WWelcome to the new club year! You're revved up and ready to go!
What's the best thing you can do for your clubbers? That's an easy question, with the Lord's help, become the best leader that you can be!
Awana has a way to help you become a better leader, whether you're a new leader or have served in Awana for years. The new Basic Training (BT) has something in it for you.
Find out more in Dale's interview with Amy Staska. Amy was one the main writers and developers of Basic Training, and now she trains Awana missionaries who teach it to leaders.
Amy gives us a picture of what BT Orientation is about. You'll see that there's plenty in the new BT to be excited about.
Plus, to start the new club year off right — there's milk and cookies — and some other theme ideas for you to use this fall or anytime.
Yours for kids,
Jodi & Dale
How to start the Awana year on the right foot |
Down to Basics: The New BT
Dale: What's the new Basic Training (BT) all about?
Amy: It's all about Awana. It starts from the ground up and builds on the biblical basis for Awana.
Dale: I'm willing to help out with Awana at church, but does my ministry to children really matter?
Amy: Yes, it does! At the new BT, you'll get the Biblical answer for the question: "Why should I do children's ministry?" and you'll find out why children's ministry is critical.
Dale: Why not just jump in and give a new leader the nuts and bolts of how to run a club?
Amy: We get there, but the first priority of the new BT is to give leaders a clear understanding of the biblical foundation that Awana stands on.
Dale: Why is there a need to do that?
Amy: One reason is that there are a lot of misconceptions out there about what Awana is and what it isn't. The new BT is designed to give new leaders an idea of what's behind the 50-plus-year passion of Awana to clear up any misconceptions.
Dale: Would a veteran leader want to attend a new BT Conference?
Amy: Yes, talk to your commander about going — it will be worth it. The new BT is meant to energize and revitalize existing clubs.
Dale: How does that happen?
Amy: By talking about the things that you are already passionate about — like the gospel. The new BT will give you different ways or new tools to deal with familiar topics.
Dale: Would you give me a specific example?
Amy: There is a new tool in BT called "The gospel wheel." It's the gospel, laid out in a simple tool. A woman who already took the new BT training told us that she was able to remember the gospel wheel in a phone conversation with an unsaved friend.
Dale: Will it be helpful to my club if I go to a new BT Conference?
Amy: Definitely. Veteran leaders educate and influence new leaders. Let's say a new leader comes with you to a BT Conference. She might not know much about Awana, but you do. You sit in the same small group at BT. During a break or in a discussion question, you talk about Awana in your church. You're helping that new leader fit all the pieces together, and that helps your whole club function better.
Dale: How much time is involved?
Amy: If you go on a Saturday morning, you'll probably be going to an Awana BT Orientation, and that is usually a four-hour workshop.
Dale: What are the actual sessions like? Is it a lecture?
Amy: Not really. There will be a person facilitating the discussion, but it's all highly interactive. There will be lots of small group time and activities to do. You'll watch some videos. Mostly you'll be engaging regularly with other people in the room. It's designed to be enjoyable.
Dale: What do I need to bring?
Amy: You just need to bring your Bible and something to write with. You'll be given a participant workbook to write in. It follows the entire BT presentation and there's a place in the workbook where you can take additional notes for personal reflection after BT.
Many Awana Leadership Training Conferences offer a full BT track. Click here to find BT at a Leadership Training Conference in your area.
"…God's Word has everything I need
I'm gonna put it in my memory
Gonna do it faithfully
When I hide His Word inside my heart
It puts the power in me."
That's part of the first verse for the brand new PowerUP Song that you and your clubbers won't want to get out of your heads this year. What's Power UP? It's the new year-long program to help clubbers complete handbooks and build a rock-solid faith!
The PowerUP page — including the song — now features downloadable resources for your church to use in 2006-07. Sign up for the e-mail newsletter PowerUPdate for the latest details about PowerUP. Get God's Word deep into your kids' hearts this club year!
 | Here's a tip from a former clubber on how to handle verses — and laundry: "I've been in Awana all my life and I just graduated from high school. I've found that out of all the things that I've used to memorize verses, that writing them out helps me the most. I write them on small pieces of stiff paper, and I think about them as I write. I put the cards in my back pocket so I have them whenever I want to study.
"Just be sure to pull them out before you wash them! I accidentally washed 39 of them last night. They're gone and I have to do it again!" — Newfie from Lusby, Maryland
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Super Cookie Night has several aspects, the most prominent one being the 12-inch chocolate-chip cookie that's awarded at the end of the night. A leader bakes the cookie, counting exactly how many chocolate chips were used. You'll need a pizza box or similar container to transport and display the cookie at club.
During handbook time, every clubber that passes two sections writes their name on a slip of paper along with their guess of the number of chips used in the cookie. These are deposited into a cookie jar. At the end of the evening, the cookie is awarded to the one who guessed the nearest to the total.
Small packs of cookies can be awarded to the wining team that night instead of a share, or your usual prize. Game time can include an Oreo® stacking contest. Use cookies as pucks to sweep around the circle with brooms or hockey sticks and use cookies as batons. Have an Oreo® rolling contest.
Cookies and milk can be served as a special treat in handbook time.
Be sure to take pictures of the game time and the winner of the Super Cookie! You can also award packages of cookies for the second and third place guesses.
Print out the pictures for your bulletin board, or show them as part of a PowerPoint® presentation as children enter club the following week.
Year in Review
Be sure to take to take lots of pictures of your club's extra-special theme nights. Put the photos on a poster. When the posters become outdated, store them. Then bring them out at Awards night at the end of the year. Kids and leaders alike will enjoy seeing the poster "year in review."
Sneak Preview
Some of your themes will become so popular, they may become annual events. Super Cookie Night could become an annual tradition! If that happens, you can display last year's poster to promote the theme night for this year.
SEPTEMBER
September 11: Patriot Day (World Trade Center Remembrance Day.) Tell the gospel to your clubbers. Let them know eternal safety is found in Jesus.
National School Success Month: Why not make that Club Success Month? Start the year right by praying for each of your clubbers by name this month.
September 14, 1875: The first department store opens in the U.S. How is your Awana Store looking? Is it ready for shoppers?
September 17: National Apple Dumpling Day. Have some apple snacks: caramel & apples slices, apple pie (dare to make it à la mode?), or cookies and apple juice. (There are 7,500 types of apple trees grown around the world.)
September 26, 1774: Johnny Appleseed's (Chapman) Birthday. He gave away thousands of apple seedlings to American pioneers and thus there are hundreds of bountiful apple trees in the U.S. Encourage your clubbers to plant spiritual fruit. Give apple seeds to older clubbers as a reminder to them to talk to a friend or two about Jesus.
OCTOBER
The Month of the Dinosaur. Behemoths, leviathans, and dragons, oh, my! You'll find three Large Group time lessons about dinosaurs in the Bible in WHAT Is Your Biggest Question About God And The Bible? The lessons are geared to Sparks and T&Ters.
National Popcorn Popping Month. Make fresh popcorn. Serve it in popcorn bags. Tell younger clubbers they can act like popcorn kernels and "pop" (jump up and down) during game time.
National Pizza Month. Have an outreach pizza party for Trek students. Ask each student to invite a non-believing friend to Trek in October. Make sure every student gets a Trek Check. Send out postcards inviting everyone back for pizza — and a strong, positive gospel message during the first week of November.
October 5: International Teacher's Day. Pray this week for your clubbers' teachers and the parents of clubbers whom you know are home schooling their children.
Director's Tip
Does your church have a child protection program? Sadly, many churches don't. Child protection policies help ensure the safety and well being of the children and youth in your church's care while safeguarding your church, too. This free report discusses seven steps your church can take for the security of children and the preservation of its reputation as a refuge for kids in your community. Reducing the Risk II: Making Your Church Safe from Child Sexual Abuse is also a resource that Awana offers to churches.
Leader's Tip
Make sure last year's clubbers know when club begins and that they matter by sending them a postcard.
Awana Ideas
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© 2006 Awana Clubs International This newsletter may be reproduced without permission only by churches registered with Awana Clubs International.
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www.awana.org
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| Visit: Awana Leader Resources
Use Awana clipart to promote your Awana ministry! You can use it as long as your church is registered with Awana. Here are links to clipart for: Cubbies, Sparks and T&T.
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Check out the Awana Store, where Awana leaders can directly purchase a wide range of Awana products that will help your club ministry. There you'll find items like these:
Basic Training Sample Pack
Sharpen your skills and strengthen your faith! From interactive role books to multi-use DVDs, Basic Training is a comprehensive, Bible-based curriculum that engages both new and seasoned leaders on every level. The sample pack includes an introductory DVD and T&T Leader Role Book sample. Plus, you'll get a taste of the participant guide, Commander Role Book, instructor note and slides. |
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