God and Family Program

Just like the God and Me program, boys in grades 4 & 5 are eligible to participate in the God and Family program even if they do not belong to a Boy Scout group (church youth and Sunday School members are eligible to participate in this program).  

Again, each participant must have his or her own copy of the student workbook.  A pastor's signature is required on the application/order form to order the religious medal (shown above).

Curriculum:

The God and Family curriculum challenges young people to expand their concept of family to include friends, church and community.

There are three sections in this curriculum (each section has a lesson centered around scripture passages and reinforced by a service project selected by the child):

1. My Family
2. My Family of Friends
3. My Church Family

The goal of the first section is to help the students understand how God can be a part of their family life by studying examples in the Bible of how families love and care for each other. For example, students will study how Moses was cared for by his mother and sister, how Jesus was cared for by his parents, and how the Prodigal Son was forgiven by his father.

In the second section entitled, "My Family of Friends," students will study how Jesus relied upon his friends for help and encouragement and how Jesus was a friend to people who had few friends. Students will also study the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and the story of the Samaritan woman. After reading scripture passages which talk about how we should treat others, students will discuss peer pressure and then be challenged to expand their circle of friendship to include new friends.

The third section, "My Church Family," is centered around the theme that we are brothers and sisters in God. Students will study scripture passages which talk about being a part of God's family and then study the worship of their church and be challenged to get involved in the ministry of their congregation.

After each of the sections, the students are required to complete a project. Some of the sample projects might include making a family tree, making pictures to tell about the important events in the life of a family in the Bible and telling that story to a Sunday School class, making friends at a retirement home, drawing a floor plan of the church and recording the different activities that take place in each room.

A typical schedule for completing the God and Family curriculum might include 8 different sessions: an introductory class, three classes to complete each section of the workbook, three classes to complete each of the projects, and a concluding session to review all the work and plan a recognition ceremony.

Adult Mentor Program

Parents have the option of enrolling in the God and Family Adult Mentor Program. In this program, the parent is an active learning participant alongside the child. The parent would have lessons and projects to complete in the Mentor Workbook just like the child, and then both parent and child would work on the student curriculum together. The mentor program is designed to provide the adult with additional opportunities to model his or her Christian faith and to help a young child talk about his or her belief in God.

Materials Available:

# 33597 - God and Family Student Workbook - required booklet for each child
# 33598 - God and Family Counselor Manual - resource guide for the pastor/counselor
# 3~~~~ - God and Family Adult Mentor - optional program for parents if they want to participate in the program alongside their children