From: lab@fibercom.com (Lance Beckner)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Christian "Scout" programs
Date: 27 Aug 92 07:05:23 GMT
Organization: FiberCom, Inc., Roanoke, Virginia

Someone already mentioned AWANA.  Please allow me to go into a little
more detail.

AWANA stands for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed and is 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 is a 40 year old ministry with the twofold goal of "reaching
boys and girls with the gospel of Christ, and training them to serve
Him"

As of 1990, 5670 churches in 51 countries had AWANA clubs.  I'm sure
that there are more now, and I know that AWANA started its first
Romania club last year.

AWANA is *VERY* evangelistic.  The gospel message is presented to boys
and girls repeatedly and they are given the opportunity to receive
Christ as their Savior.  The children involved in the club are also
encouraged to bring visitors, and are rewarded for doing so.  This is
how AWANA reaches unchurched boys and girls -- parents will let their
kids come to a midweek church program even though they wouldn't normally
put forth the effort to get their kids ready for a sunday school or
worship service.

As mentioned, the kids wear uniforms which they purchase after they've
passed their entrance test.  (The entrance test is just 3 or 4 "sections"
of memory work and coming to club 3 times.  This way, if the kids don't
like club within the first few weeks, they can back out before the parents
pay for the uniforms.)  They work through their handbooks to earn awards
which are displayed on the uniforms.

Awards are earned for passing Bible drills (bible verse memorization and
Q&A based on scripture reading), Crafts (courtesy, patriotism, hiking,
and others), and Attendance (club and sunday school)

Each club night is basically divided into 3 parts:

GAME TIME - Just what it implies, the kids play games.  Team against team
            for the older kids, organized "free play" for the younger.

HANDBOOK TIME - Kids recite the verses that they have memorized and have
                their Q&A answers checked.  Most work for this part is
                done outside of club. They merely recite the verses and
                show their work for credit.

COUNCIL TIME -  Awards are presented to boys and girls to recognize their
                work.  A short song or two, and then a brief message for
                the kids.

The kids are divided by age as follows:

        CUBBIES         3 and 4 year old boys and girls
        SPARKS          K - 2nd grade boys and girls
        PALS            3rd and 4th grade boys
        CHUMS           3rd and 4th grade girls
        PIONEERS        5th and 6th grade boys
        GUARDS          5th and 6th grade girls
        JV              7th and 8th grade boys and girls
        VARSITY         9th-12th grade boys and girls

You may choose to have any part(s) of the club you want.  Our church
only runs Cubbies through Pioneers/Guards; then our youth group takes
over.

AWANA is funded by the charter fees and the contributions of believers.
I don't know how much "profit" they make off of the materials.

Chartered Churches can order supplies (handbooks, uniforms, game supplies)
from AWANA and have AWANA missionaries help in leader training and
problem solving.  Chartered Churches can also participate in Olympics
(churches competing against one another in AWANA's games), Bible Quizzing
(churches competing against one another in Bible knowledge/memorization),
camps, and Leaders Training Conferences.

A chartered Church is one which pays the $90.00 (?) annual fee and signs
the paper agreeing with their Doctrinal Statement (below).

We are ready to begin our 6th year with this ministry.  (AWANA runs like
the school year in most churches)  I've been involved with it all 6 years,
and I can tell you it is a GREAT ministry - boys and girls learning God's
word and hiding it in their hearts.  We have reached unchurched boys and
girls and their families with the gospel.

If you think your church might be interested in starting an AWANA club,
call AWANA headquarters and they'll put you in touch with the AWANA
missionary in you area (AWANA missionaries are supported SOLELY by the
voluntary contributions of churches and individuals in their area.)

                          AWANA Clubs International
                              One East Bode Rd.
                        Streamwood, IL  60107  U.S.A.
                               (708) 213-2000

I'll be happy to give more detailed information or answer any questions.
However, I would NOT like to get involved in any debates on their
Doctrinal Statement.

(All emphasis is theirs, all typos are mine)

AWANA DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
-------------------------
We Believe:
1.  All scripture is verbally inspired as originally written and therefore
    infallible and inerrant (II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:21, Matthew
    5:18, I Corinthians 2:13).

    The Bible *IS* the Word of God.  We *CANNOT* accept the misleading
    statement: "The Bible *contains* the Word of God."

2.  There is one living and true God who exists in three Persons -- Father,
    Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, II Corinthians 13:14).

    The Father is God (I Corinthians 8:6), the Son is God (Isaiah 9:6;
    John 1:1,14; Hebrews 1:8-10), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4).

3.  The Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew
    1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38)

4.  Christ rose bodily from the dead and ascended unto God the Father
    (Matthew 28, Mark 16, I Corinthians 15, Romans 1:4)

5.  Christ will return.
    (a) First, for the "dead in Christ" who will be resurrected bodily;
        and for those who are alive at His coming.  This resurrection not
        only precedes His return to earth to reign 1000 years, but also
        precedes the Tribulation (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:9).

    (b) Then to reign 1000 years on the earth (Revelation 20:1-6,
        II Timothy 2:12).

6.  All men inherit a depraved nature and are lost sinners in need of
    salvation (Romans 3:9-19, Ephesians 2:1-3).

7.  God has provided salvation through offering His Son on the cross of
    Calvary, and allowing His *BLOOD* to be shed to atone for our sins
    (Romans 3:25, Hebrews 9:22)

8.  We are saved and justified when we recognize ourselves as sinners,
    and we put our trust in Christ as the Son of God and His finished
    work on the cross of Calvary.  Salvation is by grace through faith
    plus nothing (Romans 3:24, 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9).

9.  Once saved we cannot be lost; we are eternally secure in Christ
    (John 3:16, Philippians 1:6, John 10:27-29, Romans 8:38-39).

10. We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at the
    time of conversion and is the act of placing the believer into the
    body of Christ.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a second work
    of grace, nor is it necessarily manifested by unusual signs such as
    speaking in tongues (I Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:27).

11. (a) We should regularly participate at the Lord's table (I Corinthians
        11:23-32).

    (b) All believers should be baptized by immersion as an act of
        obedience, but not for securing their salvation (Acts 2:41; 19:4-5;
        Matthew 28:19-20).

12. The Bible teaches the eternal blessedness of the saved (John 4:14,
    John 5:24, Ephesians 2:7).

    It also teaches the eternal punishment of the lost (John 5:28-29;
    Revelation 20:10,15; Matthew 25:46).

13. The grace of God teaches us "to live soberly, righteously, godly"
    (Titus 2:11-13).

    (a) Titus 2:13 -- Looking for the blessed hope of His returning for us.

    (b) Colossians 3:2-3, I John 2:15-17 -- Setting our "affection on
    things above, not on things on the earth."

    (c) II Corinthians 6:14-18 -- Living a life of separation from the world.

        We believe in separation "unto God" (Romans 1:1, II Corinthians
        6:17-18).
-=-
In Christ,
Lance