Programs of Religious Activities with Youth

P.R.A.Y. God and Country News Bulletin

Fourth Quarter 2005

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

To all our partners in ministry … Merry Christmas!

Welcome to P.R.A.Y.’s God and Country News Bulletin. This Bulletin is written for pastors, counselors, mentors, and parents associated with Protestant and Independent Christian churches. It includes program helps, best practices, and special features to support a God and Country ministry. We hope you enjoy this bulletin and take the time to share it with others.

God and Country … More than a Scouting Award

The God and Country series is often pigeonholed as a “scouting” program. True, the God and Country award may be earned by members of the American Heritage Girls, Boy Scouts of America, Camp Fire USA, and Girl Scouts of the USA, but God and Country is first and foremost a church program. Boys and girls – whether or not they belong to a scouting group – are eligible to earn the God and Country award. Congregations have used the God and Country curriculum in their Sunday school and confirmation classes. Here are some of the features that make God and Country such a strong Christian Education resource:

·        Bible based curriculum: Young people will read scripture and be encouraged to apply the Bible lessons to their lives.

·        Action based: Students are required to complete service projects to learn how to put their faith into action.

·        Adult Mentor Component: The curriculum includes an adult mentor component designed to strengthen intergenerational sharing between adult/parent and child.

God and Country may also be embraced as an Outreach ministry. Congregations have offered God and Country classes and opened them up to the community. This is an outreach ministry to scouts and their families who do not have a church home but who wish to earn a God and Country award.

As a Christian Education and Outreach resource, God and Country is much more than just an award … it is a ministry!

Rollin’ Repairs: A God and Church Service Project

Seventh-grader Cole Gnadt recently received his God and Church religious award from Calvary Church in southern California. As part of his community service, Cole was approved as a volunteer for the House of Hope – a safe house for abused women and children. House of Hope is part of the Orange County Rescue Mission which is a faith-based ministry outreach “to the Least, the Last, and the Lost” of Orange County.  Cole’s project was “Rollin’ Repairs.” Here’s how he described it:

First of all, Deborah Davis former volunteer coordinator for the Orange County Rescue Mission mentioned many opportunities to help including bike repairs and I liked the idea. I learned how to fix bikes by tinkering with my old bike. I fixed four bikes (changed wheels and tube, replaced missing seats, oiled and cleaned chains, etc.) and my parents company donated one bike with training wheels. The budget was mostly my allowance and some money my parents company donated. I met the kids who used the bikes and sometimes they helped in the process of fixing the bikes. I still go to the House of Hope once a week (but will be switching to monthly) to keep the bikes in repair.

Rollin’ Repairs was just one facet of the God and Church requirements. Other portions of the curriculum included Bible study, meeting with the pastor, and creating a photo album/scrapbook. According to Cole, “Creating the memory album with my mom was great.” Click here to see sample pages from Cole’s album.

Cole worked with Eric Wakeling, the pastor of Student Ministries at Calvary Church. As a youth minister and Eagle Scout, Pastor Eric is a perfect fit to serve as counselor for God and Country candidates.  Pastor Eric met with Cole at various stages through the God and Church program and he commented that “Cole's work with the bicycle repair project for the House of Hope was quite impressive. It was so wonderful to see a young man using the talents and skills God gave him to help those in need. That's a pastor's dream.”

When asked what he would remember about this experience, Cole responded, “Meeting the kids at the House of Hope was fun. After I fixed the bikes I would play basketball with them. I will always remember the kids helping me fix the bikes.”

Resources for Conducting the Final Review

God and Country has one requirement: the pastor must review the candidate’s work upon completion of the program. This review may be an “interview” with the child and parents, or it can be in a group setting and done with an entire class. The purpose of the final review is not to quiz or “stump” the child, but to dialogue with the child and help him or her express what they have learned. The final review is an opportunity for the child to get to know the pastor and have a conversation on faith issues at the child’s level. This connection is important to children! A list of suggested questions is available to help the pastor in conducting the final review for God and Country candidates. Click here

Four Star Recipients

Four Star recipients are youth who have earned all four levels of the God and Country series, i.e. God and Me, God and Family, God and Church, and God and Life.  All applications are reviewed and confirmed by staff before they can be processed. Here are the comments from some of the four star recipients this year:

·        I remember the conversations with my minister as the most fulfilling experience. Saginaw, MI

·        I am closer to God and see the path God wants me to take. Chesapeake, VA

·        God and Country has focused my feelings toward God and also provided a clear path through life. Paoli, PA

·        I remember it being a lot of fun, especially when I was working on the first program. The program has helped me keep on track with God and has helped me discover a lot about the Bible. Columbus, GA

·        My best memories are my dad doing the mentor program with me. It made me realize how my religious beliefs apply to my everyday life. Dauphin, PA

·        God and Country has helped me to determine how I should conduct myself and it has given me the knowledge to be a better person. Charlotte, NC

·        I learned the value of community service. Snellville, GA

·        It helped me become a better chaplain in my group. Maryville, IL

·        God and Country has impacted my life by helping me learn that God loves you no matter what. Clifton, NJ

·        It has given me a more focused approach to helping, both in the church and elsewhere. It has helped me develop my faith. Ft. Worth, TX

·        It has made me look for the hand of God in my daily life. Stanley, NY

·        Having received the God and Country award in 1964 I was initially disappointed to see the program broken into four parts. Now, seeing several four-star recipients, I understand the nurturing of this program. Nashport, OH

Visit the P.R.A.Y. web site for more information on the four star recognition.

Order “Duty to God Promotion Patch” for Boy Scout Sunday

Boy Scout Sunday in February is a perfect time to put the focus back on “Duty to God” and to emphasize the spiritual aspects of the Scouting program.

The new Duty to God Promotion Patch can highlight this aspect of Scouting in front of your congregation on Boy Scout Sunday. The new patch requires that Scouts learn about religious emblems and make a commitment to Duty to God.

Patches can be preordered for distribution during the worship service. Since most congregations celebrate Boy Scout Sunday on the first or second Sunday in February, you would need to place your order by the middle of January to allow enough time for delivery.

Click here for more information on the Duty to God patch and/or to place an order via the internet.

Share this God and Country Bulletin with others

Please forward this email to other people you feel may benefit from this God and Country Bulletin. You could share this information with your pastor, youth group leaders, Sunday school teachers, Scouting leaders, and others.

To sign up for our God and Country e-mailing list, please email JenniferH@praypub.org or use our signup form on our website.  (If you received this as an original email from P.R.A.Y., you’re already on our mailing list.)

Unsubscribe

If you feel that you have received this email in error, or would prefer not to receive these emails, please reply to this email with “Unsubscribe from God & Country” in the subject line or use this link to send an email directly to jenniferh@praypub.org to be removed.  Thank You!