Planning & Carrying out Inter-Faith Religious Services for Scouting Weekends

PLANNING & CARRYING OUT INTER-FAITH RELIGIOUS SERVICES FOR SCOUTING WEEKENDS

Coming together to worship God with our fellow Scouts and Scouters is an excellent opportunity to live the part of the Scout Law “A Scout is Reverent”, and the part of the Scout Oath that states “to do my Duty to God” (also found in the Cub Scout and Venturing oaths). As leaders it is our responsibility to help each Scout grow in his chosen religious teachings and not to dictate what beliefs or denominations should be followed. We encourage Scouts to develop in their own faith while guiding and encouraging them to do their duty to God.

At many of our Scout weekends (troop campout, OA fellowship or conclave, District activities, etc) the resources available and the numbers in attendance do not justify planning and carrying out multiple religious services. It would seem ideal in these circumstances if we could plan and conduct a single multi-faith religious service, and a single service would certainly ease the burden of the planners and the facilities. However, preparing such a service is a genuinely difficult process, one that requires a significant understanding of the Scouts and Scouters who will be in attendance (or expected to be in attendance), along with a significant understanding of their varied faith traditions. A multi-faith (or inter-faith or Scout’s own) service means that everyone is welcome, and everyone should feel comfortable with what is spoken, sung, read, or otherwise imparted during the service.

Truth in advertising is extremely important. If a service is advertised as inter-faith (by whatever term one uses), then it really needs to be so. To invite others to partake of the worship experience and then to ignore the fact that their religious expression is not the same as ours is to violate several parts of the Scout Law that we so dutifully insist we will obey. Just as you would (justifiably) be upset with a salesperson who sold you a machine that did not do what it advertised, so a non-Christian Scout who attends a multi-faith religious service that turns out to really be a Christian service is rightfully upset. Be sensitive – do what you advertise you will do!

PLEASE NOTE: the intent of this document is to deal only with small weekend Scouting events, NOT large council, regional, or national events, where a variety of appropriate, religion-specific services is most advisable.

Here are some basic guidelines for carrying out interfaith religious services:

• The name of the service should be clear – Interfaith Service, All-Faiths Service, or Scout’s Own Service. Be sure everyone understands that this means all are invited. The terms nondenominational and interdenominational are not the same as Interfaith – they are terms that denote Christian worship only.
• The word God is generally accepted by all major faith groups. Note that this term represents the creator or divine spirit, as it is used in the Scout Oath. It is not intended to be a limiting term – there are many names that individual religions use to represent God. If there is a reasonable likelihood that you will have Jews present, and you are using printed materials, it would be considerate to use the term G-d instead, as many Jews do not write the name of God.
• Other than God, specific names should be avoided (eg: Jesus, Buddha, Holy Spirit, etc) since they are religion specific. Likewise, male pronouns (eg: Father God, Heavenly Father, His, etc) should be avoided as they are offensive to some religions.
• Remember that for many who attend, an interfaith service may be very spiritually uplifting, but may not fulfill their individual religious obligations. It is often not possible to do that for everyone with a single service. Be sure people know that in advance.
• Pick a theme for the service that fits with the specific weekend or time of year. This helps focus the prayers, songs, and message in a meaningful way and ties the religious service into the weekend rather than having it stand alone and appear to be a separate piece. Possible themes include God’s Creation, Thanksgiving, The Great Outdoors/Forest/Ocean, Doing One’s Best, On the Trail of the Eagle, Native Americans, etc.
• Songs should be generic in nature, addressing God alone, not Jesus, Buddha, etc. (This is one of the toughest issues, as the list of usable songs is quite short).
• An interfaith service is NOT about picking one element from each religion and putting them all together (make everyone feel good because one of their elements was used). It IS about incorporating the common elements in such a fashion that the entire service flows together to support the spiritual needs of all those in attendance.
• The length of time required for a good religious service is quite variable. It depends on the time of day, the age of the participants, and other factors. However, don’t short-change this experience by wedging it into a 15-minute spot between a major activity and dinner, for instance. Make the religious service an important part of each Scouting weekend.
• When a message is delivered (avoid use of the words Sermon and Homily, as these are religion specific terms), be sure that the person presenting the message understands that this is an Interfaith experience. Choose a topic that relates to all in attendance, not a Biblical theme message, for instance. Avoid injecting one’s personal religious beliefs into the message – be sensitive to those in attendance.
• Avoid religious symbols (this may be hard if you are using a chapel), or be sure that all appropriate symbols are represented.
• Pick a location for the service that fits with the theme of the service, that is comfortable for the participants, and that will enhance the religious experience.
• Keep a working file of Scout services that you have attended. Make notes about what worked well and what didn’t. Use the good parts and avoid making the same errors over and over again.

Kerry Cheesman et al, 7/06