I am involved in the Royal Ambassador ministry and have been since I was an RA as a boy more than 30 years ago. My RA leader made a profound impact on me in my life and was instrumental in my hearing the Lord's call to go into full-time Christian ministry.

I am all about missions and I thank my RA leaders for that. I attended RA Camp Glynn from 1978 to 1982, and served as a counselor there for two summers under Tim Bearden. I have been at small country churches and large city churches, and have always promoted the RA program.

Why? Beacuse of the missions emphasis. And what is missions? Check out Matthew 25 and the Great Commission. Those were words from Jesus himself.

While I have nothing against the Awana program personally - I am opposed to it becaue it is NOT Royal Ambassadors or GAs. And also personally, after observing the Awana program at several churches, I have come to the following conclusion. First, the Awana program is good and heavily bathed in Bible memory. But if we promote existing programs and train leaders to do the job right, there would be no need for Awana.

What programs am I speaking of? Bible Drill, Sunday School, RAs, and GAs. Awana has drifted in to replace these former programs in recent years because churches struggle with our Southern Baptist programs and the ability to make them seem fresh to children.

There is nothing wrong with these existing programs. GAs is still right on target: look at the upcoming renovations to Camp Pinnacle. RAs is alive and well: look at the overhaul done by NAMB which now administers the program.

And if we would but promote Bible Drill better than what we do, and create better incentive prizes, we might have better participation. And what about an RA, GA, Bible Drill, Team Kid training weekend, complete with breakout sessions, once a year at Toccoa and Norman Park?

Let's train our folks. Train. Train. Train. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just train us better in how to use it.

Awana is okay, but when it replaces ministries which support our missionaries and that plant the seed for future missions service, I have a problem with it. It is not, nor will it ever be, better than a church's effective RAs, GAs, and Bible Drill ministries. At best, it can only supplement. And the field is crowded.

You know as well as I do that parents are busy today. If given both options they most likely will not send their kids to Awana and RAs or GAs. They will choose one over the other. This is not fair to folks who lead mission education programs, where children not only can memorize Scripture and accept Christ as Savior, but learn about doing missions and becoming missionaries.

Isn't that what we want? Where is any significant missions emphais like that in Awana? You won't find much.

Evangelism gets 'em into the Kindgdom, but them let's train them how to carry the message of Christ around the world!