Information for Parents

2022 - 2023 Club Guidelines

Welcome
Dues and Fees
Clubs and Directors
Rules
Scripture Memory
Discipline
Various
Download Club Guidelines

It is our privilege to have your child attend. We sincerely desire that this experience will be a fun time of learning and growth for your child.

Some of you may be wondering, “What is Awana?” Awana is an international, non-denominational, Bible-centered youth organization providing weekday clubs and programs for three-year-olds through high schoolers.

Faith Community Church provides regular club meetings from three-year-olds through 6th grade.

The acrostic Awana comes from the first letters of Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Each weekly club meeting is composed of three main elements. Your child will enjoy the active, but safe Awana games in Game Time.  During Handbook Time, a trained adult leader works with a small group of clubbers, assisting them in progressing through their club handbooks. Large Group Time is a time of listening to Bible stories and devotional messages.

Awana encourages clubbers to attend their family place of worship. If you do not have a church, we would like to invite you to attend ours.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.  2 Timothy 2:15

Awana registration will be the 1st night of Awana. Parents, please come in with your clubbers (so that we get complete/accurate information) the first night to register them as well as pay the annual dues.

REGISTRATION FEE PER STUDENT $12.00

The Registration Fee helps to provide the funds needed for awards, prizes, and incentives for each child. Awana is a non-profit organization and we appreciate very much your support of this ministry. Scholarships are available for those who need it.

Cubbies Handbook $13
Cubbies Vest $14
Cubbies Bookbag $8
Sparks Handbook $13
Sparks Vest $14
Sparks Bookbag $8
T&T Handbook $13
T&T Jersey $19

FCC Awana is made possible by a large group of volunteers, which are led by the following Directors:

COMMANDERS:  Gerrit and Elaine Kamp
CUBBIES (P3K, P4K): Nina Todd
SPARKS (K – 2nd grade boys & girls): Amanda Spoelstra
T&T Boys (3rd – 6th grade): Kevin Spoelstra
T&T Girls (3rd – 6th grade): Katy Moore
SECRETARY: Melany Moyer
GAMES: Alan Moore
STORE: George & Jana Beanblossom
NURSERY (for Volunteer Kids): Maddy Langstraat

Our volunteers are all followers of Jesus Christ, they have received Awana training, and FCC does conduct a background check on each volunteer.

1. We need participation by all clubbers. Plan to take part in the entire program unless you bring a note from your parents.
2. Come to attention whenever a leader begins a “5 count”. Please do not repeat the counts along with the leader.
3. Clubbers are to remain with their leaders at all times.
4. Clubbers are not to bring valuable belongings to club.
5. No running or roaming through the church building or parking lots – clubbers will walk through hallways and common areas at all times.
6. As a matter of common courtesy, clubbers will show respect of the adult leaders and for one another.
7. With the exception of Cubbies, in the event a clubber is consistently misbehaving, disrespectful, or disruptive, the “3 count”
   will be administered.

Here are some things to remember:

1. No more than two helps of a few words per section (not per verse) are allowed in order to receive credit for that section.
2. Sections are passed when said to an Awana leader during club times or when special arrangements are made with the director for the purpose of completing a book to receive a year-end award.
3. Help your child to be disciplined by suggesting that he/she take 10 to 15 minutes a day to work on his/her handbook.
4. Do your best to explain the meaning of each verse. You will find that children memorize more quickly if they understand what they are memorizing. If you want to confirm the meaning with your child’s director, feel free to give him/her a call. They want to help!
5. Download these MP3 or MP4 audiofiles that correspond with each handbook.
   1. Cubbies AppleSeed ESV
   2. Cubbies HoneyComb ESV (this year)
   3. Sparks HangGlider Audio ESV
   4. Sparks SkyStormer Audio ESV
   5. Sparks WingRunner Audio ESV (this year)
   6. T&T Grace in Action Verse Audio ESV
   7. T&T Evidence of Grace Verse Audio ESV
   8. T&T Agents of Grace Verse Audio ESV (this year)
   9. T&T Discovery of Grace Verse Audio ESV
6. Many more online resources are available for download here: https://www.awana.org/leadershipdevelopment/
7. We encourage children (and their parents!) to use Quiet Time to help with memorizing your verses. This tool is developed by our very own Awana Commanders! Create an account on www.quiettime.today and send an email using this form. We will then make sure you have all the verses pre-loaded in the tool so that you can get started memorizing right away.If you prefer to use another tool, you can download all the Awana verses here.

At Awana, discipline is not about punishment but about educating and training kids in proper behavior.

We want parents to be aware of and understand our discipline policy. Clubbers are called to order by use of the FIVE-COUNT. The person in charge does the FIVE-COUNT by slowly and loudly counting to five.

The THREE-COUNT is a method of disciplining an individual who is consistently misbehaving, being disruptive or disrespectful. If improper behavior occurs, the clubber will receive a ONE-COUNT from his/her leader. If after this first warning, the behavior continues, he/she will be placed on a TWO-COUNT which results in being taken aside individually and meeting with the club Director, who will make sure that the clubber understands the rules and reasons for them. If the
clubber chooses not to cooperate after rejoining his/her team or group, he/she will receive the THREE-COUNT which results in the Awana Commander calling the clubber’s parents to pick up the child and take him/her home. If a parent cannot be reached, the clubber will remain with the Awana Commander for the remainder of the evening.
As a disciplinary measure, the clubber is not allowed to attend club the following Wednesday, BUT WE DO WANT THAT BOY OR GIRL TO JOIN US AGAIN AFTER THAT ONE WEEK’S ABSENCE!

CLUB ATTENDANCE
Awana club meetings are held on Wednesday nights from 6:30 – 8:15 pm. CHECK IN TIME IS 6:15 pm. All clubbers must check in at the secretaries table at the beginning of the night, so we can keep accurate records for attendance purposes. Clubbers must be picked up no later than 8:25 pm. The club year is divided into quarters for the purpose of attendance awards. Each clubber can earn one award each quarter if no more than 3 nights are missed during that quarter.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
If your child has been in Sunday school, children’s church, or morning worship on Sunday, it is counted as having attended Sunday school. Clubbers can receive awards for Sunday school attendance each year. This award is divided in half. For this award they can have no more than two absences during each half year period.

STORE
All children are placed in teams and will be assigned a color. Sparks and T&T are awarded Awana bucks for completing sections in their handbook. These bucks can be spent at the Store during the week of their assigned team color. This happens after parents pick up their children at 8:15 pm.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
When special activities are planned, announcements will be sent home on Wednesday night and announced in the church bulletin. These announcements will have all the information regarding activity, place, time, transportation (if necessary), time of return, cost, etc. A reasonable fee may be charged for some special activities, and occasionally parents may be asked to assist with  transportation.

CLUBBER HANDBOOK

Within each club, all clubbers will go through the same book at the same pace. This was already the case for Cubbies and T&T, but this year the Sparks will do it as well. The books for the 2022-2023 season are:

Cubbies: Honeycomb

Sparks: WingRunner

T&T: Agents of Grace

The handbook is a vital tool for your child’s success in Awana. Please bring it to Awana each week.

UNIFORM
Clubbers are expected to wear their uniform vests or jerseys to Awana. There are points given for the uniforms for Sparks & T&T.

WINTER WEATHER
When the cold and snow comes, the directors will talk with the commander and make the decision whether or not to cancel Awana. Please check the church website fcclynden.org for a cancellation posting or call the Church Office 360-354-0536.

Clubbers can earn three types of rewards: Awana Awards, Points, and Awana Bucks.

 Awana Awards

Awana Awards are awarded during the year or at the last night of the season (Awards Night). 

Clubbers can earn the following Awards:

Cubbies

• Stickers: For each Bear Hug completion, parent activity completion, and review, 1 sticker
• Achievement Emblems: 4 red and 4 green, for completing a section in the book
• Trail Emblem: Completion of the trail (Bear Hug 1 and 2)
• Book Award: Completion of the book 

Sparks

• Red Jewel 1-4: Completion of the sections
• Green Jewel 1-4: Completion of the sections
• First Book Ribbon: Completion of a first book
• Second Book Ribbon: Completion of a second book
• Review Emblem: All Review verses completed without any help
• Extra Credit Pin: Completion of the Frequent Flyer Extra Credit Cards
• Blue Jewels 1-4: Showing up each of the 4 periods, not missing more than once per quarter
• Church Attendance Emblems: Showing up each time during a half year, not missing more than two times
• Sparky Award: Completion of all three books

T&T

• Blue/Green/Red/Yellow Emblem : 2 per book, each for completing 4 sections
• Silver Emblem: 4 per book, 1 per unit
• Gold Emblem: 4 per book, 1 per unit
• Church Attendance Stickers: Showing up each time during a quarter, not missing more than once per quarter
• Alpha Award and Pin: Finish 1 book
• Excellence Award and Pin: Finish 2 T&T Books
• Challenge Award: Finish 3 T&T Books
• Timothy Award: Finish all T&T Books

Points

The points go to your team. Each Awana evening, the team members of the team color that has the most points, get one Awana Buck each.

• 50    Attended church
• 50    Attended Awana
• 50    Wear uniform
• 1000    Bring a friend
• 50    Bring your handbook
• 50    Bring your bible
• 200    Memorized the verse
• 200    Gold extra credit (T&T)
• 1000    For each $ given to missionaries
• Additional points can be won during game time, and for special events (food drive, crazy hair, patriotic day etc)  

Awana Bucks

Clubbers can use the Awana Bucks in the Awana store to buy the things they like. Each regular Awana evening, one team color gets access to the Awana store.

2    Memorize the verse of the week

2   Do the Silver credit section

5   Memorize all Gold verses

1    Your group has the most points on a given evening

1    You win a Sword-drill

2    If parents manage to read this far, they can claim 2 dollars for each of their kids. Have your kids tell the codeword Quiet Time to the secretaries.