AWANA Helps Churches Make a Lasting Impact
Awana is learning how to be a better friend to churches.
Every week, in churches from midtown America to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan…even a leper colony in India, more than a million children and youth meet for Awana.
AWANA (http://www.awana.org)stands for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed based on 2 Timothy 2:15--Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (NIV).
The Beginning
Awana began in 1941 at the North Side Gospel Center in Chicago. Senior Pastor Lance Latham and Youth Director Art Rorheim developed a program that appealed to both churched and unchurched kids. Nine years later, in 1950, the program was officially incorporated to minister to other churches. There have only been three presidents in the nearly 60-year history of the organization. The third and present CEO/president is Jack D. Eggar.
He was first exposed to the Awana program as a pastor in a Southern California church, an older church that he says was inwardly focused. Using the Awana program, things began to happen. It was an outreach tool and the youth ministry soon started growing. It even helped them to reach out internationally.
Joining the Staff
Eggar first joined the staff of the Awana organization as international missions director in 1997, having been a missionary in South Korea and the Fiji Islands. Two years later he was appointed CEO and president. Under his leadership, Awana has nearly doubled its international influence. There are 5,100 churches in 109 other countries that offer the program.
Eggar says the mission of Awana is to help the local church make a kingdom impact through outreach. He says when the outreach program is bringing kids and families to church, it is successful. Since assuming leadership, he instituted some new policies, repositioning Awana. According to Eggar, the ministry tore down some of the old firewalls that were keeping them out of some churches. He says the old doctrinal statement was divisive and included unimportant issues which inhibited growth. The organization is now more gospel-oriented and biblically conservative and is learning how to be a better friend to churches. He says Awana is not trying to be on every spiritual battlefield because churches have enough battlefields of their own.
Plethora of Programs
The ministry has integrated programs for kids aged 2 to 18. Some of their featured programs include:
- Awana Clubs, with weekly programs and special events that introduce children to Christ and build a biblical foundation for their faith.
- The Rorheim Institute offers ongoing adult training resources to equip ministry leaders and parents.
- The 24-7 Ministries are for older children, who are grounded in a lasting biblical faith. Eggar says they take 24-7 youth that have grown up in the program and make them leaders, which reinforces what they learned. "Getting kids plugged in to serve is the key," he says. Plus he points out that the younger kids are impressed by a teen "who has his act together."
- Home Base encourages parents and churches to work together, making the home the most effective spiritual influencer for children.
- Awana International, as was pointed out, is in 109 countries and in 5,100 churches.
- Awana Lifeline is the organization's prison ministry in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Malachi Dads functions in other correctional facilities in the U.S. They are mentoring programs for inmate fathers, which helps keep them connected to their families through a Bible-based curriculum and other events.
Jack's wife Dona especially likes the newest program, Puggles, which teaches toddlers four of the most basic Christian principals. Dona strongly disagrees with people who claim that two-year-olds cannot grasp such concepts. She uses her own grandson as an example. He is able to point out and name specific biblical characters. The program also includes take-home cards so parents can work with their child as well.
Another advantage to take-home materials is that they expose unsaved and unchurched parents to the gospel, according to Dona. Oftentimes such parents are invited to volunteer and are plugged in somewhere so bridges can be built between these parents and the church.
Project Joseph
In January 2008 the Eggars introduced Project Joseph at a Children's Pastors Conference in Orlando, Fla. (http://www.moderndayjoseph.org) The purpose is "to help kids, parents and churches work together to develop strong 'spiritual champions' for Jesus Christ." Eggar says, "Joseph is a spiritual champion who demonstrated integrity, courage, wisdom, forgiveness and faith…a flesh-and-blood example of what it means to follow Christ." He added, "Traditional approaches are not working—it's time for a change."
Contrasting Joseph is the story of the prodigal son. Executive Director of Global Training Larry Fowler points out that at least half of today's teens will abandon their church after high school. He says it is "…God's mandate that parents are first responsible for the spiritual training of children. The Joseph biography…provides a model desperately needed by parents, and children's and youth workers alike."
Eggar says the formula for success in the program is: committed parents and churches encouraging those parents.
Measuring Effectiveness
How successful and effective is Awana? To find out, an independent study involving Awana alumni was conducted online in November 2007 by suburban Chicago-based CT Creative. There were 721 respondents. The study highlights include:
- Awana stems the dropout rate among churched youth. Among alumni, as adults, 92.7% still attend church once a week or more.
- Among Protestants in America, 85% say they believe Jesus is the Son of God. Among Awana alumni, there is near universal agreement at nearly 99%.
- Awana alumni volunteer at much higher levels than those in a national sample of those volunteering in their churches.
- Awana alumni are much more likely to share their faith with friends, and do so more frequently than the national average. About one-third of Awana alumni had shared their faith with a stranger in the month previous to the survey.
- Awana alumni give much more than average to their churches, and 80% report they pray daily.
- And, Awana alumni are far more likely to participate in Bible studies or Sunday school.
The typical survey respondent was between 19 and 32. Of those, 92% had participated in Awana for at least six years and 74% had attended for 10 or more years.
Two-hundred fifty thousand volunteers and more than 300 field staff are needed to make all of these projects and programs work. Eggar says there is a basic four-hour training program for volunteers, and there are role books to read as well. He cautions that churches must be steadfast in doing due diligence, making sure than background checks are conducted on volunteers on a yearly basis.
Bob Kellogg is a senior online editor for Focus on the Family.