Awana

Uhhh, we're talking 50's era music, music that is half a century old. There are church melodies younger than that.

It's not a matter of you being old fashioned. It's a metter of you being unrighteous in your judgement. There was nothing inappropriate about the event at all. Not that you would know, preferring to make smug comments from a distance.

 

Johnv,

A kind word turns away anger.

Grace and peace, my friend, grace and peace.

In Him,
WW2er

 

WW2'er,

I don't think I wasn't showing grace....just agreeing with a brother on what we both see as a problem.

Up to that point none of us had actually said anything bad about AWANA at all. Its been a great ministry for many years, but its started to go a direction that some of us wish it weren't.

I think its ok to express that.

 

You're right, Bapmom. It is okay for you to express that.

I can also express that I think Awana has been a great ministry for many years but that it needed to change some aspects of its methods, but not its message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. My church would have dropped Awana had they NOT made many of the changes they have made the last few years. I know a lot of other churches that feel the same way.

Aren't you glad God didn't make us all the same? It would be so boring!

God Bless!
WW2er

 

This is true!

ANd I must say, WW2'er, Ive not had contact with anything AWANA in over 10 years, so I have not heard of any changes it has started making such as you described as happening recently.

 

Bapmom,

Oh my, the changes over the last ten years have been very large! Awana has updated most of their materials, offers the additional bible versions, offers casual polo shirts as a uniform option, is much more of a partner with the local church through new initiatives like the Rorheim Institute, is reaching out to parents directly with great biblical resources through www.awanafamilyconnection.com

The organization is doing many great things so that children and youth throughout the world (Awana ministers in 108 countries) will come to know, love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. To God be the glory!

Just surf over to their website for awhile and check it out. WWW.awana.org

In Him,
WW2'er

 

MikeinGhana, I agree on what you said. At our church, we have never had battle of the bands. AWANA at our church, also our church, does not support rock music.

 

JohnV

How is speaking the truth "unrighteous judgment?" If you want to stand with and identify with an obvious eccemenical organization like AWANA that is your choice.I will defend your right to have that position. I will not. If that is smug, then so be it. I did not attack anyone with ugly comments. Are you not the one being smug by making this personal?

Wordly Rock music has no place in God's work. Period.

 

EVERYONE!!!

We're turning this into yet another thread on so-called "ungodly Christian music." I'm sure that's not the intent of this thread.

So here's my take on Awana: Our church uses it as a children's ministry. It's so wonderful to see kids eager to learn & memorize the Bible, like I did when I was a kid. And by the way, I've seen more than one child saved because they were convicted by the Holy Spirit while reading/learning/memorizing God's Word in Awana.

Think about what you're saying before you say it. Thousands of kids - saved, and thousands more exposed to God's Holy Word, through Awana, or King's Kids, or any number of other programs, published or home-grown. You don't like Awana? Fine, don't use it - but at least do SOMETHING!

 

I had a little time to rethink my contribution to this thread. Here is what I thought about.

1. If the Lord Tarries another 50n years will we hear of AWANA having a 50 year throw back? Will the kids be singing the songs of the gangsta rappers?

2. What part of "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." does having AWANA Rock teach our kids?

3. How about having a youth activity and call it AWANA a Bundle of Money? (Christian Lotto)

4. How about AWANA be Beautiful? (Christian beauty contest)

Where will AWANA be in 50 years? Where will the Church be in 50 years. If we do not shake ourselves and wake up to rightiousness these humorous statements may just come true.

 

That is what you came up with after thinking about it for awhile?

 

What is wrong with thinking. Do you have something against that?

I would like to ask if anyone knows that the leadership of AWANA made any statement concerning these groups having such a worldly activity. Do you think they were in favor of a Rock and Roll event for Jesus? More importantly, I wonder what the Lord thinks about this.

Maybe you think the Lord does not think! I know what you are thinking. He does not think He knows! Good point. Too bad we are not omnicient.

 

Okay, MiG, I should have put this " " on my last post. I was trying to hack on you a little, that's all. However, I do wish you could really know the strengths of the Awana program before being too critical of it. As to the leadership of Awana, I doubt they had head-banging music in mind as a way to do anything. Somthing like that may have happened, but if so, it was done by an individual church - autonomous and able to make their own decisions. As for our church, we wouldn't use that method for outreach, fundraising, or anything else like that.

Tell the truth now: is there any hope of convincing you of the merits of Awana, or am I wasting my time?

 

Awana is a tried and true ministry to children. It has been around a long time and will continue to be around. The local Awana club is a somewhat autonomous organization that is free to act in the samed manner as a local SBC. Just because a local club does something does not mean Awana Clubs International endorses it.

As far as being an ecumenical organization, I would disagree. The message of Awana is Jesus Christ and Him cricified. If that is what you call ecumenical, you don't understand the term.