Monday, August 27, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: AWANA

Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed

The goal of the AWANA programs is to equip churches and parents to help train children in knowing, loving and serving Jesus Christ. Kids have fun at weekly AWANA meetings, learning through songs, Bible lessons, games, and memory work.

The acronym for AWANA is taken from 2 Timothy 2:15:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (NIV)

My family and I are currently involved with an AWANA program at our local church. Other programs can be found all over the country. If you are interested in knowing more, you can check out the website for more information, and you can also access a "locator" there to find a club in your area.


Monday, August 20, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: Kids' Klubs, Inc.

Rene and Lynn Noble are the current directors of KIDS' KLUBS, Inc., a non-profit ministry dedicated to reaching children for Christ through weekly clubs and Summer camps. The ministry has continued now for more than 53 years with the same purpose: to reach and teach children for Christ.

Rene and Lynn began their ministry with Kids' Klubs in the fall of 1988. With headquarters located in Malden, IL, they have clubs located in various towns throughout IL, as well as a few clubs in other states. 

Several years ago, my husband and I (along with a few friends) were involved in helping get a club started at our church in central Illinois. This club is still going and has been a great outreach to the children in this community.
Clubs generally follow a format each week that looks like this:
  • Open with pledges
  • Song Time
  • Contest Time
  • Missionary Emphasis
  • Weekly Memory Verse with Game
  • Weekly Bible Lesson
  • Sword Drill
Check out the Basic Requirements if you are intersted in starting a Kids' Klub in your own church. The Nobles are great people to work with and will provide many helpful materials for club hosts, including lesson plans and awards. Other materials can be loaned for a deposit, or purchased on your own.


To help support this ministry in other ways, feel free to contact the Nobles at the address listed on the website.





Monday, August 13, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: Child Evangelism Fellowship

If you are looking for a Bible-centered ministry dedicated specifically to reaching children with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and getting them established into a local church, then Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is the organization for you.


VARIOUS MINISTRIES OF CEF INCLUDE:

* Good News Clubs - Trained teachers meet with groups of children in schools, homes, community centers, churches, apartment complexes, or just about anywhere the children can easily and safely meet with their parent's permission. Each week the teacher presents an exciting Bible lesson using colorful materials from CEF Press®. This action-packed time also includes songs, Scripture memory, a missions story and review games or other activities.

* 5-Day Clubs - Fun-filled club, one and one-half hours, held each day for five consecutive days. It includes:  Bible lessons, creative learning activities, missionary story, songs, and Scripture memorization.

* Camp Good News - Various Summer camps are located in Indiana, Illinois, New Hampshire, Texas, Maine, Florida, and Wyoming. (When I was a child/teen, the camp my family attended/worked at on a regular basis was located in Minnesota. That camp is still there, but I am pretty sure it is no longer operated by CEF Ministries. I have such wonderful memories of being a part of this camp! My brother put together this VIDEO in memory of the times we all shared there in the 1980's.)

* FREE ONLINE WORDLESS BOOK TRAINING - A Wordless Book is a small book with no words that uses five colored pages in presenting the Gospel message in an easy way. The colors represent Heaven, the darkness of sin, the blood of Christ, a clean heart, and Christian growth. CEF has a free training session you can sign up for online. Books and instruction leaflets can be purchased inexpensively at the CEF STORE. (Note:  I have also seen some individuals make their own booklets out of construction paper, or make a beaded bracelet with the various colors.)



WAYS TO SERVE:

~ Christian Youth in Action - A program for Teens, designed to train them to teach children about the Lord in effective and engaging ways. I took part in this ministry during the summer when I was 16. It was a great experience and one that I will never forget. I believe my sister also took part one year; and my brother couldn't get enough of it. He served for several years.

~ Volunteer at International Headquarters - Located in Warrenton, MO - 50 miles west of St. Louis. Local area volunteer missionaries serve during the week (Monday-Friday), while visiting volunteer missionaries stay a minimum of one week (Arrive Sunday; depart Saturday after breakfast.) Lunch is provided for local volunteers. Visiting volunteer missionaries enjoy full meals and lodging (private room or RV site) and are charged $10 per night, per person, to help offset volunteer costs.

~ Prayer Support - Join in prayer for the needs of children and CEF missionaries around the world. Pray specifically by selecting a prayer request from the list provided on the website.

~ Monetary Donations - CEF is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and all donations are tax deductible.

Monday, August 6, 2012

MINISTRY FOCUS: Think On These Things Ministries

Think On These Things Ministries is an outreach of Southern View Chapel, an independent Bible Church whose goal is to  teach God's Word accurately and unapologetically. The ministry helps to equip believers through books, book reviews, Bible conferences, theology lessons, and articles dealing with contemporary theological issues.

A monthly publication, also called "Think On These Things," includes their latest article, book reviews and more. It is provided FREE of charge to anyone interested.

The articles and book reviews can be found on the church website, or the monthly newsletter can be sent to you via regular mail or e-mail. Please contact SVC to subscribe. Again, there is no charge, however, donations are gladly accepted.