives and I praise
God for the opportunity given to us.”
- Augustine Premkumar, Sri Lanka
Each $10 gift to Awana ensures that one more child will be introduced to the Gospel
and engaged in lifelong discipleship by caring Awana leaders.
Enclosed is my gift to reach more kids for Christ.
Please apply this gift to the following designation(s):
 Where Needed Most XZ001
 Europe XE001
 Pacific Rim XP001
 Africa XA001
 MENA XM001
 South Asia XS001
(Middle East North Africa)
 Americas XL001
 North America XN001
(Central, South, Latin America, Caribbean)
(United States and Canada)
Or Write Specific Country
_______________________________
 Other: __________________________________________________________________________________________
Total enclosed
$________________________
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Church
Your gift is tax-deductible to the
extent allowed by law.
Address
Phone
State
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Monthly Giving
 I would like to give each month by using automatic
deduction.
Effective Date _______________ Amount ________________
®
Awana is a global, nonprofit ministry with fully integrated
evangelism and long-term discipleship programs for ages 2 to 18
that actively involves parents and church leaders. Each week,
nearly 3 million children and youth, 330,000 volunteers, and 260
field staff take part in Awana in 40,000 churches around the
world. Offered through local churches, Awana reaches kids
where they’re at and walks alongside them in their faith journey.
Special Instructions or Comments:
Make checks payable to
Awana
To give online, visit
awana.org/goreachkids
Thank you!
Donor #
City
1 East Bode Road
Streamwood, IL • 60107-6658
630-213-2000
Zip
AGO