WELCOME TO AWANA 2014/2015

Parent Information Handbook

Dear AWANA Parents,

We are so pleased your family will be participating in all the fun and learning through Grace Church of La Verne’s AWANA Ministry. This handbook is designed to give you an overview of AWANA which is a volunteer based ministrywhose goal is to reach boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and train them to serve Him. The name AWANA comes from II Timothy 2:15 which states “approved workers are not ashamed.” AWANA is an international ministry, founded in 1950,with more than 16,000 clubs around the world today. By participating in AWANA clubs, children learn and grow in their understanding of Jesus Christ through their weekly exposure to Bible stories, verse memorization, songs, and games. This program is designed to help you provide spiritual training for your child at home which is then enhanced by their weekly club night experience. We are excited to say that this will be Grace Church of LaVerne’s 28thyear providing this ministry! We consider it a privilege to serve your family and our community in this way.

We have three goals for each child who attends AWANA and they are:

That they will hear and understand clear presentations of God’s Word andhave

opportunities to respond.

That they will see Christ-like behavior modeled by the club leaders and in turn will

be motivated to become more Christ-like in their own behavior.

That they will have a fun time at club and invite friends to join them throughout the

club year.

The AWANA program is based on the concept of children learning about God by memorizing scripture in a regular and systematic manner. Each AWANA club has an age appropriate handbook for your child to work on throughout the club year. There are stories and lessons for discussion, verses for memorization and activities for reinforcement. Clubbers are rewarded for scripture memorization as they recite verses to their leaderseach week. Although memorizing God’s word is very important, we know that it can be a struggle for some. Therefore, we recommend that parents assist and encourage their child in learning the weekly verses, but not to the point of stress. Learning God’s word should be an enjoyable experience and a positive childhood memory. As your child regularly attends club and consistently works in their handbook, he or she will benefit greatly from their AWANA Clubexperience.

The following pages contain information which will be useful in having the optimal AWANA experience. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at (909) 542-0505 ext.105 or by email .

Blessings,

Kassandra Vana

Director of Children’s Ministry

Grace Church of La Verne

AWANA – A volunteer ministry

Parents, we thank you for your child’s involvement in AWANA. Now, we ask you to consider how you will be involved as well. We need your help in order for this ministry to be successful. Parents help firstby making sure your child attends club regularly, is prepared each week to complete a handbook section and brings friends when possible. Parents also help by serving during theclub night. We will ask you to sign up for a monthly shift assisting in one of our club rooms.

Child Drop Off

In order to help provide a safe and secure environment we ask for your cooperation in the following areas. Every child mustbe checked in by an adult every weekat the Room 1 sign in table. Please do not drop them off without personally getting them signed in. We operate our program on an open campus with other adult activities occurring simultaneously so our goal is for no child to be unattended at any time. Check in begins at 5:20 pm. After checking in, you should escort them to their designated club room where their leaders will supervise them for the remainder of the club night.

Club Dismissal and Pick Up

For safety purposes, we ask that you promptly pick up your child at 7:00pm, the conclusion of our club night. We require each child to be signed out by an authorized adulteach night. If someone other than yourself will be picking up your child, you need to provide theClub Secretary with written permission for your child to leave with another adult. Once we have released your child into the care of an authorized adult, Grace Church of La Verne and its designated leaders no longer assume responsibility for them. Siblings under the age of 18 will not be allowed to pick up a child. If you need to make special arrangements for your child, please talk with Kassandra Vana.

Club Costs

The program cost for the 2014-2015 club year is $40 per child with a family maximum of $100 for all siblings. This fee covers all club year activities and program handbooks. We never want a child to miss out on participating in our club due to the cost. If finances are a concern, please contact Kassandra Vana.

There are other optional itemsavailable to purchase at clubincluding uniform vests(Cubbies & Sparks) or uniform T-shirt (T&T), book bags and music cd’s. For the full collection of available resources you can check out the AWANA website at

Club Attire

Clubbers play hard and sometimes do messy activities, so play clothes are suggested. In addition, it is important that children have on shoes that are appropriate for running during game time. Children wearing open-toed or slip on shoes may not be allowed to participate in game time. Also, game time is held outdoors so please have them bring sweaters/jackets when needed.

Theme Nights

AWANA Club offers kids a chance to participate in a variety of theme nights and activities throughout the club year. Our theme nights are listed on the AWANA Clubs Calendar. We will remind the kids the week prior to a theme night or event, howeverit’s best to keep the calendar handy! The club calendarcan be viewed on the Children’s Ministry page at our church website,

Please note that some of our themed activities do involve food items so be sure to complete the allergies information on your child's registration form if that is necesary.

Club Awards

As your child progresses through their handbook, they will be earning awards. Each club level rewards differently with a combination of stickers, patches, jewels, or seals. Children can also earn extra awards for regularly attending club andchurch. Additional incentives and contests are added throughout the club year to generate excitement and motivation for completing handbooks. Our awards time is intentionally scheduled at the end of club. Parents can come 10 minutes before pick up time to watch the kids receive their awards!

Club Discipline

The word discipline has the same root as disciple, which means learner or follower. To discipline is to teach or mold and the ultimate purpose of discipline is to teach Christ-like behavior. Discipline is something you do for a child not to a child. Our desire is that club nights are a safe and fun activity for all children. We will use a “3 point” discipline method in training a child regarding any unsafe or unkind behaviors that are displayed. If any unacceptable conduct occurs we will:

  1. Counsel the child about the unacceptable word/action, ask them not to repeat it, and get their commitment to change the behavior.
  2. Give one reminder to the child if the behavior is repeated and warn them of the consequence of removal if it does not stop.
  3. Remove the child from the activity or location if the behavior occurs a third time.

When a child is removed, he or she will sit with a club leader to be counseled further concerning their behavior. You will be notified if there is an on-going concern, but we do not expect that will be the case.

We are looking forward to sharing God’s Word and love with your children and family through Grace Church’s AWANA ministry this year. We thank you for your participation and support!

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