AWANA Graduation has come and gone!

I can’t believe we are done with AWANA

After ten years the boys have reached their goal and have graduated from AWANA.

AWANA Graduation

AWANA is an acronym from 2 Timothy 2:13 which states “approved workmen are not ashamed.”

For those of you who are not familiar with AWANA, their mission is to help “churches and parents worldwide raise children and youth to know, love and serve God.” Similar to scouting groups the kids get patches for doing certain things. Mostly it involves memorizing Bible verses. They are also required each year to talk with a missionary and report on what that missionary does and challenged to do service in their homes and churches.

AWANA Graduation

It is really a long-term discipleship program. The leaders (mostly adults/parents) work with the same kids all year long. As new kids join the group through the year they are added. It is a great time to get to know and invest in these kids’ lives.

Those three women in the above picture, are saints. They have been in leadership in AWANA for YEARS and I’m happy to say are my friends. Nate, the boy in the green TNT shirt is one of our boys’ best friends.

Michael is the one who started us in the group. Joshua was three when Michael signed him up for Cubbies. I stayed home with Nicholas until the next year when Nicholas turned three and joined his brother in Cubbies.

AWANA Graduation

Both boys went through Cubbies, Sparks, and TNT. When they graduated from the program last Thursday, they earned the Timothy Award. Over those nine to ten years in the program, they both committed to memory almost 600 verses.

I’m so proud of both of them.

But I’m sad too.

AWANA Graduation

There is Nate again. Next to him are Julia and Kirsten. They all have another year to go but I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them grow up into wonderful young people.

Over those years, we all have made friends with so many people and had the pleasure of seeing them weekly. Now that we are done (and live an hour away) we won’t see most of them again. Many of these kids I’ve seen grow up in the program. From wee little three-year old’s to maturing 12-year-olds.

AWANA Graduation

Not all of our leaders are adults or parents. The two young men above finished the level that Joshua and Nicholas finished, then went on the be LIT (Leaders In Training) which means they help the little kids learn their verses. In addition to that, they both went beyond and continued with the program to the eighth-grade level.

AWANA Graduation

AND, Celine is an example of what you can keep doing. While being a full-time leader (she had her own group of sparkys) she continued with the program through high school. 836 verses that young lady memorized. AWANA offers a $500 scholarship to college when you finish the program earning the Citation Award.

Of all the things we have done for our children, I count AWANA as one of the best. God will use those verses to guide and direct them in life.

It has meant so much to me that we are going to start it at our current church. Just five minutes away (we have been driving an hour each way to AWANA for the last two years). Both boys want to be LIT’s when we get the program set up. Both are so good with younger kids. I think they will make great LIT’s.

So one chapter has closed and another is opening. Such is life.

Have a wonderful Wednesday,
Karen