Awana Forums

 Currenlty we run our club on Wednesday nights from 6:30pm to 8:15pm for Cubbies, Sparks and T&T.  This year several families have mentioned the time of club and how difficult it is for their child staying up too late, how hard it is to get themselves ready for club and on time,how difficult it is to cook a decent suppper, come home from work, etc, etc etc. I first thought it was a just a priority issue for the clubbers families, until several of my leaders also complained of the times.

I am wondering what times/days anyone else runs their clubs(specifically Sunday afternnoon)? Has anyone switched times/days, and if so what were the results?  

Thanks

We run club on Sunday afternoons from 4:25 - 5:50 pm. We have not switched days, but I have toyed around with switching the time.... we used to go from 4:30-5:45 and I extended club 5 minutes on each end when I took over as Commander in summer 2007. I would LOVE to change the time to run from 5:00 - 7:00 pm so that it ran through our night service... but I have not received positive feedback from the leaders on doing this, so I have not pushed the idea yet.

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Mother of a Cubbie and a T&Ter

Matthew 12:34b "... for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

Our current Club runs from 6:33-8:15 on Wednesdays (dont ask about the 33 cause I dont know, tradition maybe, our club is old). Our church also has  choir and youth on that night, both start at 7pm, gives great opportunity to grab listeners (for some clubs that have handbook time first Sparks-T&T, 7 different groups). And we have dinner at the church that the parents can buy and sit down and eat with their kids before Awana (I think it opens at 5:30pm).

I was in one club that was on Thursdays from 6:30-8pm. I didnt have problems from the Cubbies parents, but most of the Cubbies had siblings in older clubs and/or their parents were leaders (or niether).

I've also worked in a club that did wednesday afternoon (4:30-6:00pm), a lot of the workers were teens and they had youth at 7pm, so they did it in the afternoon to give the kids a chance to eat before youth. Plus, the college students (like me) would have college bible studies or homework in the evening, so it did well

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Sparky leader for the AWESOME 1ST GRADE RED TEAM SPARKS!!!!!!!!
Citation 08
http://biblelessonslearned.blogspot.com/

"that's a really old.. CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!"

We also have it on Wed.  nights.  But our entire church revolves around Awana on this night. We have dinner for all leaders & clubbers starting at 5pm.  Keep in mind, we are a medium size church. This way everyone can come straight from work and not have to worry about making supper. 

We start club at 6pm.  We end at 7:30.  We were going from 6:30-8 last year but several parents also complained about the kids getting home late. 

For me, I find the complaints interesting.  When we ran a bus ministry in TN, we had so many clubbers that our 3 vans has to run several trips and some of the kids did not get home until 10pm and the parents were so grateful their kids got to go!!!   I find it interesting that the parents who complain about kids getting to bed late because of a church activity have no problem with them staying up late on a school night for a sports activity, scouts, or a TV program.  Sigh!

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Entering my 14th year in AWANA

A Citation Winner because I felt I had no right to tell my kids to do something I would not do myself, so I started doing the 3rd grade books and just kept going.

Are you doing your sections along with your clubbers?

We have dinner from 5-5:30 & club starts @ 5:45. We end @ 7:30.

BTW we meet on Wed

I find it interesting that the parents who complain about kids getting to bed late because of a church activity have no problem with them staying up late on a school night for a sports activity, scouts, or a TV program.  Sigh!

I also find this interesting, because not only do we have it Awana but also with the church itself.  I do think that it is funny that parents can let their children stay up late and watch tv but can not stay late for a church activity, but what I have found more interesting is it isn't the nonchurch families that are complaining the loudest, it the church people.

 

We have ours on Wednesday night from 6:30 to 7:45.

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Becky
mother of a T&T er, leader to Sparks and T&Ts and Council leader.

We are non-traditional. This year we started having club (Puggles through T&T) on Thursday nights from 6:15 - 8:00. We have Trek and Journey on Sunday afternoons from 5 - 6.

-David

Director Dan:

....I am wondering what times/days anyone else runs their clubs(specifically Sunday afternnoon)? Has anyone switched times/days, and if so what were the results?

Whatever the night you meet, people will have 'issues' and some will complain. I was at a church where they discussed moving Awana from Wednesday to Sunday and all of the excuses that were given why there should not be a switch could have been used if the switch were the other way. Sundays interfere with family gatherings and sports in some areas.

Some clubs have made the switch and they saw a drop in numbers which rebounded once people got used to the switch. So even if you move, or suggest to move the night you meet, you will hear the sme comments from other people about conflicts and difficulties with the club night.

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"There's a little child in everyone...
... let the little children come to Him"

We meet wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:10.  This year the commander had us directors poll our leaders about hanging the time because one leader suggested meeting earlier due to her kids being up late.  It was decided that starting earlier would not work out because too many leaders already come straught from work and can barely make 630.  also, children's choir practice meets 5:45 to 6:25  So many of them come in  for the dinner at 5:15, go to practice then come straight down to Awana.  I've heard the complaints before, but this year I have lost 2 leaders and 3 cubbies because they were up to late and couldn't function well thursday mornings.

 

we have ours on wednesdays.  children's choir is from 5-5:45, checkin begins at 5:45, opening is about 5:55.  Then club runs from 6-7:30.  Normally most kids are gone by 7:45.

Our club is on Wednesday nights from 6:45 until 8:30....sometimes the bus doesn't get back to church until after 9:30.  It is a late night for the kids, but I always made sure to let my kids teachers know that they may be tired on Thursday mornings.  We didn't have any problems.  If people really want to have their kids in AWANA, they won't complain. Remember, you can't always make everyone happy, sometimes you have to do what the Lord leads you too, and if people don't like it, it's between them and the Lord.

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...but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint...Isaiah 40:31

We have our clubs on Fridays.

Cubbies and Sparks meet from 4pm - 5:30pm.  The leaders are uni students and high school students (except me).

T&T, JV's/Trek and Journey meet from 7pm - 9pm.  We used to have these groups from 6:30-8:30 but it was too hard for most leaders to get there so we changed it. We did lose a few of the younger T&T children because it was too late, but most got used to it and there's no school the next day.

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Mother of an adorable Cubbie.
Mother of an active toddler.
Mother-to-be again!

We run our club from 6:30 - 8:00 PM Wednesday nights.

As a leader, there are nights I don't get home until 9PM.  But I have some Clubbers (in Cubbies, Sparks, as well as T&T) who are leaving far before me and still don't make it home until I do or later (I have 3 families I can think of who drive an hour+ to get to our church...one way!).

The 1st two years in Cubbies were harder for my Clubber than it is this year...but she adjusted and got accustomed to it, and became less and less grumpy on Thursday AMs as time passed.  We also did a lot of McDonald's while driving the 1st two years.  I've finally gotten my act in gear and now make brown-bag dinners to snag on the way out the door on Wednesday mornings.

It's not ideal, but my Clubber thinks it's an adventure, and I love the time well spent.

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Mel
<><

Criosta an Ri!

Born once, die twice;
born twice, die once.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grace Community Bible Church
Sandy, UT
Office Administrator

3 year Cubbie Leader
Mom of an excited Spark

Wednesday, 6:00 to 8:00. Cubbies run 15 minutes earlier; 5:45 to 7:45. Dinner is at 5:00 and the serving line is shut down at 5:45.

There are whiners everywhere, and you will never make them happy.