Seriously, my club did quadruple in size this year! Now there is a unique reason why. We currently do not have a facility. We meet in a movie theater on Sunday mornings and for the last few years at a local YMCA Sunday evenings for Awana, Youth and adult Bible Study.
The Y never really met our need, but we made it work with children having handbook and large group time in a hallway. As the Y expanded their operation, the space we had to use grew even smaller and so we sought out another facility for our Sunday evening activities.
What resulted was a partnership among the children’s ministries of two churches. We are blessed to be able to meet in another church’s facility and their children are invited to be a part of our Awana club. Because we have had several families relocate due to the economy and other factors, I was expecting 12 – 15 children from Cubbies through 4th grade T&T (we currently have no 5th or 6th graders). As the first night of Awana approached, we began receiving several registrations from the host church. As it all panned out, we had around 45 children, Cubbies – 6th grade for Awana!!
What a logistical challenge! New leaders, new facility, 3/4 of the club were new and starting fresh in Awana. So the scramble was on to get enough supplies, uniforms, handbooks, etc.
Things are going well, both churches are pleased with the way things are going. I still need to work on some logistical items, but we’ve handled the growth well and are looking for even more growth.
Yes, I made some mistakes and we’ve had success. As with any club, we should always be learning and tweaking as needed. The main lesson learned, always be ready for God to do great things. Be prepared for many children to come to learn about Jesus. I believe that this is preparing our club, and both churches, for what God will be doing in the next year.
I have always believed that when churches work together, that God can do amazing things. That’s the main reason for my web site. As we work together, God will do great things through each of us.
Are you ready for what God is going to to do in your club?
Exciting! It’s so crazy when stuff like that happens. We just had our Harvest Party, and I was expected 30 max, and about 47 kids rolled in their door, along with some parents. We normally have 15-20 kids, so I was scrambling just to wrap my mind around the new number. We had enough staff planned and all, but the place was packed!!