If your child earned (or is about to earn) an Awana Citation Award, was is worth it? (need advice)

[HappyGrace]

Dd13 (very self-motivated, hard worker, bright) is on track to do Citation, starting Journey this yr. However, as we look over the requirements for Citation, it is a LOT. She is starting to do the work daily for it, and it's not that she minds the work (although her time is more limited w/ high school work), but mainly because it is so much to cover, we both feel she is just cramming in the Bible work to "check the boxes", whereas before she really enjoyed Bible study (she loves the Lord). Over the summer she was spending time reading and journaling, etc., on her own, and now she is just trying to get the work done to check it off. 

 

She is a person who has always done service projects for enjoyment, and comes up w/ stuff on her own to do. For instance, she was invited recently to take over the whole children's choir (she has helped out for yrs) and this would be great for Citation, but she doesn't really want to because she has a mix of other service projects in mind (Citation wants you doing more like ONE huge project like the choir).

 

Basically, we are thinking that jumping through the hoops for Citation will actually curtail her doing what she likes to do and make it a checklist chore.

 

On the other hand, Citation is a great program, we could use the scholarship $, and I feel weird discouraging her from it. It does add accountability for Bible study too. Plus she wouldn't even be in Awana, as one thing she wants to do this yr is help with the younger kids that night (they are overloaded w/ kids in Sparks and desperately need help.)

 

At this point, we have both resolved to pray about it, and seek information (she is going to speak to an adult mentor/former Awana Commander.)

 

Is the Citation award worth it? What are your thoughts on your child's journey through it? Would you do it again? Why or why not?

[BakersDozen]

My 14yod dropped her goal for a Citation award.  She got bogged down in many ways plus when we looked at the list of colleges that offered the scholarship $ we realized she would probably not even apply for those school anyway.  She is now participating in Bible Quiz which, imo, blows Awana out of the water.  We are both thrilled with Bible Quiz and she is relieved to not have Awana/Citation looming over her.  

 

My. 02.  :)

[HappyGrace]

Thanks-this does help so much. What are the time requirements approximately for Bible Quiz, and what do you love about it? Pros/cons? Thanks!

[BakersDozen]

Quiz meets weekly for about 2 hours.  I had heard for years about kids who could quote entire books (I'm talking the book of Hebrews and Romans!) word perfect, cite references, explain Scripture, etc.  It wasn't until I saw it in action that I realized how amazing Quiz is.  My kids have participated in it for 3 years now and absolutely love it.  One of my dds heard an interview on the radio - some author promoting his book - and he misquoted a verse from 1 Peter.  My dc have caught errors like that in magazines and even sermons they hear.  The fact that Quiz is made of teams working with each other against other teams adds a bit of competitiveness that is healthy and very effective; Awana only challenges the individual child against himself, really.  Awana verses are from here, there and everywhere in the Bible whereas Quiz focuses on one entire book at a time.

 

I cannot say enough about Bible Quiz.  I wish I'd started earlier with my older dc yet at least they have had these few years to participate.

[HappyGrace]

Thanks so much for the BQ info! I am going to look into it.

[CourtneyBrooke]

I'm an Awana Commander, grew up in the program and did the Citation myself. Our church stops at T&T, but my children are/will be working through the rest on their own, as their Bible curriculum. 

 

The biggest thing for me is that Bible memory and study should be Number One in our home. Why are all the homeschooled children the ones who complete their Awana books in our church? According to their parents, the public school children go to school all day, come home and do homework, and their parents don't want to force them to do more "homework"- i.e. Awana memorization. If *anything* prevented my child from Bible study, I'd end that extra thing, whether it be sports, music, or whatever. 

 

If it's Awana, or Bible Quiz, or whatever- just make sure it happens. It will be far more valuable for her future than Latin, History, Logic, etc. 

[luvnlattes]

My oldest dropped the goal of Citation award last year and also moved into Bible quizzing. It has been a great fit for him.

 

Womanintheshoe, did your kids go to Nationals last summer? My son met a lot of teens from around the country there. It would be so funny if our kids "knew" each other!

 

OP, if it's turning into a box-checking chore I would most likely allow my child to stop. I want my child to study the Bible and grow in their relationship with God and if Journey enhances that then great, but if it doesn't then I wouldn't continue doing it.

[LinRTX]

I have three Citation achievers. She can do the high school program on her own. Helping in the younger clubs is a service project. If that is what she wants to do than she should do it. 

 

My children never found the actual book-work for AWANA to take more than about 1 hour a week, plus a little more time to memorize the verse. I think at the high school level it is only one verse a week, so doable. 

 

The Bible reading requirement is 1/4 of the Bible per year, so that means reading through the Bible in four years.

 

AWANA is a great program. I would think it would actually take less time than the Bible Quiz program (and that sounds like a really good program also).

 

None of my children have gone to a college that offered an AWANA scholarship, but I still want my fourth to finish the program. All of my children still quote their memory verses from their years in AWANA.

 

Linda