Boy Scouts of America - TROOP 414
Spring, Texas
Training boys to become godly men
One of the core values taught at all levels of the Boy Scouts of America is a Duty to God. This value is a primary element of the Cub Scout Promise and the Boy Scout Oath and Law. BSA respects every faith, and a program specific to each faith exists so that every Scout may earn the award for his faith. Most religious emblems programs have more than one level. A young person who has earned a religious emblem as a younger Scout may progress to the next level and earn another emblem.
Troop 414, through Champion Forest Baptist Church, offers the two older Scout courses in the God Country program, specifically the God & Church course for middle school age Scouts and the God & Life course for high school age Scouts. These courses are generally offered once each year.
Siblings of appropriate age and parents are welcome and encouraged to attend these classes along with their Scout son to make this a family experience!
The God & Country program series was developed and distributed by Programs of Religious Activities With Youth (P.R.A.Y.) and provides spiritual growth experiences for members of the BSA who are Protestant, as well as members of Girl Scouts of the USA, Camp Fire Inc., and other youth programs. The PRAY web site is at http://www.praypub.org/main_frameset.htm
This program is endorsed and promoted by Boy Scouts of America as the 12th point of the Scout Law is 'reverence', which focuses on drawing the Scout to a greater respect for and knowledge of the Lord and deepening of the Scout's faith.
Upon completion of the course the Scout will receive his purple Religious knot (patch) that is worn as a youth and adult above the left pocket of his tan Class-A shirt. He may also receive a God & Church medal to be worn on the Class-A shirt at formal Scouting events. Likewise, parents that go through the class with their son are also eligible to receive and wear the Mentor's pin. These meetings additionally count as troop activities toward the fulfillment of 2nd and 1st Class rank requirements #3a and #3, respectively.
Please contact the troop Chaplain or the Scoutmaster if you have any questions concerning either course.
God and Church: For sixth to eighth-grade Boy Scouts. Go to http://www.praypub.org/god_country/church/god_church_description.htm for the full course description and outline.
God and Life: For older Boy Scouts and female and male Venturers Go to http://www.praypub.org/god_country/life/god_life_description.htm for the full course description and outline.
God and Country Mentor Program (Adult Curriculum): A mentor is someone who serves as a living example for another person. The God and Country mentor program is designed to help adults look directly at what it means to serve as a Christian mentor and suggests how to have a positive, Christian influence on a child. The mentor curriculum is designed for an adult working with a young person who is enrolled in the God and Country program series. The mentor program is not to be confused with the God and Service Award (see below). An adult who completes the mentor studies will receive a certificate and lapel pin for non-uniform wear or for display on the Class-A Scout shirt.
God and Service: An award presented to deserving adults who have given distinguished service to youth through Scouting in a local church or at the council, regional, or national level. See http://www.praypub.org/AA/goodshepherd.htm for details of the Good Shepherd award.
Adult Religious Service knot
(received by nomination only)
Good Shepherd Award
(By nomination only)
The God and Church and God and Life booklets cost $4 each at the Scout shop. These booklets contain information on all the lessons and service projects that the Boy Scout will need to complete. Each member needs to have his or her own booklet to document progress. Adult Mentors Manuals are available for any parent or guardian that desires to complete the program with the Scout.
Each of the courses requires the Scout to visit with the youth pastor/minister in his home church at the end of the course for official sign-off. This amounts primarily to an opportunity for the Scout to share with the youth pastor/minister what he has learned and experienced during the course. Scouts attending Champion Forest Baptist will meet with Jeff Skipper, the Student Pastor, or with the Middle School Pastor (Steven Morris) or High School Pastor (Steven Miori). Scouts attending another church should talk to their church's pastor or youth pastor to identify the appropriate person to meet with and obtain the final sign-off for completion of the course. In this case it is recommended that the Scout show his pastor or youth pastor the God & Church or God & Life booklet before beginning the program.
At the end of the classes, parents will submit the finished Booklets to the class instructor (the 'Counselor') or other official appointed by the Scout's church for final approval, if necessary. Once the appropriate signatures are obtained then the parents may follow the instructions to order the Award Medals (Emblems) from P.R.A.Y. Troop 414 will obtain the Knot Patches from the Scout Shop. The Emblems and Knots will be presented in a Troop Court of Honor or other special ceremony, and/or may also be presented to the Scout in a meaningful ceremony in the Scout's home church.
The spring 2010 God & Church class will be held on Sunday mornings, from 8:15-9:15 a.m., in room 200 of the Lodge (the new CFBC Student building on the NW corner of the church's parking lot).
Class meeting will be held on the following dates:
Class participants should look over the lesson during the week before the lesson is taught that Sunday. For example, read over Lesson 1 in the workbook the week leading up to the Sunday that Lesson 1 will be taught. The entire group will discuss each week's lesson in class and answer the questions in the workbook at that time. Be sure to do your best to stay caught up with the daily Bible readings (listed below).
30 Days with Jesus
Day Theme & Passage
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