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RENDEZVOUS

Approved workmen are not ashamed

by Jeff Kessler, Avon, AWANA Missionary (Go to AWANA Web Site)

The envelope was addressed to me in a child’s handwriting, every letter in perfect detail. As I read the contents, the first sentence made me chuckle. "Dear Mr. Kessler, Thank you for starting AWANA." The author of the letter was in the second grade, a Sparky in his church’s AWANA program. I thought of Art Rorheim, the co-founder of AWANA, experimenting with youth ministry way back in the ‘30’s & ‘40’s. The young Sparky’s gratitude was sincere, but misplaced!

As AWANA missionaries serving the Lord in Montana and Wyoming, my wife Shelly and I receive lots of encouraging letters and e-mails from clubbers, but that one will always be memorable. Mr. Kessler, Founder of AWANA! Indeed!

Shelly and I were introduced to AWANA through our search for a better way to connect to unsaved, un-churched families in our community. We served in a small rural church, and so we already knew most of the folks in the area. But when our congregation started AWANA, we saw ministry happening in places and with people who before we had thought unreachable.

As a youngster and through her teens, Shelly attended Camp Utmost. She has fond memories of Gale Fister and Frank Jackson. Kids were important to them, and they wanted their churches and the Mission to place a high priority on children’s ministries. As my wife and I got more involved with AWANA on a regional level, we were rubbing shoulders with more and more people from Rocky Mountain Bible Mission churches. It was no accident that many of the Mission churches had AWANA—it reflected the desire and vision of its leaders.

AWANA is an international ministry to children and youth centered on the Word of God. We provide local churches with weekly clubs, programs, and training for students of all ages, pre-school through high school. We seek to equip churches to reach boys and girls with the Gospel of Christ, and train them to serve Him. AWANA is an acronym for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed, taken from 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

AWANA began in 1950; today, more than 12,000 U.S. churches run AWANA. There are clubs is all 50 states and in over 3,300 churches in 109 other countries and six continents. One of those 12,000 plus churches running AWANA is the Potomac Bible Church, where Steve Fawcett serves as pastor.

Steve and Brenda Fawcett were ministering in the Blackfoot Valley Bible Church in Lincoln in the early ‘80’s. They were looking for a children’s ministry that would work in their community. They knew a little about AWANA. Lolo Community Church had started an AWANA ministry in 1979. While at a church in Anaconda, Steve and Brenda saw the AWANA game circle on the floor, and the pastor took time to explain the AWANA ministry! They took the idea back to their church where it was met with some apprehension. "It takes a lot of people and money." In fact, it took a year for the church to move ahead and begin the ministry. That was over twenty years ago! That program continues at the Blackfoot Valley Bible Church, under Pastor Art McCafferty.

Steve and Brenda left Lincoln, but they didn’t leave AWANA. Today they are serving in Potomac, still reaching boys and girls with the Gospel of Christ through AWANA. Sometimes the question comes up about the cost of AWANA. Steve’s standard answer is "whatever the cost, it’s worth it!"

Steve and Brenda had the joy of seeing their own son trust Christ as Savior through AWANA. About 75% of the kids in their club come from un-churched homes. That’s a lot of contacts into homes that might otherwise be ‘off limits’! One of the on-going challenges is to see AWANA kids ‘transfer over’ to Sunday school and church.

Steve told me about Lincoln’s involvement in the AWANA Olympics. The rules back then said they needed to have 16 boys and 16 girls in order to participate. To meet those numbers, Lincoln would always combine with another church in the area. Distances always made practicing together difficult, but for five years running Lee Mason and Steve took their ‘rag-tag team’ to the Big Show and walked away with 1st place trophies!

The ministry of AWANA is all about faithful committed leaders like Steve and Brenda. Several of the churches of Rocky Mountain Bible Mission have AWANA and scores of volunteers help carry on these ministries. These leaders know what its like to be a part of something so significant in the lives of these boys and girls.

If you’re looking for the premier program to change kids’ lives, you’ve come to the right place! AWANA is the leading ministry to help local churches reach children and youth for Christ.

AWANA blends Bible teaching, Scripture memorization, and tons of fun. Your church’s AWANA ministry will impact kids, families, and entire communities!

I opened the letter. "Dear Mr. Kessler," it began, "Thank you for coming to our club and telling us about Jesus. I trusted Jesus as my Savior."