The call of God to a particular ministry is always evidenced by a strong desire to glorify the Lord through obedience to His commands. Sometimes God uses circumstances to reveal His plan, and sometimes He uses the advice and counsel of faithful friends. His plan for our lives and His calling to a ministry will be in accord with Scripture.
Pam and I have been active in children's ministry since our early days of marriage. We served the Lord at churches in Virginia and North Carolina as Sunday School teachers and children's church workers. At Emmanuel Baptist in Dayton, we helped establish the Awana club in 1991. While helping with the Southern Ohio Awana Ministry Board over the past seven years, our interest grew beyond our local church as we felt a burden for the clubbers and leaders across the state. This burden has grown to captivate our time, our talents, our thoughts and our lives.
In 1997 we had been praying about how God could use us in full-time ministry. We asked the Lord to show us how we could best serve Him, either through Awana or in another position in the local church. During the same period, without our prompting, we were counseled by the missions chairman in our church that we should apply to Awana. At about the same time the Magnuson's, who were already serving as missionaries in Ohio, told us that they could see God working in our lives to bring us to Awana. We felt a real peace about sending our application for full-time missionary service to Awana.
Sometimes God calls missionaries to minister in a particular place. God has called us to Southern Ohio, where we grew up, went to school, were married, and have made many friends through Awana.
Sometimes God calls missionaries to minister to a particular people. God has called us to reach boys and girls (and their parents) with the Gospel, and to train them (and their Awana leaders) to serve Him.
Sometimes God calls missionaries to minister for a particular purpose. Our purpose in Ohio is to strengthen churches, helping them to establish Awana clubs with trained leaders, and to build a ministry team to reach boys and girls with the gospel.
For contact by mail or phone:
123 Hawthorne Glen Trail
Beavercreek, OH 45440-3549
937-431-9018 Office and Fax
937-901-1797 cell
Steve.Pam.Schenk@sbcglobal.net
