Are you aware of all the great training and opportunities for spiritual growth that Awana offers to volunteers and ministry workers?
Raising children and youth to know, love, and serve Christ can only be accomplished through parents and ministry workers who are equipped to train up a child in the way he should go. And who will train the adults? One of our passions is equipping adults for ministry.
As your local Awana missionaries, we are committed to serving your church. One way we do this is by bringing the training to you so that your volunteers are equipped to evangelize and disciple the young people they influence.
Included here is a list of over 110 hours of training workshops, seminars, keynote messages, and sermons that we have available to bring directly to your church. We are also able to create training sessions customized to your church and your particular needs.
For more information and complete course descriptions please see our website. To schedule training, speaking engagements, or pulpit supply, please contact us.
Tim Thomas
Course Catalog Sermons The Greatest FEAT of All Time The essentials of salvation: a look at the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Call Exploring the call to service and response of several biblical characters and a challenge to answer God’s call on our lives. Failure is Not an Option A look at the life of Mark - his struggles on the mission field, his tutelage by Peter, and his return to service. Stooping to Greatness A look at the priority Christ puts on ministering to children. What are You Doing Here? Keeping a proper perspective when things don’t work out like we thought they would. Raising a Modern Day Joseph Helping parents develop a plan for becoming the spiritual leaders in the home and raise children that are like Joseph. Where Do I Fit In? Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, God has made each of us unique, designed to fit together to make a beautiful picture called ‘The Church’. Without each of us doing what God has called us to do pieces are missing and the picture is incomplete. Keynote Messages The Two Vital Ships of Ministry Regardless of your area of ministry; without these two crucial ingredients you’re headed for trouble. An Introduction to Awana Awana is more than just the weekly clubs. It is an integrated evangelistic and discipleship ministry for your whole church. Awana Related workshops (Unless otherwise noted each workshop is 45-60 minutes) Role Book Training: (1-2 hours each) Cubbies – 3&4 year old club Sparks – Kindergarten through 2nd grade club Truth & Training – 3rd through 5th (or 6th) grade club Trek– Middle School club Journey– High School club Commander/Director Training (2-3 hours) An introduction to the qualifications and job description of these two vital Awana positions 10 Standards of Excellence These are the ten standards of a successful Awana club. The characteristics associated with each standard illustrate a well-run and effective club and can serve as the pattern for a church’s orientation and evaluation. These standards are based on Awana training materials. Motivating with Points Teams, Shares, Points, Treats, Prizes – How to do I bring this all together to encourage our clubbers? We will show ways of these elements to effectively motivate your clubbers regardless of your situation, format, or structure. When Wild Kids Show up Learn tips for maintaining good discipline even with those very challenging kids in your club. Bible Memory Tips, Tools, and Techniques Memorizing Scripture isn’t easy, but it is possible using some of these tips, tools, and techniques. Raising the Level of Expectations Kids and leaders alike can achieve great things if properly challenged and encouraged. Are your clubbers and leaders just going through the motions? Have you been doing it so long that everything is just routine? If so, then it’s time to take it up to the next level. We will discuss what clubbers and leaders are supposed to be doing and what they could be doing if only they were challenged. Coaching Tips for the AwanaGames (45-60 minutes each) How to prepare and coach your Sparks, Truth and Training, Trek, and Journey AwanaGames teams. We will also review the current game rules and learn some tips to help your team maximize their efforts. Keep ‘em Coming Back! Suggestions to keep your children from dropping out along the way. Ideas on how to get through those times of the year when attendance usually declines. Theme Nights A sure-fire hit with kids of all ages Awana is for kids. And kids love to have fun. (Admit it: you do, too.) So, what better way to liven up a club meeting than hosting a fun theme night? As you plan your Awana year, here are some theme-night suggestions to consider for future meetings. Awana Calendar Planning Most Awana clubs operate from September through May, but the planning and evaluation process runs year round. Learn what you should be doing and when you should be doing it. Make it Great for Special Kids A Ministry for Everyone Ideas and resources for integrating special-needs kids into the ministries of your church. Game Time Live Learn first hand what an exciting game time looks like as you participate in a real game time with an experienced game director. The Awana Store Kids love Awana dollars! We’ll share ideas on setting up and running an Awana store. Awana – Out of the Box Large Group, Small Group, Game Time – This model works quite well for churches with 50-400 clubbers, sufficient number of leaders, and adequate facilities. But what if your church doesn’t fit this model, what then? We will discuss options designed to help you take Awana out of the box and start thinking in new and creative ways. Other Workshops (Unless otherwise noted each workshop is 45-60 minutes) 10 Life Lessons that Changed My Life From working hard to avoiding gossip these 10 life lessons will transform your life Keeping Volunteers Learn some strategies for turning volunteers into dedicated and confident leaders that don’t quit. Is Your Ministry BASED? Biblical – Application – Specific - Equipping – Discipleship Does your ministry include all five of these foundational principals? Get in the Zone – Finding Your Sweet Spot of Ministry A sweet spot is a place were a combination of factors come together to produce an amazing result. Get out of the Zone – the Comfort Zone Building meaningful relationships with clubbers and their families. 5 Reasons You Should Not Ask Jesus Into Your Heart A look at clear and confusing invitations. Children live in a literal world and often when explaining the Gospel we add “Christian-ese” and terms, which require sophisticated abstract comprehension skills, when explaining the Gospel. Learn some do’s and don’ts of explaining the Gospel and leading a child to Christ. Real Men Do Teach! Looking for a few good men? Who isn’t in children’s ministry? Learn six ways to get and keep male volunteers Internet Safety for Kids – A workshop for Parents (Rated PG-13) 1 out of 5 children are approached by predators on the internet each year. Learn how to protect your children from internet predators. Building a Leadership Team that Leads! Tired of doing it all yourself? Learn ways to transform your team members into team leaders Children and Spiritual Gifts Every believer has a spiritual gift, even the young ones. Learn ways to help kids discover their spiritual gifts and put them to use. Signs of the Times Learn some basic sign language to use with your hearing impaired children or to enhance ministry and worship opportunities with your hearing kids. You will learn some basic signs and ways to use signs to help teach Bible verses and make songs more interesting. Rorheim Institute Seminars The Four Pillars of Children’s Ministry (6-8 hours) Because Their Future is Now This Conference is for parents, pastors, ministry and Awana leaders, teachers and youth workers who have a desire to point kids to Christ and plant them in His Word. It is designed to equip you to impact not only this generation but generations to come.The conference will prepare you to develop and implement the four key pillars of an effective children’s ministry. Shepherding Parents (6-8 hours) Build bridges to the families of the kids in your ministry. Many parents feel inadequatewhen it comes to raising children.Parents have searching andsometimes urgent questions. Theywant answers that will provide themwith insight, guidance and support.Our Shepherding ParentsSeminar will continue the focus on:Raising the priority of ministry to children and youth; Deepening their biblical worldviewstarting with parents and church leaders; and Broadening the shepherding of parentsand leaders who train them. Rock-Solid Kids (4-6 hours) Build a strong children’s ministry modeled on scriptural teaching. Learn the importance, responsibility, content and opportunity of children’s ministry. Offers practical insights to give kids a solid biblical foundation at home, school, and church Teach Like Jesus (4-6 hours) Discover the Joy of Teaching Like Jesus New teaching methods are developed all the time. But often cutting-edge presentation lacks substance. Learn practical guidance from the greatest teacher Himself, Jesus Christ. With creative ideas for any teaching situation, pattern your training style to create long-lasting, lifelong change in those you teach. You'll learn to mirror Jesus' teaching principles and become a rock-solid teacher. Sharing Christ with Kids (4 hours) Based on the parable of the Sower, learn to boldly and biblically share the gospel with kids (and adults too!) and teach others to do the same. Become an equipped farmer that properly prepares the soil to receive the seed of the Gospel and reaps a bountiful harvest. Awana Related Seminars Awana Basic Training Orientation (3-4 hours) Create passion and build confidence as you serve in Awana clubs with this practical training seminar. Includes: Presenting the Gospel clearly; Clear and confusing invitations; Importance of children’s ministry; Ministry overview, Introduction to clubs and roles; Outreach; and Child protection. Awana Basic Training Refresher (3-4 hours) Includes Gospel and Children’s Ministry portions from Awana Basic Training Orientation and 10 Standards of Excellence. Awana Commander College 101 (2½ days) Commander College 101 is the first of a series of three conferences designed especially for the commander of the Awana ministry in every church. At CC101 you will gain a clear understanding of your responsibilities and your heart will be encouraged toward effective ministry to children and youth!More than anyone in your church, commanders hold the key to a successful Awana ministry. That’s why Commander College gives specialized training to help you make your ministry everything God intended! CC101 is also the best opportunity for commanders to fellowship together and learn from each other - many return to their clubs with a fantastic support system.After you’ve completed Commander College 101, you can continue your training with 201 and 301 Other Seminars How to Lead and Still Have a Life (5-6 hours) The 8 Principles of Less is More Leadership If you are tired of always feeling busy, buried, and behind - this seminar is for you. Learn how to serve effectively and efficiently in the ministry to which God has called you without having your personal and family life becoming a nightmare. It’s not about doing MORE, but actually doing LESS! Whether mentoring a friend, leading a team or guiding the organization, these principals really work!Based on the book of the same name by Dale Burke. The Best of – Leadership Seminars (3-4 hours) Blending of several spiritual and secular leadership books and seminars. Including: How to Lead and Still Have a Life, Lead Like Jesus, Good to Great, and more. Network (6-7 Hours) The Right People, in the Right Place, for the Right Reasons, at the right Time. The Network process helps Christians understand who God has uniquely made them to be and guide them to a meaningful place of service. Discover your God-given spiritual gifts, personal style, and ministry passion for serving in and through the body of Christ. As a result, you will have servants who are equipped to fulfill God’s purposes … having a greater ministry enthusiasm and impact … serving with more affirmation, love and commitment … competently using their spiritual gifts in the areas of their ministry passion … avoiding ministry stress, boredom and burnout … expanding ministries and extending the church’s reach into the community. From Network Ministries International.