Lessons learned from AWANA

Lessons learned from AWANA (a bible memory program for kids based on the verse in 2 Timothy 2:15-Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed).

As a kid's leader in the 21st century, hearing and listening, watching and dreaming, praying and waiting, I've recently observed something from AWANA.  This program, while in some churches can be controversial, in other churches shines a bright light on kid's growth in God's word, the bible.

Here's some lessons I've learned from AWANA:

1).  In a culture where there aren't significant faith moments to hang your hat on as parents, AWANA gives guidelines, procedure, process, and reward for spiritual growth.   It's tangible.  It's clear.  It's concise.  There's no confusion.

2).  As parents like you and me, we want to see evidence of spiritual fruit.  We long for validation that the stories from Sunday, the weekly family devotional attempts and successes, the faith conversations we may have on occasion powered with and fueled by a program like AWANA will make the faith deal sealed.

3).  We like short term, instant success.  In the span of childhood, the rigor of schedule, the intensity of the battering ram of culture, AWANA offers a moment of success.  We like that.  If nothing else seems to be working, we reason, at least my kids are memorizing bible verses.

4).  Even though we don't want to follow rules, they can be restricting and cramp our style, we like the rules AWANA offers.  Memorize the verse word perfect.  It's black and white.  It's crystal clear.  We want our children to follow rules and it's easy to discipline when rules aren't followed.  "You didn't memorize your verse, you don't get the reward."  A system like this is clear.  It teaches work ethic.  It draws out competition to strive harder, hopefully against oneself.

Parenting in this culture is hard; it's tricky and feels unsafe.  When I dream about programs, when I see what I need most as a parent, I recognize that a program like AWANA can offer goal and objective, measurable outcome and reward.  It's comforting and it's rewarding.

At a fundamental level kids need to know that there is structure, that rules matter, that hiding God's word in your heart will be invaluable.  These are lessons I can learn and apply to dreaming dreams for kid's ministry.  But equally imperative is my personal, parental role of supporting, encouraging, modeling.  I need to be leading faith and bible learning, story and bible memorization.  It is unrealistic to think any program will check the box of faith for our children.

No one will live your faith story for you.  No one is more designed to live a faith story in front of their kids than you and me. Take the efforts of any kid's ministry to supplement what you are doing.

Live faith out loud!