Wednesday Evenings
6:30-8:00 p.m.
In order to put a new face on Wednesday evenings, we have created an Awana-like program that works in unison with our Sunday morning curriculum and the Family Action Packs that we have provided. This program is called “All-Stars.” It keeps all the strong points that our people love about Awana while operating as an entry point for guests and a connecting cord in what the children are learning on Sundays and at home.
l Like Awana, children use a handbook that is tailored to coordinate with the pattern of teaching in Sunday School, children’s worship, and the Family Action Packs. All of these work together to form a pattern and process of discipleship. One difference to the handbook time is that it includes a team time that focuses on understanding the Scriptures the kids are memorizing, and understanding how the Bible is lived out in daily life.
l Like Awana, the children have a council time, but in the fashion of a large group, fast-paced, Nickelodeon-style rally that focuses on giving life application and understanding the verses/challenges the kids have been memorizing.
l Like Awana, the children have a “game time,” although these games are not just for fun, but for learning as well. As the children play, they are also challenged to live out what they have been learning. Every game and every activity has a spiritual application that ties back into the unified purpose of what they are learning both at church and at home.
l Like Awana, children are able to earn patch awards for memory challenges. The only difference here is, these patches are more contemporary looking and also involve Sunday School—another means of moving students along the process from an entry point (Wednesday evenings) to connecting in a small group on Sunday mornings.
l Like Awana, children wear a uniform, but unlike Awana, it is not an old-style vest, but a baseball-style jersey customized for our church and program. It is something our kids can be proud to wear to school. The baseball jersey also connects to the All-STAR theme idea.
l Like Awana, we have a store, but this is in the fashion of the CROSSwalk Store, which will be open every other Sunday and the first Wednesday of each month. Students are able to earn points at the CROSSwalk store not only on Wednesday nights, but also through special mission projects, through Sunday mornings and activities at home as well.
l Like Awana, our students buy their All-Star jerseys, but unlike Awana, they do not pay a member's fee. Handbooks are free as well.
l Like Awana, we use theme nights to help our children reach their unchurched friends.
Handbooks
This handbook contains the following sections:
Memory Challenges
These aren’t just for children. Lead your whole family in “treasuring God’s word” in your hearts.
Click below to view this semester's memory verse challenges:
CROSSwalk Challenges for K-2nd Grades.pdf
CROSSwalk Challenges for 3rd-5th Grades.pdf
Family Fun Special Times
These family devotions are fast-paced and fun. There is enough for one per week and are divided into three sections:
l Sailing the 7 C's of Creation, Compassion, Character, Commitment, Calling, Courage and Christ-likeness
l Teach Me to Pray
l Family Traditions--Easter Eve Cookies
Nightly Prayer Pattern
Help your child to develop personal prayer habits by learning the Lord’s Prayer and by praying together each night.
Bedtime Stories
Bedtime stories that teach godly character and that show how the truths of the Bible play out in daily life are an incredible tool for instilling spiritual values in your child. This semester, however, we want to help you to pull stories from you own life experiences to teach to your children. Kids loves stories, but even more, they love stories about you when you were young. Every parent has a heritage to pass on, stories of good choices and bad, good times and tough times, and lessons we have learned that we also want our children to learn.
Bible Bedtime Stories
The Bible Bedtime Stories are suggested passages from Scripture to read to your child as a bedtime story.
Life Mission Challenges
Help your child to develop a mission-minded attitude toward helping others and being a servant. Both SpyKid coded missions and uncoded missions are enclosed as well as blank mission cards for you to create your own missions for your child.
S.O.A.P. for Older Children
S.O.A.P. is a weekly Scripture reading using the S.O.A.P. acrostic to help older students understand and apply the Bible’s teaching as well as to begin developing consistent habits of Bible study.
Point Cards
Reward your children for the activities they’ve done by filling out a point card each week. These can be turned into any of the CROSSwalk Drop Boxes located throughout the children’s area.
NOTE: There are also other challenges depending on the grade of the students. For example, in the fall, we will challenge our older students to earn the Acts 1:8 patch by memorizing what is commonly called the Roman Road (salvation scriptures), learning how to share their salvation testimony and how to present the plan of salvation.