The acronym Awana comes from the first letters of Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed (2 Timothy 2:15).

Awana began in 1950 as a youth program at the North Side Gospel Center in Chicago, Illinois. Lance Latham, the church pastor, worked with Art Rorheim to develop a program that would appeal to young people, reach them with the gospel of Christ and train them in the Lord’s work. Other churches heard about the success of the Awana program and asked if they could use it. By 1960, Awana had registered 900 clubs.

Today, there are more than 10,000 churches in the United States that have Awana clubs. There are clubs in all 50 states. Awana can also be found in over 3,000 churches in 110 other countries.

Regional missionaries and ministry boards will assist you in establishing Awana as a vital part of your local church.