The Awana year came to a close this past Sunday at the South Hanover Y. We celebrated the accomplishment of several children as they completed handbooks and earned several awards. We rejoice with how well Awana has done in reaching and discipling children at the South Y for several years.
However, the Y is not designed for the activities that we have on Sunday nights. There is very little area actually designed as “classroom” space, so our K – 5th graders often sit on the floor in the hallway, our high school youth meet in the foyer, groups often disturb one another as they move from one area to another, the adult space has become cramped and is expected to soon be off limits to us and the rental rate of the Y will be rising significantly in 2011 having us pay significantly more for a space that is not designed for our use.
With all these items in mind, in early December 2009 the church council tasked me with finding a new location. I investigated several options, including churches and public use facilities, with the goal of finding a classroom-based facility that would promote excellence in our Awana/youth programs.
I’m pleased to announce that we have found such a facility. Beginning in September we will hold our Sunday evening activities at:
Christ’s American Baptist Church (CABC)
730 Menges Mills Road
Spring Grove, PA 17362
(Approximately a 10-minute drive from the South Hanover Y)
(Click Here for location on Google Maps)
(Click here for a map of the church floor plan)
I have personally met with the Senior Pastor and the Children’s Ministry Director at CABC, and they are excited about us using their building on Sunday evenings. Not only is the rental rate very reasonable, but there is the benefit of partnering with a church of similar faith and practice to our own (some of their children will even be joining us in Awana!). We pray that this will be the beginning of a great partnership with CABC as we both seek a common goal—to utilize our resources to reach and disciple people for Jesus.
I recognize that for some families this will be a slightly longer drive, but I believe the increased excellence in our Awana/youth ministry will be worth it.
Of course, this is something new for HFC as well as for CABC, and there are a lot of unknowns. We will carefully evaluate how things are going and decide if the partnership with CABC is best for HFC. If not, we will then look for other opportunities.
These are exciting times for Hanover Fellowship and the Awana ministry! As we make this move, I anticipate reaching more children. If you would like the blessing of reaching children for Christ, and seeing them eager to recite God’s Word, then please contact me with your interest and any questions you may have.