The founders of Awana derived the name from the first letters of "Approved workmen are not ashamed" as taken from 2 Timothy 2:15.
History of Trek
The Awana program, founded in 1941 by Lance Latham and Art Rorheim at North Side Gospel Center in Chicago, introduced the Trek program to engage middle-school students in grades 6–8. Launched as Awana formalized in 1950, Trek was designed to guide teens toward a deeper faith through Bible study and life application, building on earlier programs like Sparks.
Trek expanded with Awana’s global growth, reaching over 61,000 churches by today. Its curriculum, structured over three years, encourages students to explore their destiny in Christ, with activities like Scripture memory and group discussions fostering spiritual maturity.
Program Details
Trek challenges middle-school students to consider their destiny in Christ and pursue it through life application of God’s Word. The program offers three complete years of material tailored for 6th–8th or 7th–8th grade ministries, focusing on spiritual growth and biblical understanding.
Students wear distinctive Trek uniforms, participate in engaging group activities, and build relationships with peers and leaders to deepen their faith.
Note: This section is under construction as we expand our Trek program details.