Scouting Ministry Coordinator

An effective coordinator addresses the concerns and conditions of children and youth in the community and church through scouting and other youth-serving organizations. Young people will grow to understand themselves through a plan for nurture and service. Children and youth in all stages of faith can participate and be better equipped for daily living.

Spiritual Gifts and Qualifications Helpful for the Job

• The scouting ministry coordinator benefits from having one or more of these spiritual gifts: servanthood, teaching, exhortation (encouragement), giving, leadership, and administration.
• This leader should have a passion for helping boys and girls increase their knowledge, skills, and faith through scouting. Useful skills for this position are the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages, knowledge of scouting and other youth-serving programs, the ability to work with small-group leaders, and skills for developing programs and events.
• This leader should show genuine interest in responding to the hopes and concerns of people in the community.

Responsibilities of the Position

• This leader will learn about the hopes, concerns, and needs of children, youth and their caregivers in the community to determine how the congregation might serve them through youth-serving programs.
• This leader will coordinate the planning and implementation of a comprehensive scouting ministry program for the congregation and community that aligns with and extends the mission of the church.
• This leader will identify, equip, and support people to serve as teachers, counselors, and sponsors for youth-serving programs.
• This leader will represent the congregation at district scouting meetings and be a liaison with other scouting organizations, people, and resources that relate to youth concerns for service and growth.
• This leader will help the church minister to young people through a coordinated calendar of youth activities, camping opportunities, and enrichment experiences designed to help youth grow as disciples of Christ.
• This leader will ensure children and youth have opportunities to consider church-related vocations and ways in which their faith will be lived out in other vocations and careers.
• This leader will lead the congregation in celebrations of worship and fellowship to recognize Scout Sunday, scouting awards and honors, and other occasions in the lives of youth and adults.
• This person will participate in the youth council of the congregation and is accountable to the charge conference through the church council.

Getting Started

1. Talk with people in your congregation, your pastor, the youth council, and parents to understand their hopes and dreams for the congregation’s involvement with scouting and other youth-serving ministries as one of the means toward fulfilling the mission of the church.
2. Soon after you are elected, invite youth leaders to meet with you and other interested youth and adults to develop a coordinated plan to enrich and expand scouting ministries.
3. Learn about the present opportunities available to children and youth in your community. As scouting and other youth-serving programs are age specific, you may discover gaps in age-level opportunities where your congregation can lead the way in making a positive difference in the lives of children, youth, adults, and families.
4. Study Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation, 2017-2020: Scouting and Civic Youth-Serving Ministry and materials from youth-serving organizations.

People and Agencies That Can Help

• Your pastor, scout leaders, and parents in your congregation and other congregations, the camping coordinator, district and conference scouting coordinators. As you travel, visit other congregations and scouting events to observe roles and ministries of youth-serving organizations for girls and boys of all ages.
• InfoServ, the information service for the church, provides current information about United Methodist resources, programs, and staff services. Email: [email protected]; Website: infoserv.umc.org.
• General Commission on United Methodist Men, www.gcumm.org/scouting.

Web and Print Resources

• 40-Day Shepherd Challenge, free downloadable spiritual formation workbook based on the aims and methods of scouting, available from www.gcumm.org
• Amachi brochure, free downloadable brochure about the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, available from www.gcumm.org
• Big Brothers Big Sisters, www.bbbs.org
• The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2016 (Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2016)
• Boy Scouts of America, www.scouting.org.
• Camp Fire, http://campfire.org.
• General Commission on United Methodist Men, www.gcumm.org/scouting. Includes links to local Girl Scout and Boy Scout council offices; local affiliates of Big Brothers Big Sisters; local Camp Fire
• Girl Scouts of the USA, www.girlscouts.org
• Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation, 2017-2020: Scouting and Civic Youth-Serving Ministry (Cokesbury, 2016)
• Impact the Lives of Children and Youth in Your Community, free download from www.gcumm.org
• Interpreter, www.interpretermagazine.org
• A Scout is Reverent, free downloadable brochure from www.gcumm.org