Invitation to Parents and Guardians

Friedens Evangelical Church would like to welcome you and invite your child to experience AWANA, which meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM during the school year.

The AWANA Clubs, headquartered in Streamwood, IL consist of more than 13,000 community clubs around the world. The AWANA Club is open to all children, regardless of church affiliation. Although your child is not required to attend other functions of this church, we would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you to take advantage of our services and opportunities for your family. If you do not have a church home, we invite you to come as a visitor and leave as a friend.

In Christ, Geralyn Esselman Director

AWANA Program

AWANA Club meets weekly for an hour and a half, led by Christian leaders. The program is divided into three segments: Game Time, Handbook Time, and Council Time.

Handbook Time

Handbook Time is the club segment when leaders lead clubbers in their achievement of entrance booklets, handbooks, handbook reviews and memory packets. Leaders also explain sections, listen to sections and challenge clubbers to achieve awards.

Game Time

Game Time is the club segment when clubbers enjoy many fun and unique games on the 30-foot diameter AWANA Game Circle. Game Time provides a fun time for clubbers, develops good sportsmanship, and offers the benefits of exercise.

Council Time

Council Time is the club segment featuring announcements, award presentations, singing, testimonies, and a Bible message. The Bible message encourages unsaved clubbers to accept Christ as Savior, and saved clubbers and leaders to grow in their relationship with Christ.

AWANA Club Branches

AWANA Clubs are organized into the following branches.

CUBBIES      Ages Pre-Kindergarten (ages 3-5), boys and girls Activities Cubby Bear encourages children as they achieve in their handbooks. The handbooks, with an animal motif, teach basic Bible truths along with popular preschool concepts. Uniform Blue Vest

SPARKS      Ages   Kindergarten to 2nd grade (boys and girls) Activities Sparky firefly encourages and motivates children through a nature motif handbook and achievements. The handbooks provide Bible memorization and other Bible-centered activities. Uniform Red Vest

CHUMS and PALS      Ages CHUMS: Grades 3 and 4 (girls) PALS: Grades 3 and 4 (boys) Activities The two handbooks used for these clubs follow an Indian motif. The handbooks have a variety of Bible memorization and other Bible-centered achievements. Uniform Red and Light Gray blouses and shirts

GUARDS and PIONEERS Ages GUARDS: Grades 5 and 6 (girls) PIONEERS: Grades 5 and 6 (boys) Activities The two handbooks used for these clubs follow an nautical motif. The handbooks have a variety of Bible memorization and other Bible-centered achievements. Uniform Red and Light Gray blouses and shirts

AWANA Leaders

An AWANA leader is a committed believer who ministers in an AWANA Club in a local church.

AWANA leaders serve for a variety of reasons. First, they love the Lord and are committed to serving him (Romans 12:1-2). Also, they want to obey God's command (Matthew 28:19-20) to reach people for Jesus Christ and train them to serve him.

In addition, they believe the Lord has called them to serve Him in AWANA. They also love to work with children.

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• Romans 12:1-2
  
  "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind He will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is."
  
  
• Matthew 28:19-20
  
  "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

How AWANA Began

While he was in Roman prison, the Apostle Paul wrote 2 Timothy 2:15 to a special young friend named Timothy, encouraging his to study the Scriptures as an "approved workman." Timothy was a faithful Christian who lived about 2,000 years ago. He had a godly mother and grandmother who trained him to love the Lord. On the Apostle Paul's second missionary journey, Timothy served as his companion and helper. Later, he became a dedicated teacher and preacher of God's Word.

Just as Paul taught Timothy to study the Scriptures and serve the Lord many years ago, a 20th century pastor in Chicago, IL influenced thousands of young people to follow Christ, too. In the 1940s, Pastor Lance "Doc" Latham of the North Side Gospel Center wanted to find a way to reach boys, girls, and teens who didn't go to church on Sunday.

One of the people at the Center, Art Rorheim, helped "Doc" and his wife, "Teach," develop the AWANA program. Because "Doc" Latham was his close friend and Christian example, Art could be called the "Timothy" of the AWANA ministry.

As the AWANA uniforms, handbooks, unique four-way Game Circle, and an award system developed, God blessed this new youth program. The AWANA Youth Association was officially organized in 1950. Many other churches heard about AWANA and asked if they could start clubs, too.