Faith-Based Awards Strengthening Collaborations between Girl Scout Councils and United Methodist Congregations

Faith-Based Awards: My Promise, My Faith and Religious Recognitions Welcome! Larry Coppock, GCUMM Our audience tonight: UMC Scouting Ministry Specialists (SMS) Girl Scout staff Goals: Help SMS’s understand the faith-based awards available to Girl Scouts Help Girl Scout staff gain new perspectives on using the faith-based awards to approach UMC congregations

Faith-Based Awards: My Promise, My Faith and Religious Recognitions Presenters Gladys Padró-Soler, GSUSA Deb Hazlewood, PRAY

Poll Questions

Faith-based awards include: My Promise, My Faith Pins Religious Recognitions

To Serve God All Girl Scouts promise to serve God. Girl Scouting encourages girls to grow in faith.

My Promise, My Faith (MPMF) Pin The MPMF Pin: Is created by the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. Is found in the Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting. May be earned every year. Is worn on the front of the uniform

My Promise, My Faith (MPMF) Pin

The MPMF Pin: Helps girls connect Girl Scouting with their faith.

My Promise, My Faith (MPMF) Pin Requirements may be completed within a Troop setting. Religious institutions may also host MPMF events. MPMF can strengthen the partnership between the local Girl Scout council and the faith community.

Requirements Activities are based on the Girl Scout Law. Girls will examine a line of the Girl Scout Law and consider how it ties to their faith.

Requirements Step 1: Choose a line of the law and relate it to a song, prayer, reading or tradition of your faith Steps 2-5: Continue to explore that line of the law through interviews, reflection, creativity, and commitment.

Requirements Step 2: Girls interview a woman from their faith about how she tries to apply the line of the law in her life. Step 3: Girls gather three inspirational quotes by women that fit with the line of the Girl Scout Law they have chosen. Step 4: Girls make something to remind them of what they’ve learned. (It might be a drawing, painting, or poster; or even a story or a skit.)

Requirements Step 5: Girls find out if their faith community offers a recognition program for Girl Scouts. They talk with friends, family, or a group in their faith community about what they’ve learned about their faith and Girl Scouting. Girls ask them to help them live the GS Law and their faith.

New Updated Description There are 2 updates to the MPMF description. The current Girl’s Guides to Girl Scouting do not reflect these updates.

Find out about Religious Recognitions P.R.A.Y. website

New UPDATED Description Requirement #5 is “Keep the Connection Strong.” Girls are instructed to “Find out if your faith community offers a recognition program for Girl Scouts.” The MPMF pin does not replace Religious Recognitions: it complements them.

New UPDATED Description As part of the MPMF requirements, leaders should help girls find out if their faith community offers a Religious Recognition Go to for information on religious recognitions offered by different faith communities, and for resources to make presentations on the religious recognitions programs.

GSUSA Resources: MPMF Booklets “Your Faith and Girl Scouts: Make the Connection” – for younger and older Girl Scouts Booklets include activities to explore the Girl Scout Law Booklets are not required in order to earn the MPMF pin

MPMF Booklets Available in English and Spanish Are available online: ogram/basics/faith/ ogram/basics/faith/

Best Practices Recent webinar: MPMF series offered by a church MPMF series offered by a Christian University

My Promise, My Faith (MPMF) Pin In summary, the MPMF pin: Helps girls make the connection between their faith and the Girl Scout Law Points to the Religious Recognitions Provides new opportunities to partner with the faith community

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Poll Questions

The PRAY Program Understanding the PRAY Award as the linchpin for a Girl Scout ministry

The PRAY Program Congregations want “To Know Christ and Make Christ Known” Discipleship and Evangelism Use Girl Scouting as a tool for both

Cornerstone UMC Houston, TX 2 Packs, 5 BS Troops, and 2 Girl Scout Troops Dr. Dave Meadows: "We're always looking to reach out to the community. The P.R.A.Y. program has a double benefit. We used it as a successful Sunday school program AND Evangelism tool."

Cornerstone UMC After more than ten years of offering the P.R.A.Y. program as a separate class to the Scouts meeting in their church*, Cornerstone UMC decided to try something different. They offered it in Sunday school. In the fall of 2013, they incorporated God and Me and God and Family into the Sunday school curriculum for children in grades 1-3 and grades 4-5. Scouts from the community who wanted to earn their religious emblem were invited to attend Sunday school. Dr. Meadows was pleased to report the program was a great success! Two families formally joined their church, and there are other families who are attending and might yet join.

Cornerstone UMC Over the years, there might have been a family or two that joined the church because they got to know Dr. Meadows through the P.R.A.Y. classes, but this year was different. The P.R.A.Y. award wasn't presented as a separate Scouting activity, but as part of the church. Scouts who earned their P.R.A.Y. award were participating in Sunday school, and their families got to know people in the church. Dr. Meadows reports that the program was so successful they have plans to implement it every other year as part of their Sunday school curriculum

Use MPMF to reach out to Girl Scouts in the community Use the PRAY Award to bring families into the life of your congregation

The PRAY Program Bible-based curriculum Appropriate for Sunday school programs, confirmation classes, and small group opportunities. Family ministry: Parents may choose to participate in the Adult Mentor Program The Adult Mentor Program is an intentional program for parents to share their faith with their children.

The P.R.A.Y. Program Eligibility requirements: Boys and girls May be earned by scouts and non-scouts Families do not need to have official membership in a congregation to be eligible Congregations that promote the P.R.A.Y. classes through the Scouting community are reaching out to scouting families that do not have church homes.

Program Summaries God and Me, grades 1-3 God and Family, grades 4-5 God and Church, grades 6-8 God and Life, grades 9-12

The P.R.A.Y. Program God and Me, gr. 1-3 Theme: “Best Friends with Jesus” Read Bible stories and make games Keep your games in a GAMEBox Do 4 lessons and 4 family projects Memorize the Lord’s Prayer Present your work to your pastor

THE P.R.A.Y. PROGRAM God and Family (grades 4-5) Theme: “Growing in God’s Love” Meet Bible families Learn how a pizza is like a family Make a pizza Do 6 lessons and 6 family projects Memorize the Ten Commandments Present your work to your pastor.

The P.R.A.Y. Program God and Church (grades 6-8) Theme: “My Journey with Christ” Meet Jesus, the head of the Church Learn about your congregation Record your “journey” on a video or in a photo album Do 7 lessons and 3 service projects Read the Bible daily for at least 30 days Memorize a creed Present your work to your pastor

THE P.R.A.Y. PROGRAM God and Life (grades 9-12) Theme: “Called by Christ to Serve” Get to know the Apostle Paul Study the examples of other men and women in the Bible Find out how your faith impacts your daily living Do 5 lessons and 5 service projects Read the Bible every day for 3 months Write a Statement of Commitment Present your work to your pastor

Four-Star Recipients Four-star recipients are those individuals who have earned all four levels of the P.R.A.Y. series. Four-star recipients will receive a certificate and letter of congratulations from P.R.A.Y. A special pin is available at additional cost.

Adult Recognitions By nomination only Require a minimum number of years of service Require the completed nomination form, resume of candidate’s activities, and letters of recommendation from the Girl Scout Council and the religious institution Congregations are encouraged to use these adult recognitions to support their adult volunteers. These recognitions can revitalize volunteers in their service through Girl Scouting.

Religious Recognitions Questions? Larry Coppock Gladys Padró-Soler Deb Hazlewood

Faith-Based Programs Girls are encouraged to earn both the MPMF pin and the PRAY Award. Use these awards to bring Girl Scout families into your church Visit the P.R.A.Y. website for resources on Faith-Based Programs:

Thank you for promoting faith-based programs for Girl Scouts!