Awana Clubs International is an evangelical ministry that provides Bible-based evangelism and graded discipleship resources for children and teens ages 2–18. The name Awana is an acronym for “Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed,” which comes from their key verse: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV). The goal of Awana is to “reach kids, equip leaders, and change the world” by making one disciple at a time. Awana has been vital part of our children’s ministry here at FGBC for over 20 years. Some of those who began in Awana as preschoolers are now adults and giving leadership to this exciting discipleship program today. It is a perfect example of how we fulfill our mission: Disciples making Disciples
The concept for Awana was developed by two pastors in Chicago in 1941. Lance Latham, the senior pastor of North Side Gospel Center in Chicago, collaborated with Art Rorheim, the church’s youth director. Their goal was to provide a weekly club for Christian kids as well as unchurched children. Other churches heard about the successful program at North Side and began to implement it as well. In 1950, Awana officially began as the Awana Youth Association. Today, Awana clubs are active in over 100 countries in over 100 different denominations, reaching over 4 million children weekly.
A big part of the weekly meeting of our Awana club is game time. The Awana games are played by four teams on a circle, and the Awana curriculum includes rules for hundreds of games, races, and relays. We also enjoy the annual Awana Grand Prix, where the clubbers get to build their own car to race down the track to see who’s car can reach the finish line first.
