Awana asked me to share about Sean Warren’s session. Sean is the president of Relentless, Inc, a film and digital media company that produces some great work that features important stories from all over the developing world. Here is a snapshot of his session:
Today, I’m here to give you my perspective as I’ve interacted with Awana.
“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I do a work in your days, that you would not believe if told.” (Hab. 1:5)
This is the ministry of Awana as I see it. I believe Awana is a chief tool in God’s toolbox as he disciples the nation, and it’s been a pleasure.
These are reasons why I love Awana:
1. Walking with the Poor
Imagine back to Tanzania. We are in a refugee camp set up by the United Nations, with over 6,000 people. We had been filming for three days, and a colleague and I grabbed our gear and started heading towards a church. It was a small, narrow church. We set up there for the service. The rain was falling, puddles were forming, and people were coming in. It was a quiet place. When the service started the main speaker was turned up to about 11, and boy did they start worshipping. People were enjoying it and praising God. Children were enjoying it. A stray dog walked through the church. No one paid attention. They were worshipping the Lord.
The pastor stepped up to the podium with the one suit he owned. It was his job to shepherd these sheep. He began preaching, and it was very animated. Afterwards, it was time for the offering. People began coming forward for the offering. They brought grain, fruits, and vegetables. They were giving out of their poverty. They were giving their first fruits. There was no “giving in the foyer.” They could not give online. They gave from what they had. As they continued to sing, there was a tambourine that stopped. The rest of the worship then subsided. It was explained to me later that these Congolese refugees were singing about one day going home. They, like the children of Israel, knew what it was like to be an exile. They just had a different approach.
As I continue to unpack that moment, I have realized something. I love Awana because they walk with the poor. Not every ministry does that.
2. The Urgency of the Gospel
In December of 2012, I watched in horror as Hurricane Pablo wreaked havoc in the Philippians. I went to look at the churches there, and everything was destroyed. As we were traveling, I saw a few men who had pulled a body out of the mud and had put it in a plastic bag. The smell of death and decay was there. I watched two little boys standing right beside all of this happening, five feet away. That was a powerful image in my mind.
Fast-forward one year. Another hurricane came and caused even more damage in the Philippians. It was horrible.
True words spoken from someone who has lived through several natural disasters there. He said, “At least I know that there are boys and girls who have heard about Jesus before the next time they drown.” When you think about children dying here, it is important that we were able to get the gospel out. One of the reasons I love Awana is that they understand that there is an urgency to our gospel message.
3. Pursuing the Least Reached
We were in a caravan of two cars in the Himalayans. As we traveled, the road kept getting progressively narrower. The sun started to come up, and we look to see that suddenly we are right on the edge of this mountain. I looked up at our driver, and we all saw him start sweating. It wasn’t hot out. We ended up making it there.
There is a reason why they are called the least reached; because they are out there. I remember as we finally reached our destination, we saw the kids and adults engaged in Awana. In my missiological thinking, I had to step back. Here in the Hindu kingdom are 1,000 people worshipping Jesus Christ.
Do you know how many hundreds of thousands of years have passed, and how many hundreds of missionaries have tried to share the Gospel here? Now people are finally receiving and engaging in the Gospel. My mind was blown. I love Awana because they pursue the least reached. Awana is a good tool to the missionaries and those going out to the least reached.
4. Encouraging the Saints
I’ve always tried to make it my personal mission when traveling overseas to just be an encouragement.
Have you ever had someone come to mind, and you’ve thought that you’ve needed to pray for them?
This particular Indian family that came to mind had their father pass away a year ago. They were involved in planting many churches in India. I sent a Facebook message to encourage a guy in this family. I asked how he’s doing, and he said that he was scared. A pastor in the area was tied to a telephone pole and stabbed a hundred times. He added a caveat, saying that he was so glad to know that they were remembered.
That’s an encouragement for the saints.
Traveling for the Awana +More documentary, I saw the encouragement that Awana leaders in their countries were giving others.
5. Doing Good Work
There’s a lot of people who help others in developing countries by building wells. They build houses. They share the gospel.
Once we were somewhere on a top of a mountain, near a village. We were watching some kids dancing and playing. There was a guy to the side, in the shade of a dilapidated building. As we looked closer, his body was gnarled. It was his mother, sister, and grandmother who were sitting next to him. I have never seen a more compassionate treatment than the treatment of those women who were with him. He said his sister was being fed and discipled by Awana. He too was a believer.
The poor and the handicapped were not a priority, right? As we were continuing to film that day, he came up on a motorcycle, wedged between two guys. He pulled up right beside us, and he uttered two words. He said: “Good work.”
Awana, you do a good work. Keep it up.
6. Struggling and Wrestling with the Reality of the World
In Tanzania, we went back to our hosts. They wanted to feed us. They wanted to put us at two wooden tables. We didn’t want to offend our hosts with the food they offered, but we saw several hundred children surround the house while we ate food and clean water. It was terribly difficult to see, and we weren’t very hungry at that time.
Awana, you struggle and wrestle with the tension of “Lord, how do we spend this money?” in your ministry.
7. Knowing Where Your Power Comes From
My wife and I were missionaries to Southern France. When you move in, you don’t have lights. You go out, you buy lights, then go back and set them up. I have no idea how to set up light fixtures.
My three-year-old Sophia was walking through the living room. She looked at me and said, “You better call Grandpa.”
I didn’t know what was going on with the power. Sophia realized that someone other than me had the wisdom needed for the job.
Awana, you know where your power comes from.
Here, in our churches, the lion prowls amidst our churches. Selfishness is just as real in our churches here as it is in other parts of the world.
Awana, you are a choice tool in the hands of God.
