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Dear Ministry Friends,
Parking was never a problem. I had an assigned spot in the alley behind the warehouse. On one side was the large warehouse and on the other was the river. Nice backdrop and a good way to relax on breaks… just looking at the river and watching the wildlife. Occasionally I would see some large driftwood floating down the river. It was convenient to drive right up to the loading dock outside my office which was in the back of the warehouse. My office was a small box built inside the big box. There was a small refrigerator (my brother’s from his college days) and a small desk. I supervised the warehouse crew. I prayed He would do more with my life. God was there.
What I really looked forward to was volunteering with the youth at our church. I supported our youth leader in whatever he needed to reach kids. It was a fun time and we saw God change lives. Then, something happened.
In 2000 we became convinced that God was calling us into full time ministry, but we were unclear of how or where. We placed our home on the market and began praying that He would lead us in the direction He chose. In the spring of 2002 we were in the process of applying to various bible colleges in our area when we received information that Awana was in need of Missionaries in various parts of the United States and the world. We passed over this information and continued pursuing other opportunities. Several more times we were given information about Awana.
We slowly began to realize that this could in fact be what God had planned for us. We inquired, and that is when we began to see the Lord's hand at work. We truly wanted to serve Him in any way He chose. We never dreamed it would be with Awana. We were accepted and asked to serve in Southeast Texas. I think Penny and I both thought “Who were we? Could God really use us?” The thing we came to understand was that our ability to be used was not governed by our many glorious attributes, but rather our spirit of humility and surrender.
We know we owe all we are to Him, and any good thing we ever accomplish will be solely based on His grace. We are called Missionaries, but we feel we are unworthy of this title. We see ourselves as servants serving servants who are privileged to serve a mighty, awesome, and loving God.
Our family is composed of six members and they are:
Penny (Birthday 10-30)
Natalie (Birthday 11-6-91)
Elijah (Birthday 6-3-98)
Levi (Birthday 8-13-00)
Me (Birthday 7-23)
Our ministry in Southeast Texas is a very busy one, indeed. Our area encompasses a very large territory, which reaches as far north as Corsicana and as far south as Galveston. There are currently 300+ Awana churches, and it is our job to assist them any way we can. We help with training, encouragement and many other needs that come up. We provide oversight for events such as Quizzing and Awana Games, which we could never do without the help of a fantastic Ministry Team. We meet with new churches looking for more information concerning Awana. Praise the Lord, there are many! We know Awana is a powerful tool for reaching a lost world with the Gospel of Christ, and we are dedicated to making it available to as many kids as possible.
The title of Missionary applies not only to the evangelistic work we do, but also to the way in which we are financed. You may not know this but the entire ministry is supported by the monthly giving of churches and individuals -- thus we are faith-supported.
To date we are supported by only 10% of our churches, and we would appreciate your prayers in this matter. Our desire is to encourage the Awana family to realize they can be a part of reaching out to other churches whose children will benefit from this Gospel-centered program.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about our family. Paul’s closing note in his letter to the Ephesians is also our prayer for you. “Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.”
God bless you for your faithfulness,
Raine and Penny Gunn
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A Faith Supported Ministry
Awana Missionaries are fully faith supported. We rely on God to faithfully provide the necessary finances for our ministry and living expenses. This funding comes from churches and individuals who share our vision and support us as prayer and financial partners. Such support enables us to assist the local church in reaching kids and building bridges to their homes.
Checks to support our ministry should be made payable to:
Awana Clubs International
Note it is to support:
Southeast Texas Missionaries: Raine & Penny Gunn #334.
The mailing address is:
Awana Clubs International
One East Bode Rd.
Streamwood, IL 60107
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