North-Central California

I am a member of Crossroads Church in Turlock and am actively involved in the music ministry and in the High School Awana program.  I earned my Citation Award (Awana’s highest achievement) in 2002. In my spare time I enjoy playing clarinet and saxophone in area bands.  I also teach clarinet and saxophone to young musicians. I am proud “Auntie” to Nathan, Travis, and Josh.

 

HOW GOD CALLED ME TO MINISTRY

 

Awana was started at the church I grew up in when I was a senior in high school.  Being involved as a leader was a natural fit for me.  I continued serving in Awana for a couple of years into college.  During my college years, God called me to junior high ministry.  Our church did not offer junior high Awana at that time (I didn’t even know it existed), so my involvement with Awana was put on hold for a time.   

 

After several years of junior high ministry, it was time for a break and in 1993 God put me back into Awana.  I started with 3rd grade girls (Chums) and moved to Guards when these girls started 5th grade.  It was about this time that I realized Awana had a camp in the summer.  I started looking into it, and the summer of 1996 I served at Awana Scholarship Camp as a counselor.  Besides the usual camp ministry opportunities, camp also provided a great opportunity for me to get to know my Awana Missionaries, Tom & Marti Chance.  I also learned about JV, Awana’s ministry to junior highers. 

 

Over the next club year, I looked into JV, and volunteered my time at area events such as Bible Quiz, Awana Olympics (now AwanaGames), and Scholarship Camp. In the fall of 1997 God brought together my ministry in Awana and my love for junior highers and we started Awana JV at the Evangelical Free Church in Pleasanton.  During the summer prior to that, I devoured all the information I could about JV and much to my surprise, Tom & Marti asked me to teach JV Basic Training at a summer meeting and again at the Fall Conference, I also continued my involvement at area events. Sometime during that year (1998), one of my good friends, also an Awana leader, said to me “Cindy, I think God has a bigger plan for you in Awana.”  I really couldn’t imagine what that could be.  As far as I knew I was doing everything I could.  Since I was a single woman I wasn’t qualified to be on the Ministry Team nor could I be an Awana Missionary, what else could there be?  Little did I know she was right. . .

 

On April 21, 1999, Tom & Marti had a club visit not far from where I lived.  They asked if we could get together and talk before they went to the club meeting.  At my dining room table in Livermore, Tom & Marti told me they had praying during the past year about hiring an office assistant to help them in their ministry, and that God kept bringing my name to mind.  Would I consider joining them in the Awana ministry? 

 

It was a difficult decision, because it meant moving away from my family, my friends, my church, and quitting my job to go to a new place, find a new church, make new friends, and start a new job with a significant cut in pay.  After a prayer and counsel, I came to the conclusion that this was where God was directing me. 

 

I started working with Tom and Marti as their assistant in August 1999.  The 8 years I have been working with them have been a great experience and have helped to equip me for the next phase of ministry to which God is calling me. 

 

Sometime around 2005, Awana changed it’s policy and decided that women and singles could become Awana Missionaries.  I asked the Lord, “is that what you want me to do?” “Not yet” was the answer I received.  In July 2007, I sensed that it was now God’s time for me to pursue becoming an Awana Missionary.  I completed the application process and was accepted to Missionary Candidate School in October 2007.  Throughout the whole process God continued to confirm that this in fact was what He wanted me to do. 

 

I graduated from Awana Missionary Candidate School on March 4, 2009 and am now serving as Awana Missionary.

 

HOW I SPEND MY TIME

 

As Awana Missionary, my primary responsibility is to:

•   Help pastors start Awana as part of their church’s ministry.

•    Equip Awana leaders to serve in their Awana clubs.

 

This is accomplished by meeting with pastors and children’s workers to present the Awana ministry, helping them through the registration process, coordinating and conducting leader training, and coming alongside them as necessary until the club is running well on its own.

 

Much of my time is also given to:

•   Planning, preparing, and promoting area events.

•   Coordinating Ministry Team members for ministry opportunities in training and events.

•   Helping to equip Ministry Team members and club leadership to serve in Awana.

•    Answering myriad questions from club leadership via email and telephone.

•    Visiting and evaluating clubs.

•    Continuing to raise support

 

MY TESTIMONY

 

I was saved when I was about five years old.  I don’t remember much about it except that I realized that Jesus paid the penalty for my sins and put my trust in Him as my Savior. I grew up in a Christian home, went to Sunday School and Church regularly, I knew all the “Sunday School answers”, but my life did not always reflect the fact that I was a child of God.  The summer after my freshman year of High School I attended camp (as I usually did in the summer) and it was there that I was convicted that if I was going to say I was a Christian, I should act like it.  So when I was 15 I acknowledged that not only was Jesus my Savior, but that He needed to be Lord too.  At that point I made a significant change in my attitude, in the way I talked, and in my actions. 

 

The next several summers I had the opportunity to go on four summer missions trips with The Continentals (a traveling music group).  During that time I experienced significant growth in learning to share my faith, how to look to God’s Word for His will for my life, how to pray, and increase my faith and trust in God and His Word.  God continues to use challenges and difficulties in my life to continue to conform me into being who He wants me to be.

 

Now God has called me as an Awana Missionary.  In all these changes, God continues to teach me to trust Him more, to communicate with Him more, and to be quiet and listen to what He has to say.  I am also becoming more aware of God working in different areas, both in my life and in those around me.

 

GOALS

 

In My Personal Life

•   To continue to grow in
my relationship with the Lord.

•   To be a godly example to
my nephews and to help
teach them to know, love
and serve the Lord.

•   To be a godly example and
witness to unsaved friends.

•   Honor God in the ministry to
which He has called me.

 

In My Ministry

•   To reach 100% of my financial support needs.  I currently need an additional $1,000 in monthly support.

•   To communicate regularly and effectively with those who have committed to being part of my prayer and financial support team.

•   To seek out local churches that desire to reach children with the gospel and want to equip those children to have a Biblical worldview.

•   To help churches understand the importance of Children’s Ministry.

•   To thoroughly represent the Awana ministry to church leadership.

•   With God’s help to start an Awana club in every city or town in the North-Central CA area.

•   To equip leaders to confidently and biblically share the gospel with clubbers, parents, and others in their communities.

•   To build relationships with and effectively train Ministry Team members.

•   To identify and involve area Awana leaders who are ready to become part of the area ministry team.

•   To be wise in how I spend my time.

 

BLESSINGS

 

•   Supportive Family

•   Good Friends

•   God’s Provision

•   Good Health

•   God’s Protection

•   Spiritual Growth

•   Loving Nephews

•   Musical Groups to play in

 

PRAYER REQUESTS

 

•   Wisdom in my priorities

•   Ministry opportunities

•   Continued spiritual growth

•   Travel Safety

•   That my nephews would put their trust in Christ at an early age.

•   Opportunities to share the gospel with unsaved friends, neighbors, and loved ones.