Awana Clubs International is a Bible-based program that is active all over the United States and in many foreign countries. The heart of AWANA is the Gospel message; it is committed to “reaching boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and training them to serve Him.” The name AWANA comes from the first letters of Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed (2 Timothy 2:15). AWANA strongly emphasizes memorizing and understanding Scripture while offering fun games and a variety of Bible-related activities with a unique awards system that helps motivate club members to achieve. When clubbers complete entrance booklets, they are then eligible to wear the official AWANA uniform shirt or vest. After completing sections in handbooks and other achievements, they receive badges and other awards they can wear on their uniform. In addition, Clubbers are divided into teams that earn points each Wednesday night for completing sections in handbooks, wearing their uniforms, attending Sunday School, and bringing dues and visitors. The team with the most points each week is rewarded. These incentives reinforce regular attendance, good behavior, and enthusiasm for learning. The values and verses learned in AWANA help participants to live Christ-honoring lives even at a young age.

Who: AWANA is offered for 3-year olds (must be 3 by September 1 of current school year) through 6^th grade. Youth in middle and high school may participate in AWANA on an independent study basis and as leaders-in-training.

When: AWANA meets each Wednesday evening from 6:30 – 7:50 during the school year. (We follow the Greenville County school calendar. We do not meet on school holidays, including snow days.)

What: Weekly AWANA club meetings include:

• Flag Ceremony begins each meeting at 6:30 PM.
• Game Time provides fun and develops cooperation, team spirit, sportsmanship, and positive character qualities as teams compete. We play fun, active games. Boys and girls participate on the unique AWANA game circle by age groups at different times during the evening.
• Handbook Time challenges children to grow in God’s Word. Children work through age-appropriate handbooks, memorizing Bible verses and doing activities ranging from patriotism to community service. They earn awards to wear on their uniforms based on their work. While one group is at game time, another group is at handbook time.
• Council Time at 7:30 PM varies from week to week and includes songs, missions, Bible messages, lessons based on Christian principals, and award presentations.

Where: Preschoolers meet in the church nursery. Older children meet for the flag ceremony in the church gym and then rotate between the gym and the church educational building for the other activities.

Awana for Adults: Awana has a Bible memorization program for adults called "Take it to Heart". Just choose one of the passages listed below, and memorize it at your own speed. You may recite verses to any Awana leader or student except for your relatives.

Isaiah 53 | Ephesians 2:1-13 | 1 Corinthians 13
Ephesians 6:10-19 | Philippians 4:1-13 | Proverbs 3:1-13 | John 10:1-15

The Awana club for preschoolers is built on two premises:

• Young children can and should receive spiritual training.
• Home is the primary place for spiritual training.

Our preschool program meets these needs through …

Fun – and lots of it!
Awana is fun with a purpose – to reach and train kids for Jesus Christ. Games, puppets, crafts, awards and other activities transform our preschool program into a lively weekly experience where fun and learning go hand in hand.

Friendly characters and leaders
Cubbie Bear, Luv E. Lamb, Ern E. Elephant, Zip E. Zebra and Gigi Giraffe take preschoolers on a thrilling journey through God’s Word. Caring, committed volunteer leaders from our church nurture your children spiritually as Christian role models and teachers.

Foundational teaching
Bible-centered handbooks and club activities help your children begin to build a solid understanding of the basics of Christianity at an early age.

Family involvement
Cubbies is unique because it supports parents as the primary source of spiritual nurturing. By working directly with their child on the weekly handbook lessons, parents become active participants in their child’s spiritual development. Along the way, unsaved parents with kids in the program are introduced to God and His plan of salvation. Your kids will reap immediate benefits from their involvement in this exciting program. Just look at what they will learn after only two years:

• Approximately 55 memory verses – and up to 120 additional verses if they complete our extra-credit curriculum
• Key basic truths about God, Jesus Christ, salvation and the Bible
• The gospel message and their need to trust Christ as Savior

Sparks is for Kindergarten through 2nd Grade

The Awana club for children in kindergarten through second grade builds on the material taught in our preschool club. However, attending the preschool club is not a prerequisite for joining the Sparks club. The aim of the curriculum is to take youngsters a step deeper into God’s Word while giving unsaved boys and girls regular opportunities to hear the gospel and come to faith in Jesus Christ. After being immersed in solid foundational teaching at the preschool level, boys and girls frequently come to an understanding of their need to trust Christ as their personal Savior while in Sparks.

Immersing kids in God’s Word
The Sparks program is firmly grounded in Scripture. The three handbooks feature:

• Basic truths about God, Jesus Christ, salvation and the Bible
• An increased emphasis on Scripture memory over our preschool materials. In three years, a child will learn and review 68 verses, many of which cover salvation and key Christian doctrine
• Clear and consistent presentation of the gospel message

Fun + learning = results
Sparks club meetings combine learning with fun to create an atmosphere of irresistible excitement for churched and unchurched kids alike. Club meetings are divided into three segments:

• Bible teaching, worship, award presentations and the gospel message
• Small group interaction and completion of Bible-based lessons
• Age-appropriate games on the Awana game circle

Along the way, Sparky, the friendly firefly, encourages boys and girls to learn verses and complete assignments throughout the three handbooks.

The name Truth & Training reflects the passion of Awana to teach third- through sixth-grade boys and girls the truth of God’s Word and to train them to follow Christ in their daily lives. Our goal is that many of today’s young people will become tomorrow’s church leaders. T&T is the program that trains the leaders of tomorrow — today.

Exciting features to get kids excited about God’s Word
T&T is equipped with a variety of dynamic tools to accomplish this mission:

Evangelism and discipleship go hand in hand in our third- through sixth-grade program. By the time a child has completed T&T, he will have:

• Learned and reviewed approximately 310 verses
• Studied dozens of passages from the Old and New Testament
• Regularly heard and read the gospel message
• Discovered the Bible’s response to questions like “How does God want me to live my life?” and memorized verses to back up these answers
• Completed missions projects that help him see the world through God’s eyes.