A Message from Ashlie Deneau - Director of Awana at DCOTN
This upcoming September, we will celebrate our 8th year of Awana at Denton Church of the Nazarene. In this short time frame- we have gone through a lot of struggles, changes, and growth. We have started programs, taken some away, increased in numbers, then decreased, and even changed leaders. The program itself has changed, as over the years we have customized the program to fit our kids needs and capabilities. Even though the program may not look like a traditional Awana program, our focus is still the same, and that is helping kids to know and understand God's Word. We strive to engage the clubbers in fun new ways, to help them get excited to learn and dive deeper into God's Word on their own.
Corporately, Awana has adopted the 3B philosophy and that is Belong Believe Become philosophy. As Denton's Awana Director I fully stand behind this philosophy as I see our leaders and volunteers working toward building that belonging relationship with the clubbers, that in turn leads toward that belief in Christ, and finishes with them Becoming God's Word.
When a child sees God's Word being played out in their lives, and they begin to memorize scripture and hide God's Word in their hearts- there is nowhere else for them to Grow into than to Become the Word of God and be an image bearer of Jesus Christ. That growth of Becoming God's Word is when we have built a strong lifelong faith that can withstand all things that life tries to throw at us.
So, it’s not just about another children's program for us at Awana. Not just about entertainment, games, and incentives. Our priority is to see each and every clubber who walks in our doors to Belong, Believe, and Become God's Word- "so that when they grow old they will not stray away from what they have been taught" (Prov. 22:6)This new year brings so much excitement, as of now our numbers are looking to increase, and possibly be one of our highest attendance years to date. I look forward to what is to come and to see how God will use this program to help teach, guide, and encourage the youth of our church.
