Programs of Religious Activities with Youth

P.R.A.Y. Program has New Look

The P.R.A.Y. Program has a brand new look. It’s the same great program, but the recognitions and workbooks have had a “face lift” since July 2009.

This fresh new look is a blend of the traditional and contemporary. The recognitions retain the cross on the shield, but they feature a new color-coded design to symbolize how the four programs come together to build a foundation of faith for young people. The four colors represent the four levels in the P.R.A.Y. series, i.e. God and Me (red), God and Family (yellow), God and Church (blue), and God and Life (green). The four colors converge into a point to create an “X” at the center of the cross. “X” is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ, and it is symbolic of how Christ should be at the center of our lives.

This new look coincides with a name change. Rather than referring to the curriculum as the “God and Country” series, it will now be called “The PRAY Program,” and the individual medals will no longer say “God and Country” but rather the specific program name, i.e. God and Me, God and Family, etc. 

These changes stem directly from a desire to increase the number of youth participating in the P.R.A.Y. program and to increase the number of congregations developing a P.R.A.Y. ministry. A large number of clergy perceived “God and Country” to be a BSA program and hence would not teach it, not realizing that it is actually created by the faith community. There is no other reason for the new changes other than to reach more children, youth and families for Christ. 

The actual curriculum content has not changed: the program themes and requirements (i.e. GAME Boxes, Pizza, Bible lessons, etc.) are still the same. The “old” books are not obsolete, but the order/application form will need to reflect new prices.

These changes come a great deal sooner than originally anticipated. The new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and subsequent regulations and mandatory testing of children’s jewelry, forced P.R.A.Y. to not only accelerate the implementation of the new name and new look, but to also revamp its entire line of awards. Denominational medals have changed in order to reduce the number of items that need to be tested. Instead of having 9 different denominational medals to choose from, there is only one standard medal. Everybody will use the same medallion and have the option of “customizing” it by pinning a denominational pin into the ribbon. The medallion and pin are sold separately. These denominational pins are available at the God and Church level only.

Out of respect for the older youth who have already completed two of the four programs, P.R.A.Y. will continue to make the standard old style God and Church medal available for the next 2 or 3 years, and the standard God and Life medal even past that. This commitment extends only to the standard Protestant medallions, not the supplemental items such as charms and pins. Please visit the P.R.A.Y. website for more detailed information.

P.R.A.Y. recognizes that these new changes do not come easy. As CEO Mark Hazlewood explains, “I earned my God and Country emblem as a Scout. I remember my father pinning the medal on my uniform. In one way I understand a sense of loss with the new medals. But then I considered my father. Some people know that he was the first Executive Director of P.R.A.Y. and that he helped write the old curriculum. The curriculum has changed since then, and I know my father would be proud of it. He would love our pizza program!  Not because of the pizza gimmick, but because of the solid Bible lessons behind it. I see his legacy to me as being twofold: upholding our values and beliefs but at the same time finding ways to honor and express them in new ways in the future. That’s how I see the new emblems. “

Please take the time to visit the P.R.A.Y. website at www.praypub.org to view the new pins and medals. Click here for a printer-friendly article / news release on the name change and new look.

P.R.A.Y. Exchanges Booklets at Scout Shops

Council stores and Scout Shops were given the opportunity to exchange their old God and Country booklets for the new P.R.A.Y. workbooks. The covers of these new workbooks are in full color, but the content and actual program requirements did not change. All stores should have current inventory in place for the new program year. Store managers should direct any questions to joanw@praypub.org.

Mountain Puzzle Patch Is Back

The Duty to God Puzzle Patch series has come full turn and has rotated back to the Mountain/Sunset segment. If you were missing the Mountain, here’s your chance to complete the puzzle. The Puzzle Patch series is on a four-year cycle to encourage Scouting units to put a constant focus on “Duty to God” and to promote the religious emblems programs. Puzzle patches may be earned by both youth and adults. The requirements are simple: learn about the religious awards and make a commitment. Information on religious awards and sample presentation resources are available from P.R.A.Y.  To purchase a segment of the puzzle, go to www.praypub.org.

P.R.A.Y. FOUR-STAR RECIPIENTS

Four-star recipients are individuals who have completed all four levels of the Protestant/Christian religious award series (i.e. God and Me, God and Family, God and Church, and God and Life). Congratulations to the following Scouts for achieving this prestigious four-star status!

First Quarter 2009:

Atlanta Area	Dennis	Korwek	Methodist
Baltimore Area	Karl	Muhlbach	Lutheran
Buckeye	Thomas	Ostroski	Brethren
Buffalo Trace	Matthew	VanCamp	Methodist
California Inland Empire	Andrew	Tjelmeland	Protestant
Cascade Pacific	Joshua	Shake	Methodist
Central North Carolina	Nathan	Bryant	Protestant
Central North Carolina	Kelby	Hurlocker	Protestant
Circle Ten	Hunter	Beilharz	Methodist
Colonial Virginia	AJ	Stewart	Protestant
Del-Mar-Va	Jordan	Douglas	Methodist
East Carolina	Andrew	Benson	Disciples of Christ
East Carolina	Hiott	Walker	Disciples of Christ
Gamehaven	Quinn	Jacobs	Lutheran
Gamehaven	Alex	Stark	Lutheran
Georgia-Carolina	Brandon	Cassidy	Methodist
Grand Canyon	William	Bryant	Lutheran
Great Smoky Mts.	Scott	Carter	Cumberland Presbyterian
Greater Alabama	Alex	Edwards	Methodist
Greater Alabama	Michael	Henry	Methodist
Greater Cleveland Area	Benjamin	Johnson	Methodist
Greater St. Louis Area	Steve	Heim	Lutheran
Greater St. Louis Area	Christopher	Nichols	Methodist
Greater St. Louis Area	Scott	Schuknecht	Methodist
Green Mountain	Nathan	Mullins	Methodist
Green Mountain	Jeremy	Mullins	Methodist
Heart Of America	David	Gregory	Lutheran
Heart Of America	Jordan	Cook	Methodist
Heart Of America	Jonathan	Hubbs	Methodist
Heart Of America	Samuel	Riley	Methodist
Heart of Virginia	Randall	Timmerman	Methodist
Keystone Area	Justin	Hoffman	Church of God
Last Frontier	Samuel	Woltring	Baptist
Longhorn	Joshua	Wood	Protestant
Longhorn	Stephen	Smith	Methodist
Longhorn	Derek	Rogers	Methodist
Longs Peak	Jonathan	Heston	Assembly of God
Mecklenburg County	Jimmy	Bayne	Methodist
Mecklenburg County	Christopher	Lawing	Methodist
Middle Tennessee	Reed	Cothron	Presbyterian
Mid-Iowa	Jacob	Van Dyke	Baptist
Minsi Trails	Michael	Lewczak	Lutheran
Minsi Trails	Michael	Dewitt	Methodist
Northern Star	Robert	Rasmussen	Church of God
Occoneechee	Christopher	Shipley	Baptist
Occoneechee	James	Ammons	Methodist
Occoneechee	Lowell	Gothard	Methodist
Orange County	Mark	Hudak	Lutheran
Orange County	Taylor	Wright	Lutheran
Orange County	Andrew	Zimmermann	Lutheran
Pennsylvania Dutch	Travis	Wise	Methodist
Piedmont	Thomas	Beatty	Lutheran
Piedmont	Brian	Bumgarner	Lutheran
Westmoreland-Fayette	Connor	McGowan	Methodist

Second Quarter 2009:

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