Awana facts for kids
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| Founded | 1950 |
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| Founders | Lance Latham, Art Rorheim |
| Type | 501(c)(3) non-profit religious |
| Location | |
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Area served
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U.S. and International (133 countries) |
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Key people
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Matt Markins, President/CEO; Kevin White, COO; Michael Handler, Chief Innovation/Communications Officer; Brian Rhodes, Chief Revenue Officer/Global Ministries; Art Rorheim, Co-Founder; Valerie Bell, CEO Emeritus |
Awana is a Christian organization that works with children and young people. It is a nonprofit group, meaning it does not aim to make money. Awana helps kids learn about the Christian faith. Its main office is in St. Charles, Illinois, in the United States.
How Awana Started
The ideas for Awana began in 1941. This was at a church in Chicago called North Side Gospel Center. The church had a special program for children.
Lance Latham was the senior pastor at this church. He worked with Art Rorheim, who was the youth director. They created weekly clubs for kids. They wanted these clubs to be fun for all children.
Other churches heard about the program. They wanted to start similar clubs. So, in 1950, Latham and Rorheim officially started Awana. It became a separate organization that supports churches. Art Rorheim was a leader for many years. He was president emeritus until he passed away in 2018.
What Does Awana Mean?
The name Awana is an acronym. This means each letter stands for a word. The full name is "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed." This phrase comes from a Bible verse, 2 Timothy 2:15.
As of 2019, Awana reported working with many churches. They claimed to be in over 61,000 churches. These churches were located in 122 different countries around the world.
Awana Programs for Kids
Awana offers helpful materials and training programs. These programs are based on the Bible. They are designed for children and teens from ages 2 to 18. Churches use these programs to teach kids.
Children in Awana are often encouraged to memorize Bible verses. They can earn points or small prizes for doing this. However, memorizing verses is not a requirement to join.
Awana Age Groups
Awana programs are divided into different groups. These groups are based on the children's ages and school grades. Here are the main groups:
- Puggles: This group is for very young children, usually ages 2 to 3.
- Cubbies: These are for preschoolers, typically ages 4 to 5.
- Sparks: This group includes children from Kindergarten to 2nd Grade.
- Truth and Training (T&T): This program is for students in Grades 3 to 6.
- Trek: This group is for middle school students.
- Journey: This program is for High School students.
Churches can choose which age groups they want to offer. They do not have to run a club for every single age group.
See also
- Christian Service Brigade
- Pathfinders (Seventh-day Adventist)
- Royal Rangers
- Trail Life USA
- Child Evangelism Fellowship
- Child evangelism movement
