Selecting the Faith Groups & Preparing for the Call

Targeting the Faith Community

Type your questions here and click SEND at anytime throughout the presentation. Your questions will be addressed during the Q&A session at the end.

Use these buttons to make adjustments

Become familiar with your Control Panel

Selecting the Faith Groups & Preparing for the Call

Targeting the Faith Community

Presenter: Mark Hazlewood, P.R.A.Y. CEO

Today’s topic is part of a larger series It must be understood in context of the FBI

Part of a Series

The Faith Based Initiative is a comprehensive plan to BUILD AND STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS between Girl Scout Councils and the faith community

It’s all about WHY councils should work with the faith community and HOW to approach them

The goal of the FBI is increased membership

Faith-Based Initiative

1. Why Collaborate?2. Cultivating the mindset for approaching the faith community3. Faith-Based Awards – what they are, how to use them as

membership tools

4. Selecting the faith groups5. Preparing for the call

Today’s webinar has a very narrow focus, but it is essential that it rests against the background of the bigger picture of the FBI.

FBI Outline

GS councils and congregations share common needs (and hence common goals): ◦ Members, Retention, trained leaders, program, finances

Collaborations will benefit the girl, the congregation, and the GS Council

Religious Recognitions can be used not just for spiritual growth, but as a tool for membership growth.

Background

New Recruiting model:◦ First recruit the congregation (i.e. place to meet, adult leaders)◦ Then recruit the girls

Goal: To involve the congregation with the Troop◦ Ask clergy for names of potential leaders◦ Explain that you will provide training, etc.◦ Give congregation sense of ownership and if they are gaining

members, they will want to continue supporting Girl Scouts

Background

The FBI is not a “quick fix” The key to the success of the FBI is long-term

relationships

Word of Caution

Selecting the Faith Group Use your Community Profile – know the congregations

that are out there

www.thearda.com The Association of Religion Data Archives

www.thearda.com – Excellent Faith Information by State, Metro Area, County, etc. For instance, to get full county faith information:◦ Click on the “U.S. Congregational Membership” tab at the top of the

page.◦ Then click on “Reports” in the drop-down window.◦ Under “Browse Reports” in red type, choose either “counties,” “metro

areas,” “states,” or “United States.” A report will appear with complete faith statistics for your chosen category.

The ARDA provides statistics on the number of congregations by denomination.

The next step would be to visit the denomination homepage to generate a list of congregations

The ARDA

Be strategic in selecting the religions/denominations to approach

Be strategic in selecting the congregations to approach Not all congregations will be a good fit for you

◦ Mega churches◦ Conservative churches

Selecting the Faith Group

Don’t just do a community profile Find the connections you may already have

◦ Survey your board and staff Find and recruit “cultural informants”

◦ To open doors◦ Speak the language

Selecting the Faith Group

Find the congregations that are already using Girl Scouting.

Remember: there’s a difference between a congregation that has Girl Scouts meeting in their basement, and a congregation that nurtures a Girl Scout ministry

You as a GS council need to know (and be able to articulate) the difference.

Peer-to-peer clergy recruitment

Selecting the Faith Group

Summary Take advantage of the online statistical resources This information can help you with planning and the

selection process Caution: these tools cannot replace the value of the

inside information that comes from “cultural informants”

Preparing for the Call Don’t sell the Girl Scouts

Sell SOLUTIONS to the problems that congregations face

Preparing for the Call

LISTEN! LISTEN! LISTEN!Listen for the needs of the congregation.

Preparing for the Call Do your homework. Research the

◦ Denomination◦ Congregation◦ Religious Recognitions program

Research the DenominationWhat do you call the place of worship? Clergy?

How is it structured? Top down or bottom up?

Is it liberal or conservative?

Questionnaire: Faith Group

Quick Facts Structure Governance Proper terms Characteristics Scouting

The UMC was the second largest charter organization of the BSA 370,000 youth11,400 units6,500 United Methodist Churches

United Methodist Church

The only body that can set official policy and speak for the denomination. Made up of approximately 500 lay people and 500 clergy.Meets once every four years to make decisions/revise the Book of Discipline.Bishops also preside at the General Conference (non-decision-makers).Special sessions may be called.

General Conference

5 Jurisdictions (for communication purposes primarily)

60 Annual Conferences

488 Districts

35,000 Churches

Structure

The five jurisdictions are like super regionsThere is a bishop (paid clergy) for each Annual ConferenceThere is a District Superintendent (paid clergy) for each District.Districts are comprised of local churches

Structure

To facilitate a board of directors called the Connectional Ministries (formerly administrative board), a volunteer chair, and committees that lead the church

Role of the Pastor

Pastor (or Reverend)CongregationSanctuaryEvangelism, outreach, “to Make Disciples”Christian Education & DiscipleshipYouth groups = United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF)Board of Directors = Connectional Ministries

Terms

Losing membershipOlder congregationsAverage age of men is 59Trying to appeal to a younger generation and to youthIssues of homosexuality (pastors cannot be practicing, self-avowed homosexuals); however, any and all persons are invited into the life of the church

Concerns

We’re a Connectional Church and structured to communicate very wellThe Church has named Four Areas of Focus which are the priorities for the next four years:1. Global Health - i.e. Eliminate Malaria in our lifetime in Africa2. Poverty – seeing to the needy, i.e. mentoring youth whose parents are incarcerated, Amachi Initiative with Big Brothers Big Sisters

Positives

3. Church Renewal – new church growth, renew existing congregations4. Leadership – developing principled Christian leaders

Positives

UMC – Scouting Ministries Larry W. Coppock Director, Scouting Ministries General Commission on United Methodist Men

http://www.gcumm.org/ministries/scouting/ “Scouting Ministry Specialists”

Researching the denomination gives you the bigger picture

Continue to do your homework by researching the CONGREGATION

Questionnaire: Congregation

Names of clergy, staff

Size Youth programs Scouting families Door opener Decision maker

Goal: To Involve the Congregation with the TroopBecome familiar with the religious recognitions program

Become familiar with the religious recognition for that particular faith

Each religion creates its own program Eligibility requirements will differ from religion to

religion Know the difference between Religious Recognitions

and the My Promise, My Faith pin “Foot in the door” versus “foot in your mouth” Become familiar with the religious recognitions

program before visiting a congregation

Do your homework

To Serve God Brochure

Religious Emblems Analysis

The To Serve God brochure is just a starting point.

Use the Analysis Sheet to become familiar with each program

Gather information, but then learn how to apply it

Sample

FBI context: become familiar with the congregation and utilize cultural informants in order to show how Girl Scouting can address the needs of the congregation

FBI context: become familiar with the religious recognitions (not just MPMF) to show the congregation its immediate connection to Girl Scouting

Preparing for the Call

Get a set of sample books Leave a set with the congregation Make a second appointment to retrieve your books

Preparing for the Call

The FBI takes time But don’t settle for just a meeting place Help the faith community to see the benefits in using

Girl Scouting Then your council will benefit from more delivery

places and more volunteers

Summary

markp@praypub.org

Learning Center: http://www.praypub.org/LearningCenter/webinars.htm

Resources: www.praypub.org/partner_gsusa.htm

Sign up to receive P.R.A.Y. Newsletter Updates: http://www.praypub.org/pubs_main.htm

Questions?

Thank you for your interest in partnering with the faith community.

www.praypub.org

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!