New Merits Needed?

I'm a baby-boomer. My generation inherited a fantastic country, "Under God", from the greatest generation. As we came of age, we squandered it's strength on narcissistic indulgence and gave in to a progressive decline in morals. Only a few things have slowed it down over the years, things like Ronald Reagan and the Moral Majority. Slowed down, but never stopped. Politics alone can't fix it. If you charted the performance of both parties, both lines would be going downhill, with one line only a couple of degrees less than the other.

One of the top goals of public schools is to turn all their students into accepting, tolerant and celebratory huggers of all (ungodly) lifestyles. And I'm not just talking about homosexuals. Teachers' unions protect their brethren who are convicted pedophiles, and elements of the American Psychiatric Association are trying to normalize their behavior. Christian kids are constantly indoctrinated at school and through media and 80+% of them walk away from their faith. Though I serve my Savior first, much of my volunteer work is an effort to undo the damage my generation has done.

When I look at RR merits, I see an emphasis on practical skill-building...and a few PC-type merits, as well. At a children's ministry conference 4 years ago, I listened as Doug Marsh explained the coming new Bible merits. Seemed like it was going in the right direction, but the roll-out has been slow. Are we in need of a Culture merit, or a Biblical Worldview merit? Kids need truth, and as quickly as we can give it them, in order to counteract the world's influence.

Being in Rangers in the old Johnnie Barnes program. We pointed our Rangers to Sunday School and Childrens Church where they taught Bible. While we focused on what Johnnie Barnes knew as well that would indeed draw folks.

Today Doug and so many like him are making Rangers a Sunday School program that meets on Sunday or Wed nights. Funny thing was in 1959 they knew they already had programs that meet this need. Sunday School and Church they knew they needed something beyond that. Something that would challenge those that don't see life as being inside a building. Hence Royal Rangers.

Today we are almost once again full circle. We need a program that isn't School or Childrens Church or Youth. We need a scouting type program that worked for 50 years with a focus on Jesus Christ and His Church but the program was not designed to be those things.
If we continue on in the RR - Sunday School program it we will decline even more. No matter how good a idea is if it doesn't work it's not a good idea.

Rangers needs to get back to being a Church Boyscout program with a focus on Jesus Christ. Everyone I know would love that program. What we have today... is far less than what we had 20 years ago.

Mark Jones

I hear you, Mark, but how many churches have an effective Sunday School program anymore? My current and last one didn't have anything beyond Children's Church going on while the adults were upstairs. People have gotten too busy on Sundays to spend an extra hour on biblical studies.

I've taught in Christian schools for a dozen years and volunteered in children's ministries for over 30 years. Seen too many church kids get involved with booze, drugs and pregnancies. Too many negative influences in their lives, and not enough training in how to stand on their own two feet against their peers and culture. Youth groups don't prepare students for the college professors that will rip them apart. Rangers might be the only thing out there that can truly make a difference for many boys.

I'm getting old and I'm getting tired. And then I think about the kids and I keep trying.

Well. In Springfield, Mo this isn't a issue. Between GPH, 3 Christian Colleges everyone hits church and sunday school.

While it's true many churches have quit on Sunday nights.

Many Churches have given up on Sunday Schools (mega church in area) just have two money making services to draw the crowds. (these folk if they are saved live like the world) cha ching. People pleasers. Give out water bottles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgYDE-mW7Nw

Back on point. If boys are not drawn to Sunday School why in the ROUND WORLD would we want to mirror Sunday School? (If you think about it..you will have to agree it's not the right thing to do)

So Rangers should not resemble Sunday School if we want it to grow. I saw more boys saved from the old Johnnie Barnes Program. We taught stuff that would draw the boys all the while pointing them to Jesus and his Church. It works much better than what we have today.

Sure use the books, guides and stuff..but only when your dead tired and can't think for your self. Case in point last night. I have worked 7 days straight. some 10 hour days. I didn't plan much for the meeting. The recourses are there I used a tad from them as filler. Yet it was not as dynamic of a meeting as those that are bookless.

Mark Jones

Good thoughts. I wouldn't want RR to be Sunday School 2.0, either. But, to rehash my original comments, I'm not seeing much church effectiveness in preparing boys for living in a carnal world. 80%, Mark. We're losing a lot of kids to the dark side. Do some of them come back later? Probably. After they get themselves into trouble, hit rock bottom, and remember a few verses and spiritual mentors from the past.

Reach, Teach, Keep (so much better than today's "corporate" jingle). And maybe this is where Rangers can be the most effective in keeping boys saved as they mature. In all my years with RR, I've only been in one outpost that had older boys (Trail Rangers...3 GMAs). It had a tight group of leaders that put non-Wed night time into the program, keeping older boys interested, motivated and strong. Maybe this should be my mission...getting my commanders to commit to a higher level of service, getting boys to achieve higher levels of achievement and moral grounding over more years.

You know, it's a funny thing (from an adult's point of view), but it appears that the things that have the deepest "Moral" impact on the boys are the "Secular" subjects that I have taught.

We did the "Time Machine" lessons in the past, and now we're using the current "Trac" Bible materials. If you really did it in-depth, it would take 'most-all of our available class time. Instead, we hit-home the teaching points, and keep it to about 25% of our alloted time.

But again, it seems that it affects the boys most when we use the Practical Application of the Ranger Code and other Moral Christian Concepts when we do our Leadership and other skills & merits. That is where I get the most positive feedback from parents, and where I see the most development as the boys grow older.

Good points. Teaching them character often carries them past head knowledge.

Of good character is when they get it, live it. From my experience it only comes by going and doing. A little comes from 45 meetings a year. A bunch more comes from a few outings. Of course I am talking older groups here. Ranger kids are not mature enough to go out to far yet.
Yet the Discovery Rangers and older... take them outside and challenge them with things they never thought possible

Mark Jones

You know, Mark, when I was typing that post about the boys learning most from Practical Application you came to-mind.

Thats what I loved about the Royal Rangers in the '80s was going and doing. I enjoyed the devotions but we didn't run bible studies of any kind as a formal lesson. I think we learn best by doing. They say we retain only 10% of what we hear when lectured in a class. This is so true as I could lecture on and on in Royal Rangers or we could lecture our kids at home but they will tune out or forget 90% of it. We're blowing hot air 90% of the time. Another perfect example is discipline problems recur when we threaten a 1000 times but don't follow through on consequences. Action is better. They will remember a 15 min message given at a council fire or a 5 min devotion when its attached to an Action event. Point them to Christ and let him do His work in them!

I have no experience with the program before the Marriott years. So Rangers with Bible Study is all I know & I consider it an important part of our meetings

joecool wrote:I hear you, Mark, but how many churches have an effective Sunday School program anymore? My current and last one didn't have anything beyond Children's Church going on while the adults were upstairs.

Same in our church. Our previous Pastor told me "Rangers is our Sunday school".

Our Kids church deals with specific aspects like "Armor of God" "Fruits of the Spirit" etc. Rangers is the only kids program in our church that offers a book by book study of the Word.

Our kids know the Word because they learn it in Rangers.

Mark Jones wrote:While it's true many churches have quit on Sunday nights.  

Can you expand on that Mark? Being a fairly new believer I am not sure what the "traditional" Sunday night is.

Our church has a Worship,Prayer & Intercession meeting on Sunday nights.

In the past century churches had 2 full services on Sunday. Its great you keep Sunday night available for worship and prayer. But many churches limit the pastor to 20 mins of preaching on Sun morning with no SS and not PM gathering. Many reasons for this imho: sports, NFL football, more people work Sundays (I do), and more businesses are open which draw us away.

My old church and this one still offers a full service in the evening, SS, etc. Which is a big help for me working Sundays I can attend PM service.

In a situation where you don't have all the ministries of Helps you improvise. I personally don't have issue with keeping Bible Study to a minimum 10 mins or less. To me Royal Rangers was designed to be a draw for boys (or girls) to get them into the rest of the church. They were losing young men. If there is no SS or kids church then Royal Rangers must compensate. To make an analogy Royal Rangers alone is like a single parent who has to try and compensate for a missing parent.

RRCmdrBennett wrote:many churches limit the pastor to 20 mins of preaching on Sun morning

  our normal sermon is 45 minutes to 1 hour. sometimes more.

Ours is not timed either. Our pastor does try to keep it close to 12 noon because of the bus ministry getting kids home on time. Some churches do restrict their pastors and ministers.

Here in Springfield, Missouri. we have a mix.

1. Sunday School and Church
2. Church and Sunday School
3. Church and Childrens Church
4. Church and Rangers or small groups.
5. Church and Church (mega church two 45 min services with 15 minutes to roll them in and out)

Sunday night
Evening service small groups
Small Groups

There is such a variety.... I can't name them all.

It used to be only this: With few exceptions.
Sunday school 9 to 9:50 Church 10:15 to 11:30
Sunday night 6:00 pm to 7:30 to when ever.
Wed night 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Times would vary a bit but pretty close.

There is so much difference in todays AG churches one may never know what to expect.

Bottom line. Rangers was never intended from inception to be a sunday school or bible study program. We taught more by living it and doing things then most can amagine. The thing is it was unto God and HE gave the increase...only when man get's in and tries to figure it out and put a gimmick to it..does it fail.

Mark Jones

Moving to Montana was spiritual culture shock. No Sunday night services and all ministries cut way back during the summer months. The other AG church in town recently added a Sat night service. I can definitely see the need for something like that.

I'd like to see a Sunday morning schedule shuffle that allowed for a few classes, small group-style, between services. Maybe even Expedition Rangers, since teenaged boys end up in the youth group on Wed night.

Last June, our church's leadership team had it's first retreat in 6 years. We never quite got to discussing the future, spending all our time on past/present issues (valuable, too). Still waiting for the requested follow-up. The new Family Life Pastor had dinner with us last night. He has new ideas, not all of which I'm thrilled with, but we came to an understanding on the biggest one. He hasn't tipped his hand on RR's survival next year, though. Still working on him.

That point of so much variation was mentioned somewhere I think in Seek and Save.

I'm a bit of a rebel. When they passed the 2010 + 2012 revisions, I increased our outdoor focus as I didn't have to coordinate the old color Gold/Green or Red/Blues anymore.

Our Ranger attendance is approximately 20 from RK through ER. On Sunday about 1/4 of them show. I keep encouraging but I can only do so much.

I have never taught a bible lesson they way its recommended. I will focus on the scriptures taught, or select ones that are better in the same book of the bible. Of course, I'm also crazy and when I'm teaching skill lessons I'll through in bible teaching where it make sense too.

I do like the Bible Reading badges, and I present that as a challenge. but through that I've had 2 boys actually read the entire bible, and two more that will shortly. When the Children's Ministry Coordinator heard that as a COA, she was shocked, to say the least. Similar reaction when she heard about Christian Service required actually leading someone to Jesus.

Again, maybe I'm crazy but I try to coach the boys for the long hall. Not just GMA, or Wilderness rank, but life. I actually feel bad for our Youth group. It's in a massive state of decline. Our youth pastor made some major mistakes last year and "was no longer needed" and the youth flock largely left or graduated there after. It's down to like 5.

Meanwhile the young men keep coming to Rangers. I have the material for them to work. And it simply is not in my being to kick a Ranger out because of a day on the calendar. And doubly so when there isn't a good ministry for them to plug into. I admit to having a fair bit of emotion tied up in the boys. If that is a sin, then I will beg forgiveness

Strods, His Grace is Sufficient...

The old program had the Advanced Award Bible which required all of the NT and most of the OT and some more requirements. We do help boys (and girls) grow in four ways. Each of them has to be in balance. If its all book work (Marriott program) or Bible college (Ryan Beaty's program) it won't grow. Little academic but mostly hands-on skills to build a relationship, teach something practical, and interwine the truth of God's Word into our outdoor program. To some they want things they can "document" like bible merits for each book or so many lessons and so on. Learning through going and doing you can't present a bible merit for learning about God through exposure to His creation.

RRCmdrBennett wrote:

Learning through going and doing you can't present a bible merit for learning about God through exposure to His creation.

Excellent point!

Often, you can make a lasting impression, and the boy will not get a Merit, and you will not get a Commander's Ribbon.

I love the song, "Thank You for Giving to the Lord", telling of meeting persons in Heaven whose lives have been changed by you, & you didn't even realize it.

In Special Forces, sometimes I was assigned to act as the "Resistance Chief" of a village and to make contact & liaison with a Clandestine Unit coming into the area to overthrow the Government.

During those operations, I used to sing a song to the tune of "I'm just a Singer in a Rock & Roll Band".

It went, "I'm just a General in a Guerrilla Band".

Kind-of feel like that now in Rangers.

(Actually trying to train a bunch of Barefoot Little Natives into a Fighting Force and working with a bunch of 8 to 14 year-old boys has more in common than you may think.)