Investiture Achievement/Voyager/Making Friends

Standard Level

Requirement 1

Discuss the needs, plan and participate in an activity for physically challenged individuals.

Discussion:

People of all ages can become physically disabled. Generally they do not want pity, but to be treated with respect and dignity just like you want to be treated. Being physically challenged does not imply a person is stupid or hard of hearing (unless they actually are hard of hearing of course). To often unthinking people come up to a person in a wheel chair and talk loud and slow, or yell at a blind person. Treat everyone normally unless their physical condition warrants some specific accommodation.

Physical challenges come in many varieties, some more obvious than others:

• Restricted mobility

• Limited vision to completely blind

• Limited hearing to completely deaf

• Missing limbs or other body parts

• Brain damage

• Debilitating disease

Suggested Activities:

• Build wheelchair accessible nature trails

• Participate in a mission trip to a place serving the physically challenged

• Volunteer to read books into electronic format

• Learn sign language (even a song or two) and perform it for a deaf group

• Contact your deaf ministries coordinator at your conference for possible projects

• Find a blind person and connect them to resources at Christian Record Services

• Assist and elderly person with limited mobility to do yard work, shopping, or other activities

Activities that include interacting directly with one or more physically challenged people will be more interesting and educational than doing something to help a group "out there".

Requirement 2

Fulfill requirements #3, #5 and #6 of the Stewardship Honor.

3. Learn what is done with the tithe in your local church, your local conference, your union, and the General Conference.

This working policy, published by the General Conference describes how tithe may and may not be used by the local churches, local conferences, unions, divisions, and the General Conference itself. It would be good for you as the instructor to download and read it in its entirety, but a short summary is provided below.

Tithe is to be collected by the local churches, and all of it is to be forwarded to the local conference. Local churches are under no circumstances to retain any portion of the tithe. Local conferences in turn take a portion of the tithe for the uses listed below, and forward the remainder to the union. The union does the same, forwarding the remainder to the division, and the division forwards the remainder to the GC.

Acceptable Uses Support of Pastors, Evangelists, Ministers World Missions Soul-winning Support Personnel Conference/Mission Operating Expense Literature Evangelist Benefit Fund Subsidies for Specified Activities (such as youth evangelism camps) Evangelistic and Conference/Mission Office Equipment Bible/Religion Teaching and Support Personnel in Schools Retired Employees Unacceptable Uses Capital Expenditures for Buildings and Churches Equipment (other than for conference/mission use) Local Church Operating Expense School Operating Expense

5. Keep a chart on how you spend your time for one weekend and one week day. In this chart make a list of how much time you spend in the following areas: a. Work for pay b. Family time c. Personal devotions d. Public worship e. Family worship f. Fun things g. Reading h. Television i. Meals j. Sleep k. Personal needs l. Class time m. School study n. Travel o. Music lesson p. Music practice q. Home chores r. Shopping

For each of the three days be sure your time adds up to 24 hours. After completing the chart, discuss with your pastor or counselor your responsibility in the steward­ ship of your time. If you find yourself spending time on things that do not fall in the categories above (such as the Internet), make an additional category. The discussion aspect of this requirement can be met by having a group discussion with the honor instructor. Encourage all to participate.

6. Do one of the following:

a. If you have an income-producing job or an allowance, make a list of how you spend your money for one month. b. If you are not in the category above, make a list of how you would spend an income of $50 a month in the following categories: (1) Clothes (2) Entertainment (3) Eating out (4) Gifts (5) Personal items (toiletries) (6) School supplies (7) Tithe and offerings (8) Transportation

From your list determine what percentage of your total income is spent on each item. After completing the chart and percentages, discuss with your pastor or coun­selor the advantages of a budget and how to stay within a budget. The advantage of a budget is that it allows you to think objectively about your priorities and record them. It is difficult to be objective in the store when you're looking at the latest electronic "must have" gadget. Budgeting helps to control impulse buying, and if the budget is followed, it ensures that your spending is in line with your priorities. It also helps avoid the problem of running out of money before payday, because you know ahead of time how much to keep back for essential items (such as food and gas).

When making a budget, the essential expenses (including tithe!) are dealt with first. Be sure to include money for expenses that occur on a larger time scale than the budget period. Examples include income taxes and insurance payments. These are often due annually or semi-annually, but you should set aside money every month for them so that when they are due, you don't have to take money out of the budget elsewhere to cover them.

After the essentials are taken care of, discretionary spending can be added. It's also a good idea to budget for savings and investments.

After making out a new budget and trying to live with it for a month or two, it may become apparent that you forgot to budget for something. If this happens, adjust the budget (but do it in writing!) Do not adjust the budget on the fly (especially when you are in a store considering a purchase). The key to sticking to a budget is resisting purchases that are not on the budget. If you see something you've "got" to have, and it's not in the budget, stop! don't buy it! Save your money for it, and buy it only after you have the money in hand.

Many Christians find it easier to stick to a budget if they have made it a subject of daily prayer.

Frontier Voyager

Requirement 3

Complete Voyager requirements.

Requirement 4

Complete the Stewardship Honor, if not previously earned.

The requirements and answers can be found on the Stewardship Honor page.