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Medals for Episcopal |
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Eligibility Guidelines:
Young women and men in grades 9-12 are eligible to participate in the God and Life 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). Each participant must have his or her own copy of the student workbook (Episcopal youth use the standard God and Life booklets). A pastor's signature is required on the application/order form.
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Curriculum:
The God and Life program is the fourth program in the God and Country Series. It is a reflective type of curriculum: students will study the lives of men and women in the Bible and discover what their lives teach them about God. The young people will then be challenged to integrate their faith into their daily lives.
The outline for the God and Life curriculum is based on the life of the Apostle Paul as recorded in Acts 9:1-31. This is a brief account that describes how Paul became a Christian. Five chronological "events" out of this story will be highlighted and used as the focus for the five different sections in this program. Each section will illustrate a key element in learning how to live one's life for Christ:
1. Before his conversion, Paul persecuted Christians.
Theme: God calls all kinds of people.
2. Paul was helped by Ananias and Barnabas.
Theme: God doesn't expect us to do it on our own.
3. Paul was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Theme: Each of us must make a personal response to the call of God.
4. Paul led a difficult life: many people wanted him dead.
Theme: God gives strength to face adversities.
5. Because of Paul, the church was strengthened and it grew in numbers.
Theme: God can accomplish great things through those who are willing to do God's will.
Each of the five sections requires the students to STUDY, REFLECT, and SERVE. Students will STUDY the examples of other men and women of the Bible who have had experiences similar to Paul's, and study scripture passages on a related theme. They will REFLECT on the lessons and relate them to their own lives. And then they will SERVE by choosing a project that will help put into action what they have just learned.
As part of the study portion of each section, students will be asked to integrate their faith into their daily lives. For example, they will be required to develop plans to read the Bible every day for a month, take sermon notes for a month, memorize scripture verses for a month, and pray for a person for a month. These required activities are related to the Bible lessons in that section and to its overall theme.
The person chosen to teach a God and Life class should above all be a person who relates well to high schoolers and who can facilitate group discussion. This person does not need to be an expert on all of the Biblical references in the God and Life curriculum (because this person can always draw upon the expertise of the pastor). Of far greater value, this instructor should be prepared to relate these Bible lessons to real life situations and to be open to the student's interpretations and questions.
Regardless of the person chosen to lead the class, the pastor is still the only person authorized to sign the God and Life application form. The pastor is required to review the students' work at the end of the program, interview the young people, and then sign their application forms.
Materials Available:
(Episcopal churches use the standard God and Life curriculum)
#33609 - God and Life Student Workbook - required booklet for each young person
#33610 - God and Life Counselor Manual - resource guide for the pastor/counselor
#33605 - God and Life Adult Mentor - optional program for parents if they want to participate in the program alongside their children
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Free P.R.A.Y. Program Resources:
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