Providing skills and safe places for discipleship

• Scouting Ministries provides safe environments
• Scouting Ministries provide opportunities to learn life skills
• Scouting Ministries provides a social learning environment

Every Scouting Ministry partner program participant must pass a background check, receive training, and follow the rules for keeping youth, adults, and organizations safe. BSA, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire, and Big Brothers Big Sisters have each spent time and money developing best practice safety rules. They are specific to the program and activities. The General Commission on United Methodist Men chose these partners because of their excellence.

Each of our partner programs offers a unique path to gaining life skills. Girl Scouts Journeys explore what matters most to the girls. They are multi-session experiences in digging into interests and skills. These hands-on activities put girls far ahead of their peers in managing ordinary life and living extraordinary lives.

BSA uses merit badges to provide skills necessary for life. When an adult asks, “What would we do if the power goes out to get food?” You know they have not been a Scout. Troops, Packs, Crews, and Ships all learn the basics skills of life. These set them apart from the crowd. They can cook, speak publicly, and manage life in a group. It is one thing to share life in a group. It is another to share life in a tent or on a boat.

Big Brothers Big Sister provides for monitored mentor relationships. The “Big” brings life experience and listening to the relationship. In the church, we often do the same at confirmation. Matches change lives. But why have intentional mentoring only at confirmation?

While confident that youth can learn in school, sports, and church groups, these programs offer a leg up. Faith is a component of each. Life skills are exercised safely. These programs extend over the years.

The safety measures are continually updated. The programs changed for relevance. The cost is an investment shared across the program. We have few churches or conferences with the where-with-all to take on such a task.

Wesley offered, “The church changes the world not by making converts but by making disciples.” Jesus took three years to make adult disciples. It makes sense for us to provide as many possible opportunities for youth and adults to connect in discipleship. It takes time.