Wednesday evening program for boys age 5 through 12th grade designed to ‘reach', 'teach' and ‘keep' boys for Christ. Boys work for badges, go camping, etc. Royal Rangers meet from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Their opening ceremony is at 7:00 pm in Fellowship Hall and then they disperse at 7:30 to their individual classrooms according to grades.
For more information, contact 732.349.1550 X201
Our goal is to ‘Reach,' ‘Teach,' and ‘Keep' boys for Christ.
Royal Rangers is a camping ministry where we teach boys how to make square knots, right? Well, to the casual observer, that might seem to be the only thing taking place on Wednesday nights in Fellowship Hall from 7:00-8:30 pm. Although we do teach camping and outdoor skills, there are greater things being taught and learned.
You see, our goal is to ‘Reach,' ‘Teach,' and ‘Keep' boys for Christ. Ultimately, that goal is not going to be accomplished by teaching the boys how to set up a tent or tie a sturdy knot. So how do we intend to reach our goal?
First, we teach the boys that no matter what level or merits we reach in Royal Rangers, it's all meaningless unless we have a real relationship with Jesus Christ. That is how we ‘REACH' the boys for Jesus. We ‘TEACH' the boys many scriptural truths, and they also need to memorize Scripture on a regular basis in order to earn merits. This is part of what is built into the curriculum taught to the boys.
One of the more important things the boys learn is how to work as a team. Royal Rangers call this the ‘Patrol System.' Each patrol consists of a Patrol Guide and an Assistant Patrol Guide. These are the leadership positions within each patrol.
There is also a Senior Patrol Guide, who all the patrols answer and report to. This system is specifically designed to teach the boys how to be part of a team. We feel that the boys learn lessons from the patrol that will teach them how to be good leaders and good team players. We teach the boys that they will be part of a team no matter where the Lord leads them as adults. We have been teaching them that someday they will be part of a church staff, or part of the military, or somewhere in the marketplace. But no matter where God leads them, they will know the importance of working as part of a team, whether as a leader or as one who helps to see that the leader's vision and goals are reached.
Naturally, we change the leaders within a patrol every 3-6 months so that the boys can all have the experience of leading a patrol. As my Senior Guide told me, it's not always fun being the one who everyone goes to for guidance and assistance!
We are also in pursuit of the highest level of achievement in Royal Rangers, the ‘Gold Medal of Achievement.' Reaching this level is proof that the boy has strived to do his best as a Royal Ranger. All the boys have the ability to reach this lofty goal, but it doesn't happen by accident. It takes real focus.
We help the boys to reach beyond what seems to be within their grasp. We do this by constantly encouraging them to ‘push' the limits of the gifts within them. There is so much more within them than they realize, and we try to help them see that by ‘pulling' those gifts and abilities out of them.
This ministry is helping to train up godly young men who are poised to be the leaders of their generation. We, as commanders, are blessed to see some of the immediate fruit in the boys of our outpost, but our greatest joy will be to see the lasting fruit in their lives. That is the most important part of our goal – to ‘KEEP' boys for Christ.
If you have a son in Kindergarten through high school and would like him to be part of Royal Rangers, please feel free to stop in Fellowship Hall on the second floor any Wednesday night and speak with one of the commanders about registering your son in this excellent ministry for boys and young men.
We have an Annual Sectional Pinewood Derby and a Pow Wow with the other Ranger groups in our section. In September, we attend our District (statewide) Pow Wow with all the Ranger outposts in the state of New Jersey.
Our boys are an outstanding group! It is a blessing to see them achieve so many goals in the form of Merits and Awards. I believe that in the next few years, we will see some Gold Medal of Achievement winners – the highest award in the Royal Ranger program.
We generally have about 40 boys on a Wednesday night. Therefore, we still have a great need for the men in the church to sow into this great work. If you would like to serve the Lord by serving our boys, please contact me on Wednesday nights in Fellowship Hall or call me at 732-279-1224.
