Faith

Photo Credit: Ian Tran, Diocese of Orange

Girl Scouts and Faith

Celebrating Spirituality and Faith

Everything in Girl Scouting is based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law, which include many principles and values that are common across religions. Because we understand that religious instruction is at the center of many families and communities, we invite Girl Scouts to take spiritual journeys via their faith’s religious recognitions. Girl Scouts is welcoming and inclusive to members of all faiths.

GSOC provides resources for girls and adults to plan, promote, and host faith events. Girl Scouts are encouraged to earn My Promise, My Faith Awards, plan events to connect with faith communities, and celebrate faith on Girl Scout Sunday, Jummah and/or Shabbat during Girl Scout Week and throughout the year!

OC Girl Scouts, parents and/or troop leaders submit the Girl Scout Faith Awards Report Form to help GSOC recognize girls who have earned Girl Scouts' national My Promise, My Faith Awards and religious recognitions for specific faiths. Submit one form per girl.
Plan a Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith Event and get council resources and support for your event when you submit the Girl Scout Faith Event Notification Form to share your plans to celebrate using the Faith Program Toolkit during Girl Scout Week annually in March or any other time of year.
All girls in grades 6-12 and adults are invited to volunteer for Girl Scouts and Faith. Submit the Girl Scouts and Faith Interest Form to volunteer for Girl Scouts and Faith to help Girl Scouts connect Girl Scouts and faith and earn faith awards for Girl Scouts in grades K-12. There are opportunities to help with your troop, service unit, and council events. Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors earn community service hours.

My Promise, My Faith Religious Awards

Girls of all grade levels can earn the My Promise, My Faith Awards, which complement religious recognitions and allow girls to further strengthen the connection between their faith and Girl Scouts. Once each year, a girl can earn the My Promise, My Faith Award pin by carefully examining the Girl Scout Law and tying it directly to tenets of her faith. Requirements for this pin are included in The Girl's Guide to Girl Scouting for all levels.

My Promise, My Faith Awards & FAQ Flyer (English)
Mi promesa, mi fe (Español)
Lời Hứa Của Tôi, Đức Tin Của Tôi (Tiếng Việt)

Religious Recognitions

Created by national religious organizations to encourage the spiritual growth of youth members, religious recognition programs reinforce many of the values integral to Girl Scouting and help girls grow stronger in and learn more about their chosen faith.

Each religious organization develops and administers its own program. The brochure "To Serve God" (PDF) lists the religious recognitions created by various faith groups. You can find this brochure, a video explaining religious recognition programs, and other resources for collaborating with faith communities at P.R.A.Y. Publishing.

Some religious organizations are not affiliated with P.R.A.Y. or may not have a national office. To learn about their religious recognitions, contact local leaders.

Adult Volunteers

Faith organizations regularly partner with Girl Scout councils to more closely link their religious recognitions with the national My Promise, My Faith pin. Adult volunteers advise girls along their personal faith journey and help them strengthen their own understanding of their faith.

To learn more about Girls Scouts and Faith, planning a faith event, starting a troop at your faith partner location or hosting troop meetings at a faith partner location, contact customercare@girlscoutsoc.org or explore these resources below. Learn more about Girl Scouts and Faith.

Activities to Share and Explore Faith:

Plan a Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith Event toggle arrow

The Faith Program Toolkit has resources for girls and adults to plan, promote, and host faith events. Girl Scouts are encouraged to earn My Promise, My Faith Awards, plan events to connect with faith communities, and celebrate faith on Girl Scout Sunday, Jummah and/or Shabbat during Girl Scout Week and throughout the year!

GSUSA Resources at girlscouts.org/faith include:

Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith Fliers: Add your event details to these customizable fliers and ask your faith partner to share in their newsletter or bulletin.
Girl Scout Sunday (PDF)
Girl Scout Jummah (PDF)
Girl Scout Sabbath (PDF)
Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith (PDF)
Order of Service Ideas: Encourage your girls to play an active role in your house of worship’s service! Work with your faith partner to select the best options for your event.
Sample Service Ideas (PDF)
Activities Tip Sheet: Try one of these activities before or after the worship service and during Girl Scout Week (check out the tips below for more!). As always, team up with your faith partner to find an option that works for everyone.
Pre-and Post-Service Ideas (PDF)
PowerPoint Inserts: Customize these sample PowerPoint slides and ask if your faith partner can include them in a worship service slide show to promote your event. (Spanish slides available).
PowerPoint Slides Inserts (PPTX)
Prayers: Share these sample Girl Scout-focused prayers and sample speech with your faith partner.
Sample Prayers (PDF)
Iron-On Embroidered Patches: Make your Girl Scouts Celebrate Faith event something your troop won’t forget—with a patch! Patches are available at your council store or the Girl Scout Shop and include: Girl Scout Sunday, Girl Scout Jummah, Girl Scout Sabbath, and Girl Scout Shabbat.

Explore the Girl Scout Law and Your Faith toggle arrow

Create a keepsake to showcase your principles and values.

Activity Details
Time needed: 30 minutes
Materials needed:

Craft materials (poster board, construction paper, other paper, index cards)
Writing/drawing/painting utensils (crayons, markers, colored pencils, paints)
Collage or scrapbook materials (personal photos, magazines, stickers)
Story, song, poem, or text from your faith tradition 
Optional: computer, tablet, or phone with internet access to research inspirational quotes or a story, song, poem, or text from your faith tradition

Setup: 

The Girl Scout Promise and Law communicate many of the principles and values that are common across religions. Each year, a Girl Scout can earn her My Promise, My Faith pin by exploring the Girl Scout Law and tying it directly to teachings from her faith.

Activity: 

Let’s begin by reading the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Think about the Girl Scout Law. Which principles and values stand out for you? What do you identify with and see reflected in your faith? Choose one line that resonates.

Next, share with another girl or a family member a story, poem, or song from your faith that goes with the line you selected. Discuss what they have in common.

Now that you’ve made a connection between your faith and the Girl Scout Law, use your imagination to create a keepsake to remind you of what you’ve learned. You might consider a poster, drawing, or painting; journal, scrapbook, or collage; or bookmarks with inspirational quotes by women and verses/words from religious materials.

Reflection:

Think about the following questions.

What has your faith taught you? What does the Girl Scout Law teach you?
What principles and values do you and your family practice?
How can you share what you’ve learned about the Girl Scout Law and your faith with other girls?
How can your friends and family help you stay true to the Girl Scout Law and your faith?

Diocesan Girl Scout Mass toggle arrow

Girl Scouts of the USA and Catholic Church Relationship
Girl Scouts of the USA is proud of its 100-year relationship with the Catholic Church and is pleased that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has on its website the following resources Questions and Answers About Girl Scouts of the USA and About Catholic Scouting; Background on Girl Scouts of the USA and USCCB Conversations.
Learn more

Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange
The Diocese of Orange is the 11th largest Diocese in the U.S. With 1.3 million Catholics, 57 parishes, five pastoral centers, and 36 schools, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange is one of the largest, most diverse faith communities in the United States. The Diocese empowers Catholics across Orange County to have an active life of faith that is integrated and woven into the fabric of their daily lives through the community and sacramental life of the Church. Under the leadership of Bishop Kevin W. Vann, the Diocese works to establish and support dynamic, vibrant parishes and schools welcoming all to live the Gospel with faith, joy, charity and unity. Christ Cathedral, the spiritual home of the Diocese, was dedicated on July 17, 2019. Visit Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange at www.rcbo.org.Register for a virtual Faith Information Session.

Catholic Connections: Religious Awards, Recognitions and Patches
Girls can earn Girl Scout national My Promise, My Faith awards by exploring the connections between the Girl Scout Law and teachings from their faith and Catholic religious recognitions and patches administered by the National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts and Campfire (NCCGSCF) and the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) by exploring and becoming more involved in their Catholic faith.

Recognition for Catholic Gold Award Girl Scouts
His Holiness the Pope will send a certificate of recognition extending prayerful good wishes to Catholic Gold Award Girl Scouts. To request recognition, OC Catholic Gold Award Girl Scouts submit the Catholic Gold Award Girl Scout Recognition Request during the year they earn the Gold Award. Deadline to submit: September 30th (annually) *Unfortunately, this cannot be done retroactively. Note: By submitting the form, the Girl Scout and her family give permission for GSOC to share her name, address, parish, project description and photos, and reference letter(s) with the Vatican Embassy.

Diocesan Girl Scout Mass
Girl Scouts of Orange County and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange invite Girl Scouts to celebrate Mass during Girl Scout Week in March. Girl Scouts of all ages and their families are invited to attend and receive a special blessing. Check out the GSOC website calendar.

RE Congress
The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (RE Congress) is an annual event, drawing over 40,000 Catholics from across the nation and around the globe. It is the largest annual gathering of Roman Catholics in the world. The RECongress is sponsored by the Office of Religious Education, a department of the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Learn more and register at https://recongress.org/.

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