Club Is Starting Soon. We Can Help!

Whether you’ve been slowly working toward the new club year or time has gotten away from you, the following list will give you some things to think through and resources to use in preparation for the new Awana Clubs year.

Recruit the Volunteers You Need; Register Kids for Club

• Host a fun Back to Awana Clubs night for families and your congregation. Use it as a time to welcome back previous volunteers and kids, and sign up new ones.
• Aim for two loving, caring adults for every 8-10 kids.
• Recruit young adults, parents, grandparents, senior citizens, high schoolers and others who have time. Work with them and their time constraints, even if they are only available part time. God could be speaking to them and want to work through them in your ministry.
• Provide information about Awana and your club, and descriptions for the roles you need.
• Have handbooks available for everyone to look through; display uniforms and awards.

• Set up Game Time for the kids who come with their parents, have coloring pages on hand and play Awana songs.

https://www.awana.org/search-results/?q=year%20end%20awards&narrow=%5B%5B%22Categories%22%2C%222657%22%5D%5D&page_num=2

Train Your Volunteers; Set Expectations

• If you are an Awana Ministry Director, review your manual.
• Plan a meeting for all your leaders and use it to share information, answer questions, provide activities for team building and pray for the new year.
• Make sure each leader understands their role, has the appropriate leader apparel they need and/or badge.
• Cast vision for Belong, Believe, Become and the importance of discipling kids to lead the church of 2050.
• Give all leaders their role book; for Awana members, ensure all leaders have access to Awana Basics Online.
• Review child protection guidelines and have each person’s background checked (protectmyministry.com can help).
• Give everyone a calendar with the year’s activities on it.
• Sign your team up for a local Awana Ministry Conferences.

If Time Allows, Soft-start Your Club

• Use the time for parents and kids to get acquainted with their leaders and the club space.
• Have handbooks on hand to peruse, uniforms and awards to increase excitement.
• Hand out a calendar of theme nights, discuss the fee structure if you haven’t already and cast vision for parents regarding their biblical role as disciplemakers in the home.
• Swap information. Have parents fill out required church release forms (photo, social, medical).
• Ask parents to share any special needs their kids have or any allergies, and to provide an emergency contact person.
• In return, give parents your club info, meeting times, who to contact, etc.
• Give each family a Parent Welcome Booklet.
• Set aside time a corporate time of prayer for the coming year.

What About Fees?

• Pass on some or all of the fees to parents.
• Ask the congregation to give to your Awana club or sponsor a family.
• Some churches encourage a general registration fee and then ask for $1 every night; some just charge a larger fee.
• A fun way to collect money is to have kids slide quarters down a chute to win a prize.

Check Your Supplies and Place Orders

• Don’t wait until the last minute to get what you need. Supply-chain problems, slow-downs with shipping and other unexpected issues could occur.
• Refer to the latest Awana Product Guide and the Awana Shop for product information.
• If you want to spread out expenses until after you know how many kids will be in your club, consider purchasing entrance booklets now. It’s the first thing every child completes before beginning their handbook.
• Make sure each leader has a leader handbook; give it to them early so they can read through it without rushing.
• Once you get your supplies, check that everything is as you expected. Accidents do happen and sometimes the wrong product ships or a piece is missing. You’ll want to have plenty of time to get things straightened out.

Take Advantage of Awana Membership

• Awana Membership now covers 12 months from the date you register or renew.
• Take 30 percent off all products every day.
• Get exclusive access to Awana Basics Online, 12+ weeks of GO Missions Curriculum and more.

Additional Resources

• Download the Bridge-Ahead Guide with tips on recruiting and retaining volunteers, and links to theme night blogs and past webinars.
• Contact your local missionary with any questions.
• Go to Awana Clubs+ for lesson ideas.
• Sign up for online events; there are two in August to prepare you for the new club start.
• Visit our social channels: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
• Check out our blogs and podcasts.
• Contact Partner Care, if needed, at partnercare@awana.org or (866) 292-6227.

You are a gift to the families in your ministry and the Church of 2050, and you are not alone in your efforts to raise disciples. You join a force of leaders at more than 65,000 churches around the world! And we are with you every step of the way, praying for you and providing you with the information and resources you need. Blessings for your new ministry year!