I really don’t know why I seem to be attracted to one area of the U.S., but I am. Maybe it is the mountains, or that it seems to be a beautiful part of the country. I have never been there, but I know of several great organizations and people there and maybe that is the draw. Today we “travel” there to shine the spotlight on one of the Awana Missionaries, Chad Smith.
As I always do, I asked Chad some questions and below are his responses. My prayer is that this will help you get to know him and his ministry a little bit better:
How long have you been an Awana Missionary?
We have been privileged to serve the churches for 11 years.
What area do you serve? We serve the churches in Eastern Colorado (From the Continental Divide east to the border, and Longmont south to the border)
# of churches under your care: 147
Fun Facts: Favorite food, favorite sport, something interesting people don’t know about you, etc…(whatever info you want to share):
Chad & Karen both love Denver Bronco football and their two Doberman Pinschers. Spending time with their two teenage kids is also a favorite pastime. Chad loves being a techie and spends extra time programming on the computer. In addition, he enjoys paintball and playing video games with his son. Karen enjoys reading and doing craft projects with her daughter.
Why are you an Awana Missionary?
Chad grew up as an Awana clubber and felt God calling him to be a missionary at Scholarship camp when he was 12. Alot of the discipleship that they had when they were growing up came from the Journey (Varsity at that time) club they attended. When Chad and Karen moved to Alabama for grad school, they got back involved in the Awana ministry and started helping the local Awana Missionaries at that time. Awana for them is a great children’s and youth ministry because it allows leaders to pour their lives into the clubbers and disciple them, but also gives the churches an avenue to reach kids for Christ. They have a tremendous passion to see the children and youth in Eastern Colorado reached with the Gospel of Christ, and trained to serve Him!
Share something God is doing in your ministry:
They have seen a renewed passion for leaders to truly disciple their clubbers and make sure the clubbers understand the verses they are memorizing, not just going through the actions.
What advice would you give to a local Awana Commander or Leader?
Remember there are only 2 types of children and youth, those who are saved, and those who are hell bound (Art Rorheim) If commanders and leaders remember this, it puts everything else in perspective.
How can we specifically pray for you over the next month?
Like many others, tough economic times has caused our support base to shrink. We know that God has consistently supplied all of our needs during our 11 years of ministry. Please pray for new ministry support partners, both individuals and churches. In addition, we would ask prayer for wisdom as we plan for our 2011 Ministry Conferences.
Ministry website(s): www.awana4kids.org
Awana missionaries receive no commission on products sold, they rely solely on gifts and support from individuals and churches. To learn more about Chad and his ministry and to see how you can support him, click here…
Awana missionaries are 100% faith supported.
To learn more about Awana Missionaries and their roles, click here…
Click Here to see Awana Missionaries we have highlighted previously
Yea, Chad & Karen! It was good to see them when they dropped in on our club earlier in the year.