Well, the school year has officially started ... and so have our church's youth ministries. This month, I'd like to share about our children's program.

Last year was our first full year of AWANA, a program for sixth-graders and younger . This year, we're introducing some changes to help improve on the ministry.

First, we're extending the time we're together. Last year there were several meetings where we simply had too much to accomplish in the 1½ hours available to us. So, now we'll be meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 each Tuesday evening.

To prevent some of the confusion around check-in time, we are also introducing a new computerized check-in that will hopefully streamline the whole process and make record-keeping easier.

Finally, we're also adding some new and exciting promotions throughout the year. In order to finish their handbooks, our kids are expected to finish 1-2 sections a week ... and that's a lot of verses to memorize! So we're planning several outings and events (bowling, skating, etc.) every couple of months for the kids who are staying on course.

In addition, we'll be hosting a family day at Castle Park, a Mother/Daughter tea, and overnight camp-outs throughout the year as well.

Last year we had a blast as more than 20 kids had fun memorizing scores of Bible verses and learning more about God and His love. This year promises to be even better! If you have a heart for our kids and want to help be a listener or even a leader, please give me a call. You won't regret it!