Awana is one of the largest church-based Scripture-memory programs in the world. Since 1950, local churches have used its weekly clubs to help kids hear the gospel and hide God's Word in their hearts, and today Awana clubs meet in churches across the United States and around the world. The name itself comes from a memory verse: "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed," drawn from 2 Timothy 2:15.
Whatever else happens on club night — games, awards, snacks, the handbook time — the engine of Awana is simple: kids memorize Bible verses every single week. This page is for the parents and leaders who make that happen between Wednesdays.
Awana is a trademark of Awana Clubs International. BibleMemory.com and The Bible Memory App are independent tools and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Awana. For official club materials and handbooks, talk to your church's Awana ministry or visit Awana directly.
The basics
What is Awana, and how do the clubs work?
Awana organizes kids by age into clubs, and each club has its own handbooks filled with Bible lessons and weekly memory verses. Clubbers work through handbook sections at home during the week, then recite their verses to a leader at club to complete each section and earn awards along the way.
Cubbies
Preschoolers hear simple Bible truths and learn their first short verses, usually with a parent helping at home.
Sparks
Early readers work through handbooks full of short memory verses about who God is and what He has done.
T&T (Truth & Training)
Upper-elementary kids memorize longer verses and answer questions that train them to understand what the verses mean.
Trek
Middle schoolers dig into Scripture with studies and memory passages aimed at owning their faith for themselves.
Journey
High schoolers tackle deeper Bible study and memorization as they prepare to live out their faith as adults.
Exact age groupings vary a little from church to church, and many churches also run Puggles for toddlers. Check with your local club for how they divide the groups.
The heart of club night
Why weekly verse memorization is the heart of Awana
The games and awards are wonderful, but they all exist to serve one goal: getting the actual words of Scripture into a child's long-term memory. A verse a kid truly memorizes at seven can surface at seventeen, and at seventy. That is why every handbook section, at every level, centers on a verse said out loud from memory — reference first, verse, then reference again.
Weekly recitation also builds something subtler: the habit of returning to God's Word on a schedule. Kids who learn a verse on Tuesday and recite it on Wednesday are practicing a rhythm of learning and review that, carried into adulthood, becomes a lifelong discipline. If you want the full method — how to learn a verse, how to keep it, and how often to review — see our guide on how to memorize Scripture.
The verse is the win
On a busy club night it is easy to measure success in completed sections and earned patches. The better measure is whether the verse is still there next month. A little review each week keeps every verse a child has learned ready — not just the newest one.
KJV starter verses
Sample starter verses Awana kids learn
The verses below are the kind of foundational verses clubbers memorize across the levels — short, gospel-centered, and worth keeping for life. They are a sample to start practicing with, not a copy of any official handbook list; your child's handbook is always the assignment that counts. Text is shown in the King James Version. Want more verses by theme? Browse our memory verses by topic.
2 Timothy 2:15
KJVStudy to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
The verse behind the Awana name — "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed." Most clubbers learn it early.
Memorize 2 Timothy 2:15John 3:16
KJVFor God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The gospel in one sentence, and one of the first verses kids memorize at almost every club level.
Memorize John 3:16Genesis 1:1
KJVIn the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Short, simple, and foundational — a favorite first verse for Cubbies and Sparks.
Memorize Genesis 1:1Psalm 119:11
KJVThy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
The "why" of the whole club year: hiding God's Word in your heart keeps you from sin.
Memorize Psalm 119:11Romans 3:23
KJVFor all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
The first stop on the Romans Road, learned by kids working through gospel-centered handbook sections.
Memorize Romans 3:23Romans 6:23
KJVFor the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sin's wage and God's gift in a single verse — a core gospel verse in many handbooks.
Memorize Romans 6:23Romans 5:8
KJVBut God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God's love demonstrated at the cross. A verse kids carry for the rest of their lives.
Memorize Romans 5:8John 14:6
KJVJesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus' own words about who He is — the way, the truth, and the life.
Memorize John 14:6Ephesians 2:8-9
KJVFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Salvation by grace through faith, not works. A two-verse passage older clubbers often memorize together.
Memorize Ephesians 2:8-91 John 1:9
KJVIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God's promise of forgiveness — short enough for young kids and deep enough for leaders.
Memorize 1 John 1:9Proverbs 3:5-6
KJVTrust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Trusting the Lord with all your heart. A favorite passage for T&T and Trek clubbers.
Memorize Proverbs 3:5-6Philippians 4:13
KJVI can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Strength through Christ — an encouraging verse kids love to say out loud.
Memorize Philippians 4:13
For parents
How to practice between club nights
Most of the real memorization happens at home, in the days between club meetings. You do not need a curriculum or long sessions — you need a few minutes of the right kind of practice, most days of the week.
Little and often beats cramming
Five minutes a day from Sunday to club night beats twenty frantic minutes in the car. Read the verse together once, then practice saying it from memory.
Practice recall, not rereading
Once your child has heard the verse a few times, cover the page and let them try. Struggling to remember — and then succeeding — is exactly what moves a verse into long-term memory.
Always include the reference
Say the reference before and after the verse, the same way leaders will ask for it at club. "John 3:16 … For God so loved the world … John 3:16."
Review old sections too
The verses from September still matter in March. A quick weekly review of past sections keeps the whole handbook fresh instead of fading section by section.
Make it a game with The Bible Memory App
Kids type the verse and watch words fade out as they learn it, then spaced review brings each verse back right before it would be forgotten. Parents can see exactly which verses are mastered and which need one more night of practice.
For leaders
Running your club's verses through one shared group
Awana leaders and commanders can create a free group in The Bible Memory App, add the verses the club is working on, and invite families to join. Through the week you can see who has practiced and who is stuck, so handbook time on club night is spent celebrating finished sections instead of starting from zero.
Many clubs let each family practice free, and that works well. Churches that want every clubber to have the app's premium tools — more translations, the full review system, and the AI-powered study features — can purchase discounted bulk licenses and hand a license card to each family at registration.
A simple setup that works
Create one group per club level, add each month's verses in your handbook's translation, and encourage five minutes of practice per day. By the end of the year your clubbers will have reviewed every verse they learned — not just recited each one once.
Start tonight
One verse this week, kept for life
Pick this week's handbook verse, practice it a few minutes a day, and let review keep it there long after the patch is sewn on.
Start memorizing freeFAQ
Questions about Awana memory verses
What are Awana memory verses?
Awana memory verses are the Bible verses kids memorize each week as they work through their club handbook — Cubbies, Sparks, T&T, Trek, or Journey. Each handbook section pairs verses with simple teaching, and clubbers recite the verses to a leader at club to complete the section.
How many verses do Awana kids memorize in a year?
It depends on the club level and how many sections a child completes, but a clubber who finishes a handbook typically memorizes dozens of verses over the club year, which usually runs from late summer through spring. Steady weekly practice matters more than speed.
How can I help my child memorize their Awana verses?
Practice a few minutes every day instead of one long session before club. Read the verse together, then have your child say it from memory with the reference before and after. The Bible Memory App turns this into a game: kids type the verse, the app fades words out as they learn, and spaced review brings old verses back before they are forgotten.
Which Bible translation does Awana use?
Awana handbooks are published in several common translations, and churches choose which edition they use, so check with your club leaders. The Bible Memory App supports many translations, so kids can practice in the same wording as their handbook.
Can a whole Awana club use The Bible Memory App together?
Yes. Leaders can create a free group in The Bible Memory App, add the verses the club is working on, and see every clubber's progress during the week — not just on club night. Churches that want premium features for many kids can purchase discounted bulk licenses.
Is The Bible Memory App affiliated with Awana?
No. Awana is a trademark of Awana Clubs International, and BibleMemory.com is an independent Scripture-memory tool with no affiliation to or endorsement from Awana. We simply help kids, parents, and leaders practice the verses their club assigns.