The Master Guide Program is at the highest level of Adventist Youth Ministries. You could well say that it is the PhD of Youth Ministries within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its curriculum is designed for youth and adults (ages 16 and up) and emphasizes in-service training and active involvement. It teaches new skills and helps develop different methods for successful leadership in youth ministries, most specifically in the areas of Pathfinders and Adventurers.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR MASTER GUIDES (16 years old-lifetime)
• Identify all invested Master Guides in each church and conference of the Atlantic Union.
• Provide an opportunity for inactive Master Guides to be updated and reenlisted in ministry.
• Promote the deployment of active Master Guides to help plant Adventurer and Pathfinder clubs in churches where clubs are nonexistent.
• To study and find a way to align the Master Guide Curriculum across the conferences of the Atlantic Union (leaving some flexibility for conferences to address unique needs to their area).
• To emphasize the evangelism/mission component of this ministry. (Master Guides exist for more reasons than just patches, pins, and great-looking uniforms).
• Emphasize the existing continuing education programs for Master Guides and create new ones according to the needs of the conferences of the Atlantic Union.
• Creation of an Atlantic Union Conference Uniform Code.
• Establish an official Master Guide Flag (if there is one official General Conference Master Guide Flag, we will adopt it. If there is not an official Master Guide Flag, we will create one for the Atlantic Union.)
MASTER GUIDE REQUIREMENTS
1. Prerequisites
1. Adventurer Ministries
2. Pathfinder Ministries
3. Youth Emergency Service
4. Young Adult
2. Spiritual Development
3. Give a series of Bible studies covering each belief.
4. Conduct a seminar, teaching each belief.
- Reading The Pathfinder Story by John Hancock.
- Earning the Adventist Church Heritage Award.
- Reading a book about church heritage such as:
3. Skills Development
- Leadership skills
- Communication skills
- Creativity and resource development
- Child and youth evangelism
4. Child Development
5. Leadership Development
- Develop and conduct three worships.
- Participate with your local church children’s/youth group in a conference-sponsored event.
- Teach three Adventurer Awards or two AY Honors.
- Assist in planning and leading a field trip for a group of Adventurers, Pathfinders or Sabbath School field trip.
- Be an active Adventurer, Pathfinder, Yes Corps or AY Society staff member for at least one year and attend at least 75% of the staff meetings.
6. Fitness Life-style Development
Pathfinder Instructor’s Award
The Pathfinder Instructor Award Program is a continuing education class for those who have been invested as Master Guides, have completed the PLA continuing education course, and are actively working within the Pathfinder Club organization.
This program will teach the candidate how to organize curriculum materials needed to instruct Pathfinder staff. It will train the candidate to present seminars and workshops in an informative and interesting manner. The program will also ensure that there is a pool of qualified staff instructors available to the Pathfinder clubs of the conference.
Pathfinder Instructor’s Award Record Card
Pathfinder Instructor’s Award Teachers Resource Manual – purchase at Advent Source
Pathfinder Leadership Award
The Pathfinder Leadership Award Program (PLA) is a continuing education class for those who have been invested as Master Guides and are active within the Pathfinder Club organization.
The PLA Curriculum will help you discover leadership qualities that will allow you to become a more efficient and dynamic Pathfinder Leader. Some of these qualities are “how to” skills and aptitudes; others involve philosophies and attitudes. This curriculum will definitely equip you with skills, tools, and techniques to maximize your natural leadership talents.
Pathfinder Leadership Award Record Card
Pathfinder Staff Manual – purchase at Advent Source