How Can We Involve More Youth In Religious Emblems Study?

1. How Can We Involve More Youth In Religious Emblems Study?

2. Congratulations! YOU just became Camp Chaplain. Where do you begin?How will you lead young men to deepen their faith during a week of summer camp? You need a plan!

3. First Things First: Pray! • Pray. Ask God to send good counsel your way. • Pray. Ask God’s guidance as you create an action plan! • Pray. Begin from day #1 to pray for the young men who will come under your care. • Pray. Ask that God will prepare the hearts of the young men He is already planning to send your way. • Pray. For their leaders and the countless needs in their lives. • Pray. For the parents and family who will – perhaps unexpectedly – send their young men to camp – to the time and place God has already prepared for them! • Pray. For the camp staff you will encounter – that you will there find receptive men and women ready to come along side you and support you in the chaplain’s duties. You see the theme here. Pray... “pray without ceasing!”

4. Now about that plan… What do you hope to accomplish during camp? …To give campers the opportunity to deepen their faith – or perhaps discover the importance of faith. To model the importance of faith in everyday life. We’ll discuss the tools you will use in a moment. To what extent can you engage camp leadership? …This presentation assumes camp leadership is receptive to an active camp chaplaincy program. You need to assess and confirm that is the case before offering an active program of this sort. It is important to establish a partnership with camp staff and with religious leaders from units present in your camp. Enlist their aid first! What will your camp schedule look like? What opportunities will you have to connect? …One message? Several opportunities daily? Special events? What resources will you need?

5. Sunday Morning: Message to Staff BEFORE campers arrive. …Set the TONE of the week. …Set HIGH Expectations. …Cast a Vision of Success. …Issue a Challenge to High Ideals!

6. Gather Your Chaplain’s Aides. …Explain their role during the week. …Set HIGH Expectations. …Issue a Challenge to High Ideals! …Explain the Duty to God program and daily devotional booklets – how to use them, how they will fit into daily program.

7. Part I. Chaplain’s Aides’ Duty: Read the morning devotional to their troop BEFORE they come to opening flag ceremonies. In a perfect world, this happens at patrol level. Part II. Chaplain’s Challenge! (Remember to coordinate the materials you will present with camp director.) …When you’re “up,” take charge boldly and deliver a 2-3 minute message that builds on the printed devotional shared by Chaplain’s Aides in campsites. …Use your Chaplain’s Aides to pray when your presentation is done.

8. Part I. Chaplain’s Aides’ Duty: Read the morning devotional to their troop BEFORE they come to opening flag ceremonies. In a perfect world, this happens at patrol level. Part II. Chaplain’s Challenge. …Take charge boldly and deliver a 2-3 message that builds on the printed devotional shared by Chaplain’s Aides in campsites. …Chaplain’s Aides to pray when your presentation is done. Part III. Deliver the “Rest of the Story.” …Written devotionals read in campsites lay the foundation. …Your morning Chaplain’s Minute presents a challenge and asks questions to ponder. …In the evening, you answer questions and deliver story application.

9. Chapel Service: …Focus on YOUR camp’s needs. …Begin with prayer requests – LISTEN. …Consider a dynamic or emergent worship style to engage the boys. … Be SURE to make your point! …Send them away with a challenge!

10. Leaders’ Appreciation Meal – or Site Visits Leaders are tired and ready to pack. Encourage them! Remind them of the importance of CONTINUING to set a good example as camp ends. Explain how to follow through/how to obtain the Duty to God patches for those who completed requirements. Explain that earning the Duty to God patch is a natural first step toward earning the PRAY Religious Emblems Awards.

11. Time for Campers to Leave! Your job: Be Available. Sounds simple. If youth or leaders want to talk with you, be available. If there are follow-up conversations that need attention, handle them immediately.

12. So what did you do? …Gave an overview of how to earn the Duty to God patch to leaders and Chaplain’s Aides …They shared the same with their units. …You established daily opportunities to share written devotionals and spoken challenges. …You emphasized the importance of including Duty to God in daily activities. …Most importantly, you opened a potentially life changing dialog with staff, leaders, and youth.

13. Three Elements of Engagement with Youth and Adults: Element #1. The Written Devotional Element #2. The Spoken Challenge Element #3. Engaging Hands and Minds

14. Element #1: The Written DevotionalSome of my favorite resources…

15. Great Devotional Resources • Consider drawing from daily devotionals that connect with your Scouts. Some favorites: • The Book of Man, William Bennett. • Stories from Kipling’s Jungle Book or Just So Stories • Success Afield by Joey Hancock • Strength for Service to God and Country by Norman Nygaard. Edited by Arthur Sterling Ward, Chaplain U.S. Army. Originally published for our troops in WWII, recently republished for Scouts. • Scoutmaster Minute (available through the Scout center). • Bible Stories.

16. Element #2: The Spoken Challenge “Stories are the single most powerful weapon in a leader's arsenal.” -Howard Gardner, Harvard University So how do we as camp Chaplainsweave great stories? How do we teach that skill to our Chaplain’s Aides?

17. Element #2: The Spoken Challenge Great story weaving requires these things… Know your story… inside out! Deliver it with enthusiasm and varied voice inflection. Keep it short! Quick/varied pace. Use the kids as impromptu actors. Don’t lose sight of your goal/ primary message. Build your mental file of stories so you can tell a story on short notice. • Deliver values-based messages. • Give the youth and adults something to think about when the story ends! Think of that as the “Paul Harvey” rest-of-the-story ending.

18. Element #3. Engaging Hands and Minds What Mysteries do These Five Duty to God Knots Tell? A Scout is Reverent Complete This Booklet to Discover the Answers! A Guide to Earning Your Duty to God Patch at Old Ben Scout Reservation

19. Element #3. Engaging Hands and Minds Welcome Scouts! The Boy Scout Oath and Law call on everyScout to honor God. But how do you do that?This booklet does not examine differences among faiths or denominations, but rather will challenge you with ideas you should discuss with your own religious leader as you grow to more fully understand your personal faith. “So, what will you do with this book?” Read a page before breakfast. If you do, our opening ceremonies will make more sense! Pray, asking God to teach you something amazing each day! Read the book, participate in prayer in your Troop, and attend worship while you’re here – and you earn the Duty to God patch! Then you can buy the patch after camp ends. It is my prayer that through Scouting you will come to understand your place in God’s creation and in so doing, grow to become a man of honor and integrity – or as the Scriptures put it, that you will become “…a workman unashamed, worthy of his wages.” Feel free to stop in to chat! Woody Youngs, Camp Chaplain This Book Belongs To: Scout Name: _________________________________ Troop #______ Patrol Name: ___________________ Rank: _________ Leadership Position: __________ My Scoutmaster: _____________________________ My Other Leaders _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ The most important thing I hope to accomplish this year at Old Ben Scout Reservation is… _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

20. “…Hear the word of the Lord God…” Ezek. 36:4 (KJV) And now, your first knot of the week… Tie the creation knot…six overhand loops (six days of creation) and a working tag end left running through the middle. Each loop reminds us of God’s goodness… Loop #1: Creating Light - Day and Night (Gen. 1:3-5) Loop #2: Creating the Heavens (Gen 1:6-8) Loop #3: Dry Land, Grass, Herbs, Trees (Gen. 1:9-13) Loop #4: The Sun, Moon and Stars (Gen. 1:14-19) Loop #5: Winged & Water Creatures (Gen. 1:20-23) Loop #6: Beasts of the Earth and Man (Gen. 1:24-31) …As God looked upon each of these things, He said they were good. And Scripture tells us He rested on the seventh day. Together, the shape of the knot we tie today looks like a coiled snake. How does that fit, you ask??? For the rest of the story, read Genesis Chapters 1 & 2. Pause now to pray for God to show you your special place in this His magnificent creation.  Sunday – Who am I? Did you ever wonder who you are…or why you’re here? The wisest men who have ever lived turned to the Scriptures to answer that question. They still do. “Genesis” means “beginnings”– a great place to start! Read the first words: “In the beginning, God created…”Keep reading. You’ll discover what God created - the heavens and the earth – and all that is in it –and then He created man. God created man “in His own image.” Would God create something worthless…something of no value? Of course not! YOU were created in the “image of God” and YOU are of GREAT importance to God. As His creation, you have responsibilities – to honor (respect) and worship God…to learn His ways and to choose to follow Him. That reminds me of a portion of our Scout Oath: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God…” The Scriptures are your roadmap to understanding your duty – think of them as your instruction book! Now pause to observe the beauty around you. This is one small part of God’s creation! Pray that God will show you your duty and your place of service in this, His magnificent creation. God speaks to his creation with these words:

21. Monday - Mankind…People with a Problem Did you enjoy the rest of Genesis Chapters 1 & 2? In it you find that God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden – and that He created a helper for Adam – Eve, the first woman. The garden was remarkable, designed to meet every need of mankind. But even in that place of perfection, evil lurked. Now read Genesis Chapter 3. You’ll discover find that the serpent tempts Eve…and she eats fruit that God had forbidden mankind to eat. She gives it to Adam and he too chooses to disobey God. God gives each of us choices. As a Scout, you have learned the Scout Oath and the 12 points of the Scout Law. Good words. The question is, what will you do with them? Will you choose to live by these good words – or will you choose to ignore them when it is not convenient? Will you choose to honor God in the way you live – even when it is not popular with your friends? What will you choose? Remember, choices have consequences! You can choose to do those things you know are right, the things that honor God…or you can make choices that lead to trouble. In Genesis 3:24, you see the consequence of Adam and Eve’s choice to disobey God. They were driven out of the Garden of Eden – banished from this perfect place forever! That leads us to our knot for today. Think of the knot you use to tie your shoes - two loops like the wings of a butterfly. So why this knot? The Scriptures tell us that when God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden, He placed an Angel at the entrance as a guard to keep mankind out. That angel held a mighty flaming sword – one that the Scriptures say flashed every which way. Each day when you tie your boots, think of the arc of that angel’s sword turning in mighty loops. Let it be a reminder to you of the consequences we face when we make bad choices. Here are a few questions for discussion with your troop: • Scriptures tell us God is the creator of all things and we are a part of His creation. What does that suggest about how we should respond to God? • What does it suggest about how we should treat each other? …And strangers? • What temptations do you face that you need to resist? • Pause to pray for strength to resist temptation and to choose to honor God in all things.

22. we stand it up, it looks like a tower. It will remind us of the tower the people of Babel tried to build to heaven. What should we learn from these two knots? God asks that we obey His commands. Obey? That sounds like the 7th point of the Scout Law! But remember, we have choices…and choices always have consequences. When Noah’s family obeyed, they enjoyed safety in the ark while all around them perished. At the other extreme, the people of Babel ignored God’s command. They wanted what they wanted – not what God commanded. They chose poorly and generations to this very day have suffered! You can read the rest of these stories in Gen. 6 & 10. Pause now to pray for wisdom to make good choices in all things…in choosing friends, in study habits, in your interactions with parents and teachers – and in how you choose to honor God. One of my favorite Scriptures is found in Joshua 24:15 –“Choose this day who you will serve…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” I hope it will become one of your favorites too. Tuesday – A Mighty Ark & A Tumbling Tower! The Bible tells us several generations passed and the people began to do wicked things… so the Lord said “I will destroy man and all I have created, for I am sorry I made them.” BUT Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6:8). God instructed Noah to build a great ark – a boat with animals of all sorts – a lifeboat for God’s creation. And Noah was faithful. He obeyed God’s commands. Scholars say Noah was on that boat for over a year… 371 days to be precise. Let’s remember that with our next knot. I’ll add a bend to my rope with 3 turns…and 7 turns…and 1 more turn –“3-7-1”– and will tie it off a bit short, in a half circle to form the shape of a boat, or ark. After Noah’s family got off the ark, God told them to re-populate the earth – and to scatter so they would cover the entire earth. Some time passed… and they decided to stay in one place. In their arrogance, they tried to build a great tower that would reach all the way into the heavens. In their pride, they wanted power and glory! God had enough of their disobedience. He confused their language so one group could not understand the next and they were scattered in groups. Let’s tie another knot. Begin with a Lark’s Head, woven back to the base of the knot. When Ark Tower

23. God’s law – others rebelled. This book we call the Bible contains the record of spies, the conquest of kings, trickery and love stories. It includes laws God gave His people, history of nations, and instructions for young men like you who want to honor God. The coolest part… God gave you this book as a gift. The gift was not free. Men who loved God more than their own lives sacrificed much so you could hold this book in your hands today – so you can freely study it – so you can hear and read God’s instruction for your life. Gentlemen, I challenge you to read this amazing book from cover to cover so you can discover the remarkable plan God has for you and your generation. You’ll find the story of Abraham – the “father of many nations”– beginning in Gen. 11. Read Gen. 13:14-17. God asks Abraham to look in all directions – and he gives him the land. God promises Abraham that his children will be as numerous as the dust of the earth. Can you imagine all the dust in all of the earth? The history of nations tells us God was faithful to keep His promise! Pause now to pray that you will have the courage to trust God as He directs your path through life. Wednesday – A Promise in the Sand and Stars! Again, generations passed. A day came when God spoke to a very old man named Abram. He and his wife were far too old to have children, but God said, “Abram, look down at the sands of the seashore. You will have descendents more numerous than the grains of sand! Look to the sky…you will have more children than the stars in the sky.” When Abram told his wife, she laughed! But with God, anything is possible. Abram and Sarai did have a child! God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah…and they named their son “laughter.” In our language, we know that word to be “Isaac.” Today’s knot is a simple figure of 8 – to remind you how the lives of Abraham and Sarah intertwined – to begin a most remarkable story that stretches on for many generations… even influencing the world stage today! You see, Abraham and Sarah had Issac…and he married Rebekah. They had sons; Jacob and Esau. And from those come a story of deceit and trickery that led the world into wars and ongoing division. As you study each generation, the mystery and intrigue grow to become more and more amazing! Think about this… God set all of this in motion at the beginning of time. Some generations were obedient to

24. Thursday – Going Home… So What’s Next? First, thank you for spending a few minutes each day thinking about the things of God. The more you do this, the more you will discover God at work all around you! If you completed this brief devotional study you may wear the Duty to God patch shown on the cover of this booklet. You can order it through PRAY. Second, I encourage you to buy a PRAY workbook and complete it. Your religious leaders will be glad to help you earn the PRAY medal for your denomination. Third, think for a moment about how the Scout Oath and Law fit with what we learn in the Scriptures: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.” “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.” …You know these words and what they mean. The question is this, “Will you take them seriously?” Consider this: God is trustworthy in all things – what He promises, He can and will perform. When you recite the Scout Oath and Law, you promise many things and you do so “On Your Honor.” Honor is fragile. It is a thing to be guarded because it is far easier to lose than to regain. Scouts, in days past, you have been asked to pray that God would show you your place in His creation, for strength to resist temptation, for wisdom to make right choices, and for courage to trust God as he directs your steps through life. Now I’d like to add my prayer… “Heavenly Father, you have given each of these young men and each of their leaders amazing gifts and potential. Each has unique challenges and concerns too. Guard their hearts and guide their paths in days to come. I pray that you would draw each one closer to you that they may come to understand your will for their lives. Forgive us when we fail you and make poor choices. Help us Lord as we do our best to keep the Scout Oath and Law, and to become the honorable men of God you would have us to be. We ask all this in your precious name. Amen.” Old Ben Scout Reservation

25. What is God Teaching Me Today? Sunday: You’ve just arrived at camp. Think about God’s creation. What one aspect of God’s creation amazes you most? Is it the warm sunshine, cool breezes, the infinite number of stars? Perhaps frogs in a ditch or a snake on the road? What amazing bit of creation made you say “Wow!” today? ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Monday: What does it mean to you to “honor God?” What choices do you need to make to honor God in your daily life? ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Tuesday: Think for a moment about the wisest person you know. How did they come by that wisdom? What would you pay to learn life skills from the wisest man who ever lived? There’s great news! You can discover his teaching simply by opening the Scriptures! Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon, the wisest of our race to ever walk planet Earth – and he records the results of all his searching for meaning in life. In his wisdom he explains that in all his study he came to realize that the full duty of mankind is to love and honor God. That is true wisdom. What does this mean to you? ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Wednesday:“Courage” is a word that brings to mind a lot of big ideas. Think of two situations when you might need to show true courage. Make them realistic situations. As you thought about Wednesday’s devotion, how did “courage” apply to the story? ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

26. Thursday: Who is trustworthy? One who keeps his promises consistently; one who you can rely upon entirely; one who you know will do the right thing every time. So again, who would you say is truly trustworthy? Consider this – while none of us do a perfect job of living up to the ideas behind “trustworthy,” God does. So when you need help; when you need someone you can really count on… who should you call? Your religious leaders would be honored and delighted to discuss this with you if you have questions or if you would just like to learn more. Take a moment to write down your thoughts. Here’s the question: “How can I do a better job of living the Scout Oath and Law?” ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ My favorite thing about camp was…. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Things I did at camp (Merit Badges, Activities, etc.)… ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Remember: A Scout is Reverent

27. My best memory of camp was… ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Who from my Troop was at camp this year? Name Age Rank ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ What Mysteries do These Five Duty to God Knots Tell? Next Steps! Please tell the Camp Chaplain or one of your Scout Leaders that you have completed this daily devotional to earn the first Duty to God patch. Discuss what you learned during the week. Ask them to sign your book below. Leader’s Signature ____________________________ Scout Signature ______________________________ Date: ______________________________________ Complete This Booklet to Discover the Answers!

28. Thanks forall You Do for the Young Men in Your Care!Questions?Woody Youngs812-483-6680woody.youngs@yahoo.com