Awana Clubs
Are They Heading Toward Contemplative/Emergent?
Feb 23, 2006
Awana Clubs has been a respected and
trusted Christian organization for many years. Countless children have been
Cubbies and Sparkies and have memorized Scripture through the program.
With so much of the church heading into the
contemplative/emergent
camp, also known as the spiritual formation movement, what a tragedy it
would be to see Awana being sucked into this also. Few things are stable
these days ... is Awana the next to cave in?
A few days ago it was brought to
our attention that Awana's Kevin White sent out
a notice to
an undisclosed number of Awana youth leaders, letting them know about the
upcoming Willow
Creek Association's Student Ministries/Next Gen Leadership Conference
(February 27th). The notice encouraged leaders to attend and told them where
they could register.
Today, we contacted Kevin White and asked about the notice. He told us Willow
Creek (promoters of Spiritual Formation/contemplative) had contacted them and
offered them a room or booth. White said he had sent out the notice, and Awana
would be there at the conference.
Our concern is that this organization may be seduced into a spirituality that
negates the very gospel message that Awana Clubs has tried to promote.
Worthwhile to note,
on the
Awana website, they are featuring a book by George Barna titled,
Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions. On the front cover is an
endorsement by Willow Creek, Bill Hybels. And the
Awana High School
program's 24/7 Ministries lists several
recommended resources
which they say "have similar ministry interests to 24/7." These ministries
include
Youth Specialties and Group Magazine (both emergent and contemplative) as
well as Church Growth Institute,
NavPress and
Youth for Christ (which promotes the
the Labyrinth).
If your children are part of an Awana Club, or if you know of a family who is,
we encourage you to contact Awana Clubs and share your concerns with them about
attending a conference that promotes the New Age and mysticism and also about
their connections to these other organizations. The contemplative road is a
slippery path to apostasy. May they heed the warning.
Contact Information for Awanas:
630- 213- 2000
1 East Bode Road
Streamwood, IL 60107-6658
Fax:630-213- 5986
Email Addresses
- Notice sent out from Awanas
- September 13, 2005 Awana Letter to Parents Encouraging "Spiritual Formation at the Earliest Opportunity" (This link has now been removed.)
- More on Willow Creek and their Contemplative/New Age Connections
- Awana Ministry Statistics
Update - March 5, 2006: It has been brought to our attention that on the Awana's High School program 24/7 Ministries, they also promote an organization called. SonLife, which is another organization that pushes the emerging church movement.
Update - March 21, 2006: AWANA
and Spiritual Formation
1. Integrating
other spiritual formation initiatives into Awana?
2. Awanas
Rorheim Institute Promoting Spiritual Formation
Update - May 8, 2006
Awanas Still
Promoting Contemplative Materials and Organizations
Update - May 26, 2006
Awanas using CD Teaching Aid produced by
Youth
Specialties
Another
Teaching Aid used by Awanas and produced by Youth Specialties
Note: If you are an AWANA
parent or teacher, please contact AWANA Clubs headquarters and ask them not
to go in the contemplative/emerging/spiritual formation direction but to
continue ministering the gospel to children without compromise.
Lighthouse Trails Research Project | Lighthouse Trails Publishing
editor@lighthousetrails.com
editor@lighthousetrails.com
503/873-9092
Awana Clubs - Ecumenical Children's Clubs?
Awana Club Now Featuring Book by Youth Specialties Speaker
Awana Revisited: Is it or is it not promoting contemplative spirituality?
Contemplative Spirituality: A
belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states
of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but
often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative
spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all).
Common terms used for this movement are "spiritual formation," "the
silence," "the stillness," "ancient-wisdom," "spiritual disciplines," and
many others.
Spiritual Formation:
A movement that has provided a platform and a channel through which
contemplative prayer is entering the church. Find spiritual formation being
used, and in nearly every case you will find contemplative spirituality. In
fact, contemplative spirituality is the heartbeat of the spiritual formation
movement.
Ye Must Be Born Again! | You Need HIS Righteousness!
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