Awana 2026 wrap-up

We have officially completed our seventh year of the Awana program at Denton, I am filled with gratitude for the growth we have witnessed in our clubbers and our volunteers. This year was especially blessed by a full volunteer staff, which allowed our leaders to serve without the high stress levels of previous years. Personally, these last seven years of leadership have been a season of spiritual pruning, teaching me to rely fully on the Lord rather than my own capabilities. Through this pruning and teaching, God has pushed me to pursue the WHY behind our Awana program. Why do we have this program? Why do I need to keep this going? Why is this program so Important to continue? I had lost sight of our WHY a couple years ago. It was being covered and stained with the stress and hardships of what running a program for kids can bring. However, over these last couple of years, I have seen the Why we do what we do come back, and it has restored a new fervor and drive to keep this program going strong.

The Why came back to me, as I would look into each classroom and see the clubbers being excited to learn God's word. Our oldest group, Truth & Training (T&T) is usually our hardest class to engage. However, these last 2 years I have seen a complete change, which has a lot to do with our Leaders: Miranda Stutzman, Kate Clemens, and Chad Bennett, who have helped to bring scripture to life in these older clubbers. I see the excitement in their eyes, as Kate leads them in skits that truly bring the Word to life. I see the questions and attentiveness the clubbers have with Mrs. Miranda as she teaches them like the big kids they are and get into some deep conversations that spark deep questions in the clubbers. I see the WHY in Clubbers reciting multiple different memory verses. I see the WHY in our Youth Leaders who have taken a serious commitment to leading, supporting or helping to make this program a success. I see it in the adults, whose lives become encouraged through seeing the excitement and hearing scripture being spoken through tiny mouths. Finally, I see the WHY in the future for these clubbers. The true reason we come on Wednesday night to open the doors for these kids to learn and have fun- is to Kingdom build. We are setting an important foundational block in their life- a foundational block named Jesus. So, when they grow older and life gets harder, they will recall a verse they learned or a lesson that was taught to them at Awana all those years ago. I love being able to hand out their awards at the end of the year that they have worked so hard for, but our WHY tells us that we are more concerned of the Awards being given in their hearts. The award of having scripture woven into their hearts and minds to be recalled at a time when need it the most. Our Awana core verse is 2 Timothy 2:15, but I would like to add a new Core verse for our Denton program. Proverbs 6:20-22 "My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them always on your heart; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you." I do not want our clubbers to be ashamed of the gospel, and I want them to walk in confidence to share God's word with others, as spoken in 2 Timothy, but I want them to hold tight to scripture, to know and understand scripture. So that scripture is their guiding light in the future and not the world around them.

So, I say all of this as a thank you. Thank you church family for your financial support, love and prayers over this program. Thank you to my leaders and volunteers who have poured their hearts out each week to fulfill what the scriptures above speak. Thank you for allowing me to continue leading this program, and I am eager to continue and see how God will move us in this next year.

As we look forward to next year, please join us in prayer for the following:

-New Leadership: We are saddened that Ms. Kate and Mrs. Miranda are unable to return next year. Pray that God will provide 2 new leaders for our T&T classes.

-Awana Camp: Pray for our upcoming camp in June, that it will be a fun and fruitful time of Bible Learning and fellowship for our clubbers.

Love and Peace to you!

Ashlie Deneau, Awana Director