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So our church decided not to offer AWANAS this year. We've been looking for a church that does offer it close to the new house, whether or not we attend *that* church. Our current church will be a little far, but we're separating the issues into a) a place for AWANAS, & b) a place for church, so that we don't have to figure everything out at once.

 

Several times, I've come across someone saying something like, "We don't offer AWANAS, but we have something similar."

 

To me...well...one of the things I like about AWANAS is that it's something relatively consistent from one place to another (I assume), whereas doing Club Kids here & Kids Bible Club there...well...that just sounds like a title for Wednesday night church. And that sounds fine, but not really AWANAS, kwim?

 

Maybe it's not that big of a deal, & one's as good as another? I don't know. But I DO think it's weird if a kid has to *pay* to go to church on Wed nights. At our current church, AWANAS was the only Wed night option, & it's not free, & while I don't love that there's not a free Wed night option for kids, I understand the costs of AWANAS, & that was really all we were going for on Wed nights anyway, so...*shrug*...I don't know.

 

But...having a "title" for the Wed night program & charging for it when it's *not* a specific club like AWANAS (or Girl Scouts, etc) is worse, imo.

 

So I guess I'm asking--is AWANAS worth looking for, in your opinion, or is just any old children's program pretty much the same? Am I making a big deal out of nothing? When dh's aunt says of a church she's telling us about, "Oh, I'm sure they have something like AWANAS--you'd love it," well...I want AWANAS. But then, why? I don't know. Maybe just because I don't like change? But it seems more...credible to me. Which is silly, really, because...what does that mean? Good grief, am I treating a kids' program like college credits? So since I don't want to sound that silly irl, I thought I'd ask you guys--is that completely silly?

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Nope, not silly! Awana IS consistent from club to club - take your books with you & start where you left off & your progress can go with you - you completed two books already? Great! Here's book 3!

 

Those other clubs also won't earn you college scholarships (small though they may be, and only available at certain Bible schools).

 

So keep looking for Awana, and save your Sparkie and T&T books as you go - that way you can prove your progress.

 

J

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I think finding a good Awana program for your kids is worth it. Our current church has Awana and at least half the kids who attend do not attend our church.

 

And that other program that is *like* Awana? Well . . . years ago when we moved to a new state our new church there didn't have Awana. Ds was reluctant to go to a different church for Awana, and dh thought we should support *our* church's Bible program. It was not a good fit. Dh referred to it as Awana Lite. It was more Sunday School-ish. I imagine there may be some really good alternatives out there, but there is likely to be more variation depending on that particular program and church, whereas with Awana it's pretty much the same all around. So if you've been involved before you at least have some familiarity going in.

 

Hope you find a good solution for your family.

 

Cinder

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I think finding a good Awana program for your kids is worth it. Our current church has Awana and at least half the kids who attend do not attend our church.

 

And that other program that is *like* Awana? Well . . . years ago when we moved to a new state our new church there didn't have Awana. Ds was reluctant to go to a different church for Awana, and dh thought we should support *our* church's Bible program. It was not a good fit. Dh referred to it as Awana Lite. It was more Sunday School-ish. I imagine there may be some really good alternatives out there, but there is likely to be more variation depending on that particular program and church, whereas with Awana it's pretty much the same all around. So if you've been involved before you at least have some familiarity going in.

 

Hope you find a good solution for your family.

 

Cinder

 

Yeah, one mom mentioned that she was excited that the new program would have lessons, that AWANAS didn't. She volunteers in there, so I guess she knows better than me, but every time I've been in there, there were lessons.

 

Anyway, my kids complain about SS because they say it's boring--they already know the Bible lessons. AWANAS has been nice because it focuses on something more concrete & the pace is individual.

 

I just don't want to be weird about it, you know? (And I think it's really, really weird that they want parents to pay for Wed night church.)

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Well, compared to the Wednesday night programs I've seen over the years (and in the many cities we've lived) AWANA is absolutely worth it. I'd keep looking.

 

Have you gone to the AWANA website and used their "club finder?" We use it whenever we move. :)

 

AWANA Club Finder:

http://awana.findlocation.com/

 

Brilliant! I didn't know about this. I've been contending w/ Google. :glare:

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Brilliant! I didn't know about this. I've been contending w/ Google. :glare:

 

Our church does not have AWANAs, so this is how I found a church that was in an area I was willing to drive to/from after dark that had a Cubbies program

 

(Bonus! I found a church that has AWANAs Sunday night and Missions Kids for 3 year olds on Wednesday! So we're going to try that too!)

Edited by vonfirmath
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I think there is something really nice to be said for the consistency of AWANA's, but that doesn't mean that another church kids program isn't also very good, or possibly even better. But the problem with those is that you have to pretty much evaluate each individually, while AWANAs IS consistent.

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We do AWANA at a church other than our home church. We essentially home church in a building, so there's no option for AWANA. The three families with small kids all go to the same church for AWANA on Sunday night. We love it and we're totally not a "program" family. My husband and I think it's completely worth the effort to participate. It's consistent discipleship for the kids, the teaching is solid and it's great accountability for learning scripture. It is fun - but it's so much more than "entertainment". Our old church (and one of the reasons we left) switched from AWANA to a "production" for the kids. It went from weekly scripture memory and biblical discipleship to a monthly entertainment based deal. What a shame for those kids. So yes, I think there's a HUGE difference between a reliable, established program to a "children's program" at a church. HUGE. It's worth the effort to find a program even if you don't attend there (the one we go to is VERY homeschool friendly and we know all the leaders and teachers).

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Awana is so very worth it. This will be my ds's 11th year in Awana. He started in Cubbies at age 3.

 

Please, please, please refer to it as Awana (not Awanas). As explained to us by our regional Awana director, AWANA stands for Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed. If you add the S then people would think it stands for Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed Sometimes - which should not be true!

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