AWANA clubs: Fun for kids, or social engineering?

When I was a child my parents enrollem me in AWANA clubs at our church. FOr those of you who don't know, this is somewhat like a Christian version of the Boy Scouts:

From Wikepedia:

Awana was founded as a youth program at the North Side Gospel Center in Chicago, Illinois, by Pastor Lance Latham and Art Rorheim. Their goal was to develop a program that would appeal to young people, reach them with the gospel and train them in the Lord’s work. Other churches heard about the success of the Awana program and asked if they could use it. By 1960, Awana had grown to 900 churches. Today, more than 12,000 U.S. churches have Awana programs and can be found in all 50 states. Outside the United States, Awana can also be found in over 5,100 churches in 109 countries and six continents.

Awana regularly updates its curriculum and materials. The newest group, Puggles (for two-year-old children), became available in 2007. In the mid to late 1990's and early 2000's, their programs were revamped and reworked to better fit with changes in culture. In the U.S. and Canada, Awana is split into six age groups: Puggles, Cubbies, Sparks, Truth & Training (T&T), Trek, and Journey 24/7. Prior to the curriculum changes, the clubs were: Cubbies, Sparks, Pals/Pioneers (for boys), Chums/Guards (for girls), Jr. Varsity (JV), and Varsity. Internationally, the age groups offered in each country vary.

Participants typically meet once a week throughout the school year. The focus of the curriculum is on the presentation of the gospel and Scripture memorization. Most programs include a group teaching time, individual one-on-one time with a leader to review the lessons learned that week, and a time for games.

For each child or teen the components of the program include:

1. a handbook that allows each child to learn at their own pace;
2. a uniform shirt or vest, and;
3. awards that are earned as the child or teen successfully completes the requirements of a section of the handbook, usually including Scripture memorization.

Awana is a non-denominational program and licenses the curriculum to any church willing to pay for and use the Awana materials consistent with its principles. However, the majority of clubs are in conservative Baptist, Bible, and Evangelical Free churches. Youth leaders and pastors also have the option of using only the program portions that interest them (For example, using the 'Journey' level material for teens' in-depth study sessions).

(the official site is www.awana.org)

ALthough it was fun at the time, as I grew older I began to think that the activities and lingo of the club was very bizzare.

First of all AWANA stands for "Aproved Workmen are NOt Ashamed"

This is supposedly taken from 2 timothy 2:15, but it struck me as very odd to label a group of school-aged children as 'workmen.' I understand that the idea was that they are "working" for God, but it reminds me of some sort of Communist social program, the way that some people think that public schools turn children into robots for menial jobs.

On top of that the AWANA program rewards children with AWANA Shares, which are a fake currency redeemable for little treats. Calling them "shares" once again struck me as an odd turn of phrase.

I also began to be uncomfortable with the emphasis AWANA placed on uniformity within the group, and uniting the participants under one goal.

Take for instance the uniforms:







At all the AWANA clubs that I went to we sang certain songs that nowadays, creep me out:




I am disturbed by how militant those lyrics seem!

There is also the Awana Pledge, which everyone recited at the beginnign of the meetings:

I pledge all to the AWANA flag, which stands for the AWANA clubs, whose goal is to reach boys and girls with the gospel of Christ, and train them to serve Him.

www.bccn.boone.in.us...

It strikes me here that the children are NOT pledging their allegiance to God or to their religion, but rather to the club.


The idea to "tell every boy and girl" was put firmly into practice, too; it may be different now but in order to "pass" each level I remember each kid was required to bring 1 or 2 guests to AWANA meetings; that was always a difficult part for me because I didn't know too many people who didn't already attend!



What do you think ATS?

Edit: I may not be the only one who has thought about this.

[edit on 29-11-2008 by asmeone2]

holy crap, that IS kinda creepy. You made a good point that it sounds like giving alliegance to the club instead of to Christ. I had never heard of this before, i've been in a lot of different clubs and heard a lot of different pledges and stuff, but this one is pretty weird.
what was your general experience like?

Originally posted by Enigma Publius
holy crap, that IS kinda creepy. You made a good point that it sounds like giving alliegance to the club instead of to Christ. I had never heard of this before, i've been in a lot of different clubs and heard a lot of different pledges and stuff, but this one is pretty weird.

what was your general experience like?

Thanks for commenting, I was hoping someone would stop by.

Uhh, my experience, let my try to think, it's been so long.

At the time it was just fun, I was a kid and really had very little ability to understand political ideologies and all that.

It was fun to be able to memorize the bible verses and get the little rewards for my shirt, but one thing that I remember was the focus was very much on memorizing, not interpreting--there was a set list of bible verses to study, and the leaders really weren't encouraged to discuss them. There wasn't much encouragement on how to use the verses in a practical manner. And there was such a strong push to get other kids involved, too, as I stated in the OP--in some ways participation in AWANA clubs was presented as a duty, not a fun activity.

It was a big difference from other youth groups, which were really just a church service specialized for young kids.

HOLY CRUD! I thought that was a cool little nickname a local church had come up with!

Anytime you take the open mind of a child and narrow it to a certain end, it is manipulation. The same when I was in Sunday school. You couldn't just say: "I don't believe it." Or they'd drill more of it on you and you'd have to kneel in the corner for hours after church because you embarassed your parents (sound like I know a thing or two about that?)

I was in briefly after being kicked out of the Boy Scouts for an assault of sorts.

I remember most of the kids being really wishy washy and soft and doing very well in the regions Pinewood Derby.

It was all very lame.

Originally posted by Jkd Up
HOLY CRUD! I thought that was a cool little nickname a local church had come up with!

Anytime you take the open mind of a child and narrow it to a certain end, it is manipulation. The same when I was in Sunday school. You couldn't just say: "I don't believe it." Or they'd drill more of it on you and you'd have to kneel in the corner for hours after church because you embarassed your parents (sound like I know a thing or two about that?)

Well, I'm not even looking at the theology of this, if people want to voluntarily partake in a religion, that is up to them.

HOWEVER this is a children's program and I finf the method by which that theology is presented to be very unsettling.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
I was in briefly after being kicked out of the Boy Scouts for an assault of sorts.

I remember most of the kids being really wishy washy and soft and doing very well in the regions Pinewood Derby.

It was all very lame.

Haha, i didn't even get to do the Pinewood Derby because they didn't allow the girls to compete, but that was one of the fun parts.

I remember that the kids in my group seemed much more lonely than wishy-washy, if I had to generalize.

I was in AWANA myself for a while. I was young, but not too young to know that not only did I hate it, but that it was slightly disturbing.

[edit on 12/2/2008 by prototism]

[edit on 12/2/2008 by prototism]

Originally posted by prototism
I was in AWANA myself for a while. I was young, but not too young to know that not only did I hate it, but that it was slightly disturbing.

Oh man, did I hate the meetings.

Hey this is pretty cool, we've got a lot of ex-members here.

Why did you hate it? Just because your parents pade you go, or did parts of it scare you?

Originally posted by asmeone2

Originally posted by prototism
I was in AWANA myself for a while. I was young, but not too young to know that not only did I hate it, but that it was slightly disturbing.

Oh man, did I hate the meetings.

Hey this is pretty cool, we've got a lot of ex-members here.

Why did you hate it? Just because your parents pade you go, or did parts of it scare you?

Both actually.

Underlying the resentment was the feeling of discomfort, as I could not see myself as part of the herd of sheep.


[edit on 12/2/2008 by prototism]

Originally posted by prototism
Both actually.

Underlying the resentment was the feeling of discomfort, as I could note see myself as part of the herd of sheep.

One thing I remember that was odd was how even in my church group, they perpetuated an "Us vs. THem." mentality.

Like the different colored teams they had during game time, that competed for EVERYTHING, i beleive this was supposed to translate into the "workmen" fighting against the world, or something.

Originally posted by asmeone2Like the different colored teams they had during game time, that competed for EVERYTHING, i beleive this was supposed to translate into the "workmen" fighting against the world, or something.

Maybe it was simple competition?

"Work hard[er] (than the "other guy"), and you shall succeed."

I'm not seeing any conspiracy here.
I just see an organized youth group.
My sons went with a friend and it seems to facilitate socialization and camaraderie.

An ex-AWANA ATS convert! WHOHOOOO!!! I know there was a reason I got up this morning!

I agree... I was trying to make light of it because of it's disturbing nature. Hard not to be disturbed when an ex-member is disturbed with it. But this IS ATS, so we'll have to see proof that you were in

Oh no their uniforms all look the same!!! Ahahahaha that is absolutely hilarious. If they didn't look similar they wouldn't be called uniforms. Wow.

Anyhow maybe it varied around the country but the AWANA's I went to seemed relatively normal, for being a church related activity. We'd usually play basketball/dodgeball eat snacks and hit on the girls.

You know what is actually social engineering: PUBLIC EDUCATION. I'm so thankful I got private education.

Originally posted by jjkenobi
Oh no their uniforms all look the same!!! Ahahahaha that is absolutely hilarious. If they didn't look similar they wouldn't be called uniforms. Wow.

Anyhow maybe it varied around the country but the AWANA's I went to seemed relatively normal, for being a church related activity. We'd usually play basketball/dodgeball eat snacks and hit on the girls.

You know what is actually social engineering: PUBLIC EDUCATION. I'm so thankful I got private education.

I am sure that there are regional differences; I am in the "Bible Belt" so any type of religious function has increased importance here.

But, Read the link at the bottom of my OP. The blogger there has found that the uniforms look very similar to Soviet youth programs.

Originally posted by Clearskies
I'm not seeing any conspiracy here.
I just see an organized youth group.

My sons went with a friend and it seems to facilitate socialization and camaraderie.

There may very well not be any conspiracy, I'm highlighting some things that make me uncomfortable with the AWANA program.

Even if I was a Christian and wanted to reaise my kids as such, I would not want to put them in a youth group that refers to them as "workmen," encourages that level of conformity, and instructs the children to pledge to the group before GOd.

I was in AWANA, myself . . . I don't remember the pledge or rigidity, but then this was in the mid-eighties. However, I never took it very seriously and really only went to hang out with my friends. It's funny you mention the memorizing over interpretation . . . I come from a mixed-faith backround (mainly Jewish) and it killed my friends that I smoked everyone in memorizing and reciting back to the group. I'll agree game time was directed rather agressively and in-groupish.

I do remember making the leaders very frustrated that I would never asked to be saved in front of the group . . . it was the only check that I didn't get in my "workbook" . . . They'd even call me out in front of the whole group.

Originally posted by solomons path

I do remember making the leaders very frustrated that I would never asked to be saved in front of the group . . . it was the only check that I didn't get in my "workbook" . . . They'd even call me out in front of the whole group.

I do not remember that being a part of the protocol, and honestly I can't imagine putting kids through that. I'm sure many would find that absolutely traumatizing.

Forgot to even comment about the OP . . .

I feel any religious groups, like AWANA, sole purpose is to indoctrinate the youth. I wouldn't have a problem with these groups if they, mainly, stuck to the "boy scout" aspect. Make it inclusive and mingle the religion in . . . But, AWANA, from my memory, was all about memorizing the scripture and giving witness . . . our "study" groups small and non-coed, when we all gathered together we were encouraged to recite scripture for reward (usually candy) and preach (as our study group/usually about 3).

It's tant amount to brainwashing and unfair to subject a child to, IMO.