Fall/Winter 2010 P.R.A.Y. Newsletter

Newsletter
Fall / Winter 2010
Electronic Shopping Launched…
Order by Noon; Shipped Same Day!
You asked for it. Now we have it. PRAY is pleased to announce that our online store is now
open to serve you. Visit www.praypub.org/store to see what is available at the stroke of a
computer key!
Among the features to be found at the site is SAME DAY processing and shipping on approved orders received by noon Central time on a business day. Here’s more good news . . .
There is no extra charge for this service!
[Please note that PRAY reviews each order. If there are any discrepancies, the order will be
held until you have been contacted. Therefore, it is important for you to provide daytime
contact information.]
For a complete listing of items eligible for same-day shipping and an explanation of why certain items cannot be made available in this way, see www.praypub.org/store.
Our goal is to make online shopping convenient and secure. If you need any assistance,
please call PRAY at 1-800-933-PRAY (7729) during regular business hours.
May this blessed season be one in which
You experience joy, peace, and the
Warmth of family and friends as you
Follow the star!
Merry Christmas from
Your friends at PRAY
Inside This Issue
Annual Meeting & Board.... 2
New PRAY Officers ............ 2
Building Faith in Youth ...... 3
AHG Honors PRAY ............. 3
Your REC Info Sought........ 3
Growth Resources ............. 3
News from the Field ........ 4-5
2011 Philmont Training ...... 6
Turner Joins PRAY Team .. 6
Hibbert Remembered ......... 6
Agency Spotlight: AHG ...... 7
God and Country Photos ... 8
2
September PRAY Board and Annual Meeting Held in St. Louis
Back (l to r): Ken Lyons, Brad Nesheim, Bobby Madison, Rusty Cowden, Larry Pritchard, Joe Mueller, Chip Turner
Middle (l to r): Sheri Levingston, Mark Hazlewood, Jeanne Wurm, Steve Taylor
Front (l to r): Denise Stewart, Etta Moore, Jay Garee Inset: Deb Hazlewood
PRAY’s board of directors gathered in St. Louis in late September for their regular meeting and as well
as the annual PRAY business meeting. In addition, representatives from several denominations participated in the annual meeting, including: Dr. Daryl Ingram, African Methodist Episcopal Church; Bob
Vogt, (United Methodist Church); Rev. Mark Kiessling (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod); and Rev. Bob
Thornton, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Cowden
During the board meeting, two individuals were honored with the God and
Service Award: outgoing PRAY President Rusty Cowden and Board Member
Larry Pritchard. Both men have provided exemplary leadership and service
to children, youth and families through their churches, youth agencies, and
PRAY. Both Cowden and Pritchard rotated off of the board after having
faithfully served for the maximum term allowable. No doubt they will remain supporters of the mission and ministry of PRAY.
Pritchard
New officers installed by the Rev. Dr. Ken Lyon were: President Brad Nesheim (Heart of Virginia Council, BSA), Vice President Stephen J. Taylor (Northwest Suburban Council, BSA), and Secretary / Treasurer Etta Moore (Girl Scouts of Central Texas.) New board members installed were Bobby Madison
(Norwela Council, BSA) and Denise Stewart (Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas). Continuing to serve as board members are: Sheri
Levingston (Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri), Jeanne Wurm (American Heritage Girls) and
Joe Mueller (Greater St. Louis Area Council, BSA).
Also participating in the meeting were:
PRAY Endowment Board Member Jay
Garee (Mohigan Council, BSA), PRAY
CEO Mark Hazlewood, Assistant CEO
Installation of (l to r): Board members Bobby Madison and
Deb
Hazlewood, and Director of CommuDenise Stewart, President Brad Nesheim, Vice President
Steve Taylor, and Secretary / Treasurer Etta Moore
nication and Training R. Chip Turner.
3
Adult Award
Recognizes
Counselors
The “Building Faith in Youth
Award” is designed to recognize
adults who have used the PRAY
programs to disciple young people and their families and to support the Christian education program of the local congregation.
Nominations must come from the
church; the only signature required is the pastor’s.
While most of the adult religious
recognitions are joint recognitions
on behalf of the church and a
Scouting agency, the “Building
Faith in Youth Award” is strictly a
church recognition. Congregations now have a way of honoring
their adult members who are
non-Scouters and yet active in
the religious emblems program.
The award has the four-colored
cross, each color corresponding
to a level in the PRAY Series (God
and Me - red, God and Family yellow, God and Church - blue,
and God and Life - green).
Click here for the Building Faith in
Youth nomination form .
Resources
For Your
Growth
Toolbox
The fall issue of UM Men
contains two articles which
highlight some of the benefits of a Scouting ministry to
a local church, including
growth in congregational
membership:
►”Church Reaches 300
Families Through Scouting”
by Dr. Myrle Grate, Executive Pastor of Programs and
Ministries at Vestavia Hills
United Methodist Church
(Metro Birmingham, AL)
►”How Scouting Led to My
Membership in the Church”
by Steve Bays, Scouting
Ministry Specialist and Religious Emblems Counselor
for Troop 341 in Louisville,
KY
To read these complete articles, visit the PRAY website
at www.praypub.org.
Does your church, council, district, religious relationships committee
or other entity conduct religious emblems camps or retreats where
children and youth may work on the religious emblem(s) for their particular faith? If so, would you be willing to share information about
the event? We are looking for program / schedule examples, pictures, logos, patches, setting descriptions (camps, retreat centers,
churches, etc.), and other helpful information for implementing such
an event. A future issue of the PRAY newsletter will have a religious
emblems camp / retreat theme and we would like to include your ideas. Submissions are welcomed via email - [email protected]
- or by “snail mail” - 4309 Misty Meadow Drive., Fort Worth, TX
76133. All information included in the issue will include recognition
of those providing the information.
American Heritage
Girls Honors PRAY
AHG Executive Director Patti Garibay with
Deb and Mark Hazlewood
PRAY was honored at the 15th Anniversary American Heritage Girls Convention in Cincinnati with the American Heritage Girls Community
Partner Award.
This distinction
“honors an individual
and/or company who
has impacted the
community through
dedication and service to AHG by
providing above and
beyond marketing
and networking opportunities.”
American Heritage Girls leaders expressed appreciation for PRAY‟s
“dedication and service to the AHG
ministry by providing a solid curriculum of spiritual development to girl
members and to the other youth serving agencies with whom they work.”
During the presentation, it was noted
that Mark Hazlewood, PRAY‟s CEO,
has been instrumental in networking
like-minded churches and groups
(such as the Boy Scouts of America)
with American Heritage Girls throughout the past 5 years of partnership.
4
Edwardsport, IN Area…
Memphis, TN Area…
Arlington UMC Units Study,
Serve and Advance
Teresa Rector, Chaplain for Boy Scout
Troop 452 chartered to Arlington United
Methodist Church, reports that 84 Boy
Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts
have completed at least one level of the
PRAY Program Series. Scouts are regularly offered the opportunity to participate in a religious emblems class. Several Scouts are now working on the the
third level of the program - God and
Church.
Also very service-oriented, the Scout
units have ongoing relationships with
Habitat for Humanity and the Tennessee Baptist Children‟s Home. For deployed soldiers, the Scouts have provided telephone calling cards, notes of
encouragement, and care packages.
Their Scouts even raised enough money for the drilling of a water well in a
third world country.
Chaplain Rector shared: “Because of
several factors like offering the PRAY
Program to our Scouts on a regular basis, service projects to both the church
and the community, a youth-led Scout
Sunday, and our Pastor‟s willingness for
Scouting to be considered a vital ministry of the church rather than just an outside group or occupant of space, our
Pack / Troop are the only Scouting units
across West Tennessee and Kentucky
to qualify to earn the Bishop‟s Award for
Excellence in Scouting for the years
2007, 2008, and 2009.”
The PRAY team expresses congratulations for a job well done and for making
an investment in the lives of these children, youth, and families! As this story
illustrates, children and youth are interested in pursuing the age-appropriate
levels of the PRAY Program and will
respond to group study opportunities.
Souderton, PA Area…
God & Life Service Projects
Meaningful for Homeschooler
Father Mentors Son in God &
Me Journey
Reflecting upon his God and Life experience, Caleb S. said “the things I remember best were the service projects.
My favorite lesson was #2 - „God doesn‟t
expect us to do it on our own.‟” For his
project he chose to lead a family devotion.
[Note: Parents have the option of enrolling in
the Adult Mentor Program. By doing so, the
parent has lessons and projects to complete
just like the child. Then, both parent and
child work on the student curriculum together. The mentoring plan is designed to provide the adult/parent with additional opportunities to model his or her Christian faith and
to help the youth talk about his or her belief
in God. Less than 10% of participants complete the program with a parent mentor.]
Caleb explained: “I led a devotion with
my family about the presence of the Holy
Spirit. I used a blow dryer and a ping
pong ball to demonstrate how the Holy
Spirit is there for us. I turned the blow
dryer on and pointed it up and then
placed the ping pong ball in the air
stream. It was supported by the invisible
force of the air. This represented the
Holy Spirit and how He supports us and
is stronger than any other force in the
world.”
Caleb continued: “Then I put my hand in
between the blow dryer and the ball,
causing the ball to fall down. This represented the fact that when we block out
the Holy Spirit‟s voice, we stop Him from
working in our lives. Like the ball, we will
never get anywhere in life [without God].
Then we had a prayer time where we
went around the circle, and everyone
prayed that they would not block out the
Holy Spirit‟s voice in their lives.”
Rev. Seth Alexander, Pastor of First
Baptist Church in Bicknell, IN, shared
that he was
pleased with
the way Caleb
was “in the
Word” to answer
virtually every
question. “I
liked the discussion making him
think and apply.”
Caleb and Rev. Alexander Rev. Alexander
described the
God and Life study as “meaty” and not
a lot of “fluff.”
Caleb worked on God and Life as an
integral part of his homeschooling.
Looking back on the God and Life experience, his mother said: “Caleb is becoming more thoughtful and able to give
more complete answers to the discussion questions. At first it was really hard
for him, but he developed more skill
along the way.”
When Nicholas L. expressed an interest
in pursuing the God and Me recognition,
his father, Joe, decided to enter the Adult
Mentor Program. Thanks to both Nick
and his dad for their willingness to share
excerpts from their personal journey together. As Joe explained: “I‟m happy to
let you use any pictures or pages that
you wish. If it helps to encourage even
one more person to participate, that
would be and extra blessing to an already wonderful program.”
Looking back upon
their experience, Joe
said: “The God and
Me program has enriched our faith and
brought us closer. My
son was motivated by
my enthusiasm. I feel
that he was much
more comfortable because we completed this journey together. I saw an enthusiasm for learning about our spiritual
beliefs that I haven‟t seen before. Playing the games has brought our whole
family together.”
While one would expect the responses of
a third grader to be simple, they can be
no less profound, especially when they
have the unique opportunity of working
through the material with a parent who is
being open and honest.
In Nick‟s workbook where he placed a
photo of himself with his father, he wrote:
“Daddy is nice. You play with us.” In the
section on using “P-A-T-H” (praise, apology, thanks, and help) as a tool to learn
about prayer, Nick shared . . .
Praise - “God, you are cool.”
Apology - “I‟m sorry for not listening to
my parents.”
Thanks - “Thank you for mommy and
daddy.”
Help “Listen and forgiving.”
(continued on next page)
5
(Father Mentors Son in God and
Me Journey continued from page 6)
Though Nick‟s corresponding drawings
and other answers in his workbook illustrated the immediate impact upon him, it
is Joe‟s responses which illustrate how
being involved in the Adult Mentor Program can bless the mentor and strengthen the family. Here are a few examples:
In the section asking a parent to write a
letter to their children expressing how
pleased they are with their children, Joe
wrote: “Nick, I am thankful every moment
that I have with you. You are smart, curious, caring, kind, and responsible. Just
being with you makes me happy. I am
very proud to be your father and I pray for
you every day.”
Responding to things a parent hopes the
child will discover about Jesus as they
work together on the study, Joe wrote: “I
hope that Nick will begin to understand
what Jesus taught, and use that to guide
his actions and decisions.”
Joe shared with Nick about prayer: “I was
uncomfortable with my relationship with
God for a long time and am trying to repair that now.”
In sharing about a time he felt lost, Joe
admitted “I was lost from God for many
years. This program was a big part of my
reunion.”
Joe responded to a time he felt like Zacchaeus and who responded to him by
saying: “My wife has reached out to me
more times than I can count when my
faith was shaken. Her graces helps me to
search for my own.”
Finally, Joe shared with Nick - and now
with us - some words worth remembering:
Children are important because . . .
They make us happy.
They are innocent.
The help grown-ups to grow up.
The teach us what it really means to love.
They teach us to think about others before
ourselves.
They are reflections of us, and can teach
us about ourselves.
They make us want to be better people.
They give meaning to our lives.
They help us to realize that we are not the
most important people in the world.
Thank you, Joe and Nick, for helping us
see the tremendous value in mentoring!
Manassas, VA Area…
Wounded Warriors Benefit
from Homeschooler’s Project
By her own admission and by those of
her mother, Rikki E. experienced a
number of important life lessons while
she worked on her God and Church
recognition. A member of Immanuel
Bible Church, this young lady not only
benefitted personally, but also made a
lasting difference in the lives of many
others through her thoughtful project.
Rikki shared that the first lesson was
her favorite -”Meeting Jesus - The Person.” In learning of Jesus‟ humanity,
she realized she could relate to Him.
She went on to say: “I enjoyed learning
more about God and about my church.”
Mother (and counselor) Kristi described
their approach: “We met through the
summer . . . The curriculum provided a
wonderful opportunity for us to spend
one-on-one time together discussing
something important and meaningful. I
appreciate how this program begins
with Jesus and the way He showed us
how to be the Church, even in the dust
of our humanity. I think Rikki has
learned a good bit about the way God
designed the church to be His hands
and feet as well as His bride - that the
church is not just for us, but for the
world and for God‟s joy. Oh, that these
seeds will take root!”
Rikki‟s project benefitted Wounded
Warriors (members of the United States
military injured in the line of duty). She
prepared journals for these young soldiers in which they could write their
stories. Rikki sewed covers
for the journals with patriotic
fabric and put a dedication in
each to thank them for their
service. These journals were
hand-delivered to patients at
Walter Reed Army Medical
Center in Washington, DC.
Rikki‟s mother commented:
“This project went a long way
toward helping us all show the
love of Christ to these men
and their families during a very difficult
time. It helped us take the knowledge
from the workbook right to the street,
right where we live.”
In retrospect, Rikki said: “I am thankful
for the program. . .because it helped me
grow in my faith of God.”
Dearborn Heights, MI Area…
Family, Church & Community
Benefit from Experience
When Christopher P. started work on
his God and Church recognition, little
did he realize that in addition to himself
many would others would benefit from
involvement . Now that he looks back
upon it, great memories come to mind
about his family‟s experience as well
as those of members of St. John United Church of Christ and the Dearborn
Heights, MI area.
When asked what he remembered best about the God
and Church sojourn, he recalled the writing of his own
personal story, particularly the
parts about wanting to be
confirmed in his church as
well as the time he spent serving in a
soup kitchen.
As Christopher worked
on his scrapbook, he
learned much
about the
history of his
own congregation, including finding
pictures from the church‟s earlier days.
His favorite lesson was when he read
the Gospel of Mark. He said: “It took
almost an entire Saturday, but I enjoyed reading my Bible.”
In reflecting on the experience of working with him on God and Church,
Christopher‟s pastor added: “We met
five Saturdays for six hours each, plus
additional time in service and projects.
Several church people and community
members helped complete the projects. I added our own confirmation
materials.”
Christopher‟s father summed up the
impact of the God and Church experience well when he said: “I believe the
program has helped Christopher see
that he needs to help others and think
of himself as a servant of Christ. It has
brought our whole family closer to
God.”
For more stories and examples of
projects from PRAY Program participants, visit www.praypub.org.
6
July 10-16 . . .
PRAY Offers 2011 Course
at Philmont Training Center
“Building Sustainable Membership Through Religious
Emblems” will be offered by PRAY at Philmont Training Center
next July 10-16, 2011. The course is designed to help councils
and churches achieve sustainable growth which is beneficial to both entities. In addition to the practical, hands
-on training for conferees, family members will enjoy hiking, tours, handicrafts, horseback riding, and a variety
of other activities. Philmont is truly the perfect family experience.
Council professionals and volunteers responsible for membership as well as individuals interested in promoting
Duty to God and the religious emblems programs of all faiths should plan now to attend. The course will focus
on religious emblems as a membership tool, looking at retention, increasing membership from current chartered partners, and as a tool for reaching under served areas of your council. The other emphasis of the class
will be on Religious emblems as programs that can reinforce BSA values as well as on how and why to promote
them. This course is open to all registered Scouters.
Important Note: Online registration has now opened on the myscouting.org site. Here’s how to register . . .
1. Go to www.myscouting.org and log in.
2. Click on “Event Registration” and then “Philmont Training Center.”
3. Click on “Register for the 2011 Philmont Training Center Courses.”
For more information about the training center, go to: www.philmonttrainingcenter.org. Have questions about
the course? Feel free to contact the PRAY office at 800-933-PRAY (7729) or email us at [email protected].
Chip Turner Joins PRAY Team
R. Chip Turner became PRAY’s
Director of Communication and
Training on May 15. Chip has a
long history with PRAY. He
served on the board for nearly 20
years and was president for 4 of
those years. He was also the editor of the organization’s first newsletter, Youthscope.
He has served on the
chaplaincy team for several National Scout Jamborees and has been selected to serve as Chairman
of Chaplaincy for the 2013
National Jamboree at The Summit
Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve.
Among Chip’s responsibilities is
working with BSA councils to establish and strengthen the new
Religious Emblems Coordinator role as a way of achieving sustainable unit and member growth.
He has already been onsite with
several local councils leading
workshops and visiting with potential charter partners. He is also
responsible for newsletters such as
the one you are now reading.
His first service on a National BSA
committee began over 30 years ago.
Chip has been registered with the
Boy Scouts of America since he
became a Cub Scout over 54 years
ago. He is currently chairman of
the National BSA Religious Relationships Task Force and is a
member of the New Unit and Retention Committee as well as the
Community Alliances Committee.
A Distinguished Eagle with two Eagle Scout sons, he has held a number
of district and council positions. He
has been a council officer and member of four different council executive
boards.
As an adult, Chip received the O.A.
Founder’s Award from Ouxouiga
Lodge in Central Louisiana.
Chip is on the Longhorn Council
Board in Fort Worth, TX. He chairs
the council’s National Eagle Scout
Association and Silver Beaver committees and has served in numerous
other roles.
You may contact Chip by calling 817233-2352, or by emailing him at:
[email protected].
Former PRAY
Board Member
Remembered at
2010 Jamboree
On the unit level, he has been a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Venture Crew
Advisor, committee member, and a
unit organizer for faith-based units.
Chip has also been a frequent course
director at the Philmont Training
Center and is also a Philmont Staff
Association member.
Throughout his ministry, Father Bill
Hibbert selflessly served children,
youth, and families in numerous Episcopal parishes and communities. Fr.
Bill was also vitally involved with
PRAY for more than two decades. And,
he was a member of the National Jamboree chaplaincy team for many years.
Active in the Order of the Arrow as a
youth, he was a lodge officer, area
chief, and Vigil Honor recipient from
Caddo Lodge in Shreveport, LA.
In his memory and with gratitude for
his contributions to Scouting and
PRAY, a patch was created and given to
each 2010 Jamboree chaplain.
7
Agency Spotlight . . .
American Heritage Girls (AHG)
With the Boy Scouts of America in the latter months of a yearlong, highly-publicized celebration of its 100th
anniversary, it could have easily gone unnoticed that another youth serving agency was in the midst of an
anniversary observance. American Heritage Girls celebrated their 15th anniversary in June at their national convention
in Cincinnati. Founded in 1995, the organization has grown from 10 troops and 100 members to well over 11,000 members in 40 states and currently on a 40.7% growth pace.
National Executive Director and Co-Founder Patti Garibay
and her staff are actively involved in meeting the needs and
opportunities of a rapidly expanding membership and leadership base. Among the landmark developments of 2009
was the signing of a Memorandum of Mutual Support with
the Boy Scouts of America in which both organizations expressed a “desire to establish and maintain a collaborative
relationship on behalf of youth, young adults and families . .
. for the purpose of confirming a framework of cooperative
relationship under which the American Heritage Girls, Inc.
and the Boy Scouts of America will assist one another in
areas of mutual objectives . . .” At the Centennial Boy
Scout Jamboree last summer, AHG became the first allgirls organization to be represented at this quadrennial
gathering, maintaining an exhibit throughout the week.
AHG is a Christian organization serving girls from age 5 to
18 with a five-level program: Pathfinder (ages 5-6 and in
kindergarten), Tenderheart (ages 6-9 and in grades 1-3),
Explorer (ages 9-12 and in grades 4-6), Pioneer (ages 1214 and in grades 7-8), and Patriot (ages 14-18 and in
grades 9-12). Patriot level girls may pursue earning the
highest award of the American Heritage Girls, The Stars
and Stripes Award.
Pursuit of religious emblems (such as the PRAY Program)
is integral to the AHG experience. Completion of one‟s
religious emblem is encouraged at all levels and is a requirement to qualify for The Stars and Stripes Award.
Also, part of the leadership team for each AHG Troop is
the Troop Shepherd.
ED Patti Garibay with Texas American Heritage Girls]
Lois O’Brien shared a photo of her Boy Scout, Cub Scout, and
AHG Trailblazer receiving PRAY Awards at church in Colby, KS
◄ Three American Heritage Girls
from Troop CA1012, chartered to
Patterson Covenant Church, Patterson, CA, receive PRAY
Awards
Girls from
Troop OH323,
chartered to
Epiphany United Methodist
Church, Loveland, OH receive God & Me
Awards ►
The American Heritage Girl’s Oath
“I promise to love God, cherish my family, and honor my
country and serve in my community.”
The American Heritage Girl’s Creed
“As an American Heritage Girl, I promise to be:
* Compassionate
* Pure
* Helpful
* Resourceful
* Honest
* Respectful
* Loyal
* Responsible
* Perseverant
* Reverent
The Mission Statement of AHG
“Building women of integrity through service to God, family,
community and country.”
Ray Cunningham, church youth activities committee, with Troop
OH7777 receiving PRAY Awards. The unit is chartered with First
Christian Church, Martins Ferry, OH.
◄During a recent visit to Texas, National Executive Director Patti Garibay was the honored
guest at a “Meet the Founder” event for AHG
girls and their leaders from the Dallas/Fort
Worth Metroplex and beyond. Shown at left
with Garibay is retired BSA Community Alliances Team Leader Charles Holmes.
8
For God and Country . . . Recent
Lake Dallas, TX
Youth Serving Agency Events
2010
Jamboree,
VAVA
2010
Jamboree,
2010
Jamboree,
VA
2010 Jamboree, VA
Lake Dallas, TX
College Station, TX
Austin, TX
Scouts Attend Arena Show
2010 Jamboree, VA
Washington, DC
College Station, TX