5 Boy Scouts Earn the 4-Star Award

   

From Tricia Burgess:

“I was proud to have the honor to award these 5 Boy Scouts from Salem, SC in the Blue Ridge Council, their 4-Star Award. They all had completed each class: God and Me, God and Family, God and Church, and God and Life during the specific age time. Classes were hosted at the Salem United Methodist Church and over the course of a total of 28 weeks starting from age 8 in Elementary school to age 16 in High School they had worked their way learning and giving in the eyes of God. When I asked them what they enjoyed the most out of all the classes, the creation of the Pizza boxes in the God and Family program was the "funnest". Most of the service projects were done in a group effort which made that part fun and memorable. My prayers are they carry what they learned from the Bible lessons into the world and share the message.”

   

Bible Basics RP3 Series

Brownies earn "Out of the Water"

Brownie Girl Scouts from Peace Lutheran Church in Saginaw, MI had a great time earning the “Out of the Water” Bible patch. The girls made Moses “sock babies” and talked about how older sister Miriam would have felt watching her baby brother float in a basket in the river, how God had a plan for Moses, and how Miriam was brave and trusted God. The girls enjoyed making their own dolls to cuddle!

 

For the story on Jesus' baptism, the girls enjoyed cleaning old pennies and making them clean and shiny. It was a great visual for the meaning of baptism!

Seven Four Star Awards

First United Methodist Church

Seven (7!) Boy Scouts from Troop 51 were presented with their “Four Star” awards by First United Methodist Church in Salem, Virginia for earning all four of the P.R.A.Y. awards. Congratulations to Boy Scouts Steven, Reid, James, Will, Jamie, Carson, and Charlie. Included in the picture are Pastor Alan Combs, Scoutmaster Scott Harless, and several of the counselors from the four program levels who taught the boys through the years. A special thanks to the congregation for their Scouting ministry, and to the United Methodist Men of FUCM for sponsoring the P.R.A.Y. program every year.

BIBLICAL BRAVE GIRLS

Daisy Girl Scout Troop at Peace Lutheran Church used Brave Girls Bible Stories by Thomas Nelson as its main handbook to teach their Girl Scouts how heroic sisters before them marched in faith and spread the word of God in the most trying of times.  They learn about a different Woman of the Bible and have “Biblical Brave Girl” time at each meeting.  One scout is chosen in rotation and is dressed up as the Biblical Brave Girl they are studying by draping fabric, sashes, and in some cases a crown on her, and read her amazing story to the troop.  This is one of their FAVORITE troop activities.  The girls discuss how this woman’s story not only draws correlations to the Girl Scout Law but also to their mission as Soldiers for Christ. 

 

BROWNIES DO CHRISTIAN SERVICE

Girl Scouts Collect Over 150 Preemie Outfits

Brownie Girl Scouts from Peace Lutheran Church in Saginaw, MI seek to grow through Christian service. This fall they collected over 150 preemie garments for the NICU at a local hospital. According to Troop Leaders Haley Cottrell and Keri Radde, “We believe it is our duty to not only spread the Word of God but to Serve Him actively and are thrilled to do so through the avenue of Girl Scouting.” Other service projects included stuffing piles of shoe boxes for Operation Christian Child, singing a joyful noise “to please our  Father in Heaven” by Christmas caroling at a nursing home, and making cat toys and canine treat bags for local animal shelters. In the spring, the Brownie Girl Scouts plan to serve as greeters and ushers on Girl Scout Sunday, sew dresses to support the “Little Dresses for Africa” ministry, and put together gift boxes for first responders in their community. 

See related story on Peace Lutheran's Christ-Centered Girl Scouting in PRAY Newsletter.

First Ever Religious Emblems Day

Four Rivers District

Four Rivers District of Lincoln Heritage Council hosted its first ever Religious Emblems Day in Paducah, KY.  Baptists, Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists, and Presbyterians from 7 different packs and 2 troops came together to work on the religious emblems appropriate to their age and faith. Scouts who had already earned their religious emblem were welcome and enrolled in the Bible Basics RP3 from P.R.A.Y.  In all there were 22 youth plus an additional 11 mentors. Maria Korte, District Religious Emblems Coordinator, served as the event chair and thought the event went very well, "It was awesome to see everybody from different faiths and units getting together to celebrate God's Glory." She is already looking at ways to increase attendance for future events.

Building Faith in Youth Award

Combination Sunday School Volunteer & Cubmaster Receives Award

Ron Flournoy, Cubmaster of Pack 1879 in Midlothian Virginia and Sunday school volunteer at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, was presented with the Building Faith in Youth award on October 1, 2017. Not only has Ron taught God and Me and God and Family to his Cub Scouts, he has also worked with the pastor and youth director to bring the P.R.A.Y. classes to the youth of the church. While their primary goal has been to introduce children to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a secondary objective has been to promote more membership in both Scouting and the church.  With their support, the P.R.A.Y. awards have grown from 8 to 24 in the last three years, and the P.R.A.Y. courses are taught during the Sunday school time slot so that families are present in church when both Sunday school and the Relevant contemporary service are available. Ron Flournoy personally knows the evangelistic opportunities that Scouting provides. It was because of Pack 1879 that Ron and his family joined St Mark’s UMC.

Congratulations to Ron Flournoy on receiving the Building Faith in Youth award! Thank you to St. Mark’s UMC for blending your Sunday school and Scouting ministries!

Photo: Rev. Fran Cooper, Ron Flournoy, Conference Scouting Coordinator Bill Chaffin

ALL 6 PATCHES!

The Morgans complete entire RP3 Series

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trisha Morgan reports that her Girl Scout and Cub Scout have completed all 6 patches in the RP3 Series. Here they are completing the "Holes" and "Tents and Shelters" patches. Congratulations to the Morgan family!

 

ALASKA CHURCH REACHES “100” MILESTONE

St John United Methodist Church in Anchorage, Alaska conferred its 100th P.R.A.Y. award on Boy Scout Sunday in February 2017, and exceeded the milestone on Girl Scout Sunday in March when the 114th award was presented. The church offers all four awards (God and Me, God and Family, God and Church, and God and Life) and serves members of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and its own youth group. The program started in 2003 by John Anderson, an Eagle Scout who earned his “God and Country” religious award as a youth. John, who has served as a teacher/counselor at St John UMC for nearly all of the awards, explained: “I feel called to this ministry because of the time and effort that was given to me by my pastor and scoutmaster when I was young. Our faith calls us to serve others––to be servant leaders––and, as my life was influenced in positive ways by servant leaders, I want to try to do the same.”

In addition to the youth awards, St. John UMC has presented 24 adult awards for exceptional service to youth.

Photo: The 2017 class of Scouts join their families after receiving P.R.A.Y. awards, along with the Rev. Andy Bartel pastor of St. John UMC (fourth row, third from left) and counselor/teacher John Anderson (third row, third from right).

Travis Earns Four Star Award

Grandma Shares in Four Star Journey

Nancy Easton had the rare privilege of sharing in the Four Star journey with her grandson Travis. From Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Folsom, CA, here’s her story:

July 2017 was the end of a wonderful journey that I took with my grandson Travis. We started our journey when he was in the second grade and finished it eight years later when he earned the Four Star Award. P.R.A.Y. enabled us to go on this faith journey to be closer to Christ. From playing games from his “game” box to our family pizza party to all of his service projects and our studies of the Bible, we not only became closer to Christ but also to each other. I would encourage all who have the opportunity to make this journey with a young person, to jump at the chance. You will get much more out of it than you put in. Blessings to you from Travis’ grandmother. 

Take Nancy Easton's advice ... use the P.R.A.Y. Program to embark on a spiritual journey with a young person today!