To: Scouts and their parents in Troop 642
From: Mike Mueller
Date: Jan 5, 2009
Re: 2009-10 God and Country Class
I invite you to the upcoming 2009-10 God and Country (God and Church and God and Life) program.
Troop 642 has a very active, long-running God and Country program; you can see many award ribbons on the Scouts’ Class A uniforms at our meetings. The ribbon is worn alongside Scouting’s highest award – the Eagle Award.
The God and Church course is appropriate for Middle School age and covers the following general issues:
- Basic Christian beliefs
- Church organization
- Denomination history
The God and Church program includes the following activities:
- Leading class and meeting prayers and campout church services.
- Attending ~12 classes, about twice a month, scheduled before our Wednesday troop meetings, start time 6:00pm (schedule available on www.troop642.org).
- Reviewing completed assignments as required by the instructors
- Keeping a notebook of completed work
- Taking notes from the required interviews
- Interviewing a past recipient of the award (learning what the award has meant to them) and an ordained church minister or staff member from the Scout’s home church, or MDPC.
- Attending a church committee meeting and reporting on the committee’s function.
- Working in service projects in church and community activities (totalling 20 hours)
- Memorizing the Apostle’s Creed and the books of the bible (Old and New Testaments)
- Completing light touch oral and final examinations
Though the agenda is challenging, plenty of time will be available to complete the assignments. The memorization work will be incorporated into our class and other activities from the start so there will be lots of practice. Class members are strongly encouraged to complete most or all of their church and community service work during the summer. The God and Life program will be offered if high-school age Scouts commit to it during the same time period, but with somewhat different activities. Non-protestant denominations and other faiths are welcome to complete the requirements for their award, under planned supervision, with prior approval.
The 2009-10 class will finish in January 2010 and the awards presented at a troop meeting just prior to the MDPC Scout Sunday worship services.
The first meeting will be on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 6:00pm in the Mattingly Scout House and will require a parent to attend along with the Scout.
So let’s get started, coming together to explore and learn about our awesome God and his church in our world.
Contact: Mike Mueller 713 449 5201, michael.mueller@bp.com or 1900@troutlily.net )
GOD AND CHURCH
Eligibility Guidelines:
Girls and boys in grades 6-8 are eligible to participate in the God and Church program even if they do not belong to a Girl Scout, Boy Scout or Camp Fire group (youth group and Sunday School members are eligible to participate in this program). This program requires that students have original workbooks and present their work to the pastor for final approval.
Curriculum:
The God and Church program will lead young people on a journey. It will be a faith journey with three parts: meeting Jesus, worshiping God, and witnessing and ministering for Christ. Participants will create either a video or a photo album to share what they have learned on their faith journeys.
My Journey: Meeting Christ
1: Meeting Jesus, the Person
2: Meeting Jesus, the Son of God
3: Meeting Jesus, the Head of the Church
Project: Daily Bible Reading
My Journey: Worshiping God
4: Learning how Christ Worshiped God
5: Exploring How My Congregation Worships God
Project: Discovering How I Can Worship God
My Journey: Witnessing and Ministering for Christ
6: Learning How Christ Witnessed and Ministered to Others
7: Exploring How My Congregation Witnesses and Ministers to Others
Project: Discovering How I Can Witness and Minister to Others
The God and Church Program provides young people with the opportunity to work with their pastor or other Christian adult, to understand the church's structures and objectives, and to participate in service projects that will give them a better understanding of the mission of the church.
The God and Church program can take from three to five months to complete. The program is very flexible and can be structured in a number of different ways. Ideally, the youth will complete this program in his or her own church under the supervision of his or her own pastor. However, it is possible to teach the course to a group of young people who belong to different denominations. In this situation, the individual churches should be contacted ahead of time. The pastors need to be invited to the class sessions that deal with specific church history and doctrine. The young people can benefit from this type of comparative study and learn to appreciate the unique aspects of their own denomination.
The God and Church curriculum was developed without theological bias; yet it was designed to permit the introduction of particular theological and denominational viewpoints on the material being studied. It is the responsibility of the counselor to provide this specific instruction. Therefore all students use the standard God and Church curriculum regardless of church membership.
It is at the God and Church level (when students study their specific denomination), that the following denominational logos are available on certain recognition items: African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopal, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Presbyterian Church in America, and United Methodist. Information on ordering these recognition items is contained in the Student Workbook.
Adult Mentor Program:
The God and Church Adult Mentor program is an optional program for parents. Rather than having just their children go through the program by themselves, parents may choose to work on the program alongside their children. In the Adult Mentor program, parents have a workbook with lessons and projects to complete just like the child. Parents will be challenged to learn more about their faith and to talk about their faith with their children.
Materials Available:
#33599 – God and Church Student Workbook – required for each student
#33600 – God and Church Counselor Manual – resource guide for pastor/counselor
#33596 – God and Church Adult Mentor Workbook – optional program for parents if they want to participate in the program alongside their children
#001CC – God and Church Counselor Patch
#001C8 – God and Church Counselor Pin
