Donating Awana Shares to support Orphans in China

At every Awana meeting, clubbers will be awarded with different numbers of Awana Shares for their excellent performance in learning and in games. Each clubber may be rewarded no more than 2 Awana Shares in each meeting. Every 4 to 5 weeks, the clubbers will have an opportunity to redeem their Awana Shares for little gifts at the Awana Store. Awana Store will be opened again this coming Friday on Mar 15, 2013.

In order to nurture giving to bless others as a virtue, we encourage the clubbers to "donate" their Awana Shares for charity besides getting gifts for themselves. Since September, we have already raised:

• $150 for Operation Christmas Child, a program that brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the message of God’s unconditional love;
• $70 to purchase a agriculture startup pack for a third-world community through World Vision;
• $240 for the local Food Bank

At the coming Awana Store, we will provide opportunities for our clubbers to donate their shares to support the work of International China Concern, a non-profit organization dedicated to support orphans in China (You can learn more about their ministry at www.chinaconcern.org). For every shares our clubbers donated, a pre-arranged donor will give $10 for this ministry. If a clubber decides to donate all his/her shares, then each of his/her shares donated will be matched with $20. And if all the clubbers in a club donate all their shares, then each of their shares will be matched with $30.

If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of our Awana leaders.

P.S. Awana will not meet on Mar 22 & 29, 2013 during Spring Break and the Easter long weekend. We will resume meeting on April 5, 2013.