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P.R.A.Y. Newsletter - September 2020
Information on the Protestant Christian Program Series
P.R.A.Y. Announces New Pricing Structure for Books
PRICE INCREASE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2020

P.R.A.Y. has held the cost of the P.R.A.Y. booklets since March 2013, but the increased cost of printing has necessitated a price increase. Effective October 1, 2020, P.R.A.Y. booklets will be $5.00 each, but with two exceptions: the new God and Me Student Workbook will be $6.00, and the new God and Me Counselor Manual will be $8.00. These 2 books have a higher cost because of their expanded formats (see article further below).

Please note: There are no changes to the price of recognitions, i.e. the prices for medallions, pins, patches, and certificates will stay the same. P.R.A.Y. is pleased to have been able to hold these prices since July 2014.

Visit the P.R.A.Y. Webstore to check on current prices and shipping/handling fees.
Revised God and Me Books Coming October 1
The new revised God and Me booklets for grades 2-3 will be available in the P.R.A.Y. Webstore on October 1, 2020. Here are some guidelines to help with the transition:

  • The “old” God and Me booklets may still be used and will not be considered obsolete. Congregations and scouting groups can transition to the new curriculum on their own timeline as appropriate. However, it is expected that the transition to the new curriculum will be done as quickly as possible.

  • Scout shops will still have the old God and Me booklets on their shelves on September 14th. You will have to visit the PRAY Webstore to purchase the new booklets.

  • Old versus New Booklets - Booklets cannot be mixed and matched, i.e. the new Counselor Manual only works with the new Student Workbook (it will not work with the old one).
  • “Starburst” on Cover – The new booklets all feature a “starburst” on the front cover to make it easy to distinguish the new books from the old. Be careful to use the same new or old version of the Student, Counselor, and Mentor booklets.

  • Copyright Requirement – Students must have original workbooks even when participating in online classes. Workbooks must not be copied. Please note that this copyright requirement applies to both old and new booklets.
A Close-Up Look at the God and Me Revised Curriculum
P.R.A.Y. has already announced some of the “new and improved” features of the revised God and Me Curriculum (i.e. the Student Workbook will contain all of the GAMEBox handouts, the Counselor Manual will display pages from the Student Workbook in a side-by-side format, and the Adult Mentor Workbook will feature snapshots of the Student Workbook to closely connect the mentor curriculum to the student lessons).

But what about the actual curriculum? What changes were made? For those of you who want the short and sweet version, the revised God and Me curriculum is the “same great program” infused with new lessons and activities. The focus is still “Best Friends with Jesus” and children still make a GAMEBox. Although some of the Bible passages changed, the focus of each lesson stayed the same. Here is the outline itself (changes are marked with an asterisk*).

Introduction
Jesus Blesses the Children
Lesson 1: God Created Me
God Said That It Was Good
God Made Me *
Lesson 2: Jesus is God’s Gift to Me
Jesus Is Born
Jesus Was Born to Be Our Savior
Lesson 3: I Can Talk with God
Jesus Teaches Us to Pray *
God Talks to Samuel
Lesson 4: Because God Cares for Me, I Can Care for Others
Jesus Is the Good Shepherd
Jesus Is a Friend to All 

For those of you who want to know the specifics (what changed versus what stayed the same), click here for a close-up look with all the details.

The P.R.A.Y. Resource Library
COMING: NEW RESOURCES FOR GOD AND ME
As you would expect, the God and Me resources will be completely updated to correspond to the revised curriculum. New handouts, songs, 30 Day Challenge, and videos will be posted here on October 1st. 


New P.R.A.Y. FACEBOOK GROUP
P.R.A.Y. has launched a new "Program Resources and Support group" for Facebook users. This group is for new and seasoned Clergy, Counselors, Mentors, and Parents to support one another. This will be an opportunity for discussion, networking, idea-sharing, and even constructive feedback. We invite you to join our group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/286598426098165. Please answer the membership question to be admitted.
Conducting a Virtual P.R.A.Y. Program
Panel Discussion and Online Seminar
Join leaders and counselors from across the country on October 7th at 8pm EDT to learn how to conduct a P.R.A.Y. program virtually using Zoom or other platform with tools available from P.R.A.Y. This seminar is for church and Scouting leaders across Protestant and Non-Denominational/Independent Christian faiths. Thank you to UMCOS of North Georgia for hosting.

You will hear from counselors, leaders, and clergy, who will share their experiences, suggestions and resources for delivering programs in a virtual world.

For more information, including registration, view the flyer here.
STORIES TO INSPIRE
God and Me is the First Step to the Four Star Award
Here are inspiring stories about young people who have earned the Four Star Award. All their journeys began with the God and Me award ... Look where it has taken them!




Want to see your story featured? Click here.
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