Meet WBC AWANA Director: Tim Allen

1. How long have you been a follower of Christ?

I answered an alter call and was baptized 37 years ago.  It wasn’t until two years after that when I was in Junior High School that my family started going to church on a regular basis and started learning the Bible.

2. How long have you been a part of WBC?

6 years.

3. How long have you been the lead servant in AWANA?

3 years.

4. Why do you serve in the AWANA ministry?

Back during the summer of 2010 I would listen to announcements every Sunday morning asking for help with Awana.  At that time, I was not serving anywhere at WBC.  I had been attending worship at WBC for three years but was not serving as I should be.  The Holy Spirit worked on me for several weeks and I finally signed up to help with Awana in early August.  I had no idea what Awana was.  My Christian back ground was at churches that did not have Awana and neither of my two children went through Awana.  After I signed up, Renee Minick called and asked if we could meet to discuss Awana.  During that meeting, she said that she would like for me to take the role of Awana Commander.  She told me that she had discussed it with Bruce and Butch.  I am a shy person by nature.  I am quiet and very uncomfortable around people I don’t know.  It is well outside of my comfort zone to reach out to people I don’t know.  It was only by a hard push from God and a leap of faith that I signed up to work in a ministry where I didn’t know anyone…but be Awana Commander and lead that ministry?  Really?  That thought shoved me right off the cliff of my comfort zone.  I didn’t commit to that right away, but after a few days of prayer I jumped in with both hands and feet.  I believe when you commit to do something, you do it all the way.  I learned a lot that first year from several people who have worked in the Awana Ministry for a long time.  I went to Awana’s 2½ day long Commander College that year and learned even more of what Awana is, how to lead the people working in the ministry and how it is a multi-faceted outreach ministry to kids and their family.  I know that there is a battle going on a daily basis in this world and that Satan is doing everything he can to pull kids toward his lies and destroy families.  I serve in Awana to be part of a wonderful team of people that are committed to reaching kids with the Gospel of Jesus and to teach them the Word of God.  We strive to teach them how to use the knowledge they are learning to guide their life and to serve God.  We strive to teach these kids how to fight the enemy with that knowledge from the Bible, with prayer and the love of God and teach them they will be able to use all of this their entire life to resist temptation, to help them rely on God, and to serve Him throughout their life.  We as a church have a responsibility to teach “our kids” at WBC.  We also have a responsibility to help equip parents to be the primary spiritual leaders to these kids.  Another goal in Awana is to partner with our Awana parents and be a resource to help them raise Godly children.  Awana is a great outreach ministry with opportunities to reach families in Waxahachie.  We are a team of people that love kids and love each other.  If someone at WBC is looking for a place to serve and have fun doing it, Awana is the place to be.

5.  What is one blessing of serving in AWANA?

There is not just one. One blessing of serving in Awana is getting to know a great group of people at WBC and making close friends.  The Awana team that God has put in place is an awesome group of people.  I am just amazed on a weekly basis when I watch them work with the kids but even more so when I see them demonstrate the love that they have for the kids.  It is truly “carrying Christ’s love” on a weekly basis.  They are a committed and dedicated group of people.

Another blessing is getting to work with our student leaders.  We have several student leaders that have come up through Awana and have returned to serve in this ministry.  It is a blessing to see their example to all of us in Awana, leaders and kids alike.

I am blessed that our parents let us spend time with their kids.  What is really a blessing is when one of the kids is so excited about something and they choose you to share that excitement with.  The love of a child is one of the greatest blessings that God gives to us and that love is overflowing each Sunday night at Awana.