An Introduction and Guide to Church-CSB Partnership

GETTING STARTED

WITH

Introduction

For more than 75 years Christian Service Brigade (CSB Ministries) has been building godly men of today and tomorrow.

This guide is intended to introduce you and your church to the ministry and programs of CSB, and to provide you with the steps to establish a powerful ministry of discipling the young men and boys in your church and community.

The CSB Ministries Staff serve throughout North America. Our goal is to assist each church in preparing men to have a fruitful and rewarding ministry of making disciples within the next generation. In this way each young man and boy will have a godly mentor. We pray that everyone will have the opportunity to discover an abundant life of serving Christ.

Table of Contents

Introduction ...... 2

Section 1: About CSB Ministries Who We Are ...... 5 Our Purpose ...... 5 Our Mission ...... 6 Our Vision ...... 7 Our Roots ...... 7 Our Statement of Faith ...... 8

Section 2: Why Choose CSB Ministries? The Value to Your Church ...... 10 A Discipleship Answer ...... 10 A Gender-Specific Ministry ...... 10 An Inter-Generational Connection ...... 11 A Men’s Ministry Extension ...... 12 How CSB Works ...... 12

Section 3: How to Start a CSB Ministry in Your Church The Process ...... 15 The steps necessary to establish an effective CSB ministry...... 15 STEP 1 – Church Approval ...... 15 STEP 2 – Establish Oversight Team ...... 17 STEP 3 – Oversight Groundwork ...... 18 Survey of Leadership Qualifications ...... 19 Standards for CSB Leadership ...... 20 STEP 4 – Oversight Team Action ...... 22 STEP 5 – Training Leaders ...... 24 STEP 6 – Continuing Oversight Team Actions ...... 26

Appendix ...... 28

Section 1: About CSB Ministries

Who We Are

Our Purpose: Strengthening Churches As a discipleship ministry, our goal is to provide tools for the local church in equipping men to disciple young men and boys. CSB serves the local church for the glory of God to “prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up…”

Our Mission: Building godly men of today and tomorrow

Jesus’ call to his people to “disciple the nations” is as big as the world and is not meant to be accomplished by one man but rather by each person faithfully and obediently exercising the gifts and abilities that He has given them.

CSB as an organization, and the men and women who have been called to be a part of this ministry, have been graciously called to endeavor to live out this mission of discipleship in a particular area. As a means of staying focused on our particular mission, the CSB Boards crafted a Mission Statement to help us stay focused.

For over 75 years Christian Service Brigade has been Building Godly men of today and tomorrow.

The “men of today” are the men now serving (or ready to serve) Christ by leading young men and boys. Part of our mission is to build up these men in Christ.

The “men of tomorrow” are the young men and boys of today. Our mission is to build up these young men and boys in Christ.

Our mission is to build up this and the next generation of godly men to serve, lead and disciple in family, church and community!

We accomplish our mission by:

• Training, equipping and encouraging men for ministry in general and ministry to young men and boys specifically.

• Empowering men to use their own gifts, talents and experience to teach the truth of God’s Word with insight and enthusiasm.

• Encouraging young men and boys to grow in Christ-likeness through relationships with godly men, through fun Bible-related activities that are exciting and relevant to them, through applying Scripture to daily life, through opportunities to serve Christ together, and through memorizing God’s Word.

• Providing materials that give men a practical, fun and dynamic way to disciple young men and boys for Christ so that they develop mentally, physically, spiritually and socially.

• Fostering the skill of fathering through mutual father/son experiences.

II Timothy 2:2, Proverbs 22:6, Luke 2:52, Titus 2:6-8

Our Vision: Godly men who serve, lead and disciple each generation

CSB is committed to: • Encouraging men in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Equipping men to disciple boys in understanding who they are as created uniquely by God.

• Engaging men to model for young men the character and values and roles of a godly man.

• The success of what we do in partnership with local churches is totally dependent on engaging, encouraging and equipping men who are passionate and committed to ministering in the lives of boys.

• Service, leadership and discipleship must be modeled by godly men in order for boys to understand and embrace these character qualities.

• Encouraging men in effective discipleship is a core purpose for our ministry. Many men are stepping away from the church and their responsibility of discipleship rather than striving for something they do not feel comfortable with. We have the experience and resources to help meet this challenge!

• Leaving a legacy is at the heart of who we are and what we do. Through building relationships, and modeling Christ-like values and character, men have opportunity to impact boys in today’s and tomorrow’s generations—for God’s glory!

Our Roots: A great way to begin understanding our ministry is to be introduced to the young man with the vision to start it. Though the ministry has matured and evolved over the years, the basic vision to disciple the next generation has never changed.

Joe Coughlin was born on May 23, 1919 in Hampton, Virginia. Before he was a year old, his father died. The fact that Joe never knew his father profoundly influenced him and helped prepare his heart for ministry. “I desperately wanted a dad,” Coughlin remembers. “But when I discovered John 1:12, I found that I did have a Father.”

In 1937 and still in college, Joe transformed a Sunday School class of restless sixth-grade boys in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, into an exciting, action-packed weekly club. It wasn’t an unusual idea, but Joe was a young man with a vivid imagination and a burning zeal to serve Christ. Coughlin dreamed on a grand scale: his Sunday School class of boys could become the nucleus of a force of Christian young men serving the cause of Christ. This program turned into a Christian youth ministry that mobilized young people for Christian service. The movement grew, building tens of thousands of young men and boys into mature men of Christ. Today, Joe’s dream has been fulfilled many times over in Christian Service Brigade.

Statement of Faith Because the goal of all that we do is aimed at discipleship, the things we believe are a vital part of understanding who we are. Being a disciple of Christ, after all, involves both believing and doing.

This statement of faith forms the foundation of the ministry done through CSB Ministries and serves as the guideline for CSB publications. All staff and board members subscribe to it. Churches using Brigade as part of their ministry are required to indicate their agreement with it, and confirm their leaders hold to these beliefs as well.

• We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired by God and inerrant in the original writing, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life.

• We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.

• We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners in thought, word and deed.

• We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who believe in him are justified on the ground of his shed blood.

• We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in his ascension into heaven, and in his present life there for us, as High Priest and Advocate.

• We believe in the personal and imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

• We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, and thereby become children of God.

• We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment of the lost.

Section 2: Why choose CSB Ministries?

Why Start a CSB ministry in your church?

Young men are searching for meaning and significance in their lives – they crave authentic community, especially from men who will forge a relationship with them, believe in them, and invest in them. Only in Christ can boys find meaning and satisfaction in everyday living. Through a relationship-based Christian ministry, such as CSB, they can see the Savior’s love and what a life dedicated to Him looks like, and many become fully-devoted disciples of Jesus Christ.

A Discipleship Answer: Men of today create the men of tomorrow

When a boy receives Christ, his new life has just begun. Now he needs the friendship of a Christian man for direction and timely counsel. He needs the Christian life demonstrated as well as the opportunity to grow in his faith. He must learn to study God’s Word, to pray and to tell others what Jesus has done for him. He must come to acknowledge Jesus as Lord in every part of his life: physical, mental, spiritual and social. (Luke 2:52)

The local church can help meet these needs by providing a Christ-centered, biblically-oriented training program designed for young men and boys. Here, boys can have high standards and good examples set before them, and they can develop vital Christian relationships. Their interests can be directed into worthwhile activities as they learn to serve Christ. By giving young men and boys a chance to interact with Godly men in the church as they mature, they see what it means to act as a Christian man by the example of the male leadership within CSB.

A Gender-Specific Ministry

Boys and girls are different – God made them that way. Boys think differently than girls; they learn differently, mature differently, and play differently. The church needs men because only men can model biblical masculinity. That means that if you are a man reading this document you have a really important role to play. It also means that ministry to young men and boys should be organized in a way that takes gender differences into real consideration. CSB is purposefully and unashamedly a single gender ministry because we take these God-designed differences seriously.

Some of the ways that our materials, events and discipleship approach apply this is in recognizing that:

1) Guys typically learn best in an activity based setting. Any teacher who has tried to train girls and boys in a traditional classroom setting will quickly realize that as a general rule, boys are often more fidgety and distractible than girls. Guys tend to thrive educationally when they are able to do hands-on projects that keep them active while they are learning. This model is present in everything that CSB provides to churches.

2) Girls are distracting to boys. This is especially the case as boys become young men and their interests change. The single gender approach can result in more effective

discipleship because it provides a place relatively free of the distraction that girls’ presence can introduce. CSB’s programs also provide a safe environment in which young men can learn, and practice leadership without the fear of being embarrassed in front of girls he’d rather be impressing.

3) Guys need to learn real-life, hands-on skills to prepare them for their role as men in the world. CSB purposefully empowers guys to assimilate biblical principles and knowledge in the context of learning practical skills through fun and challenging projects, action, adventure and even some risk-taking.

4) Boys today are the leaders of tomorrow. CSB recognizes this and seeks to create a purposeful context in which leadership can be practiced and matured. CSB has been helping churches train leaders for over 75 years. We are pleased that many CSB alumni are today’s leaders in ministries, business and service sectors.

5) Men are busy. CSB works hard to assist men in their task of discipleship. By providing materials, resources, ideas, events, and a network of other men – we come alongside your leaders to help them have the support and structure needed to operate a CSB unit. Our leadership guides include a suggested weekly schedule which helps men carve out time that might otherwise seem difficult to find.

6) Men need other men. CSB’s ministry is not primarily to the young men and boys. It is first and foremost to the men in local congregations. One of the most exciting aspects of running a CSB ministry is seeing the leaders realize that they are growing and maturing even more than the young men and boys whom they are serving. CSB units often become a “band of brothers” with strong relationships that last for decades.

An Inter-Generational Connection

The evidence speaks for itself: Christian men are not doing a good job in passing the baton on to the next generation on how to live as godly men. God doesn’t want us to sit back and hope someone else does our job; He asks us to get off the sidelines and be part of this essential cause. He wants us to engage, and in so doing to impact the lives of young men and boys for eternity. It is not just about Sentence teaching how to navigate life well using biblical principles, we are also to model the life God has called used ttw men (whether young or old) to live.

Men have been called by God to impact the next generation for Him. We are called to challenge their world views while sharing that which has forged our own; to help them discover Christ and grow up in Him; to envision them with what it means to be a man of character…a man after God’s own heart.

A Men’s Ministry Extension

As you consider whether or not partnering with CSB is right for your church, it is important to keep in mind that CSB is not primarily a children’s program – it comes alongside the men of today to help them disciple the men of tomorrow. CSB Ministries can help you engage your congregation in a ministry that will call your men, as well as the young men and boys they lead, toward growth in their Christian walk. Men involved in ministry with CSB grow as they lead, teach, and serve.

We must respond to God’s call to influence the young men and boys in our communities for Him. We are called to leave a godly legacy young men will follow. Do what it takes to connect your Men’s Ministry to your young men and boys through CSB.

How CSB Works

1) CSB is flexible. Because our goal is to assist the local church in its task of discipleship, we purposefully design our resources, materials, and events realizing that each church body has a different set of needs.

2) CSB recognizes that there are various contexts in which discipleship can take place and that each context carries with it specific benefits. CSB’s approach blends together opportunities to benefit from the strengths of:

• One-on-One Discipleship • Small Group Discipleship • Large Group Discipleship

3) CSB Ministries recognizes the distinct needs of boys and young men as they reach different stages of development. CSB has four distinct ministries that all work together to help men disciple boys and young men, creating a discipleship journey from ages 4 to 18 and beyond:

Tadpoles – Boys age 4 and 5

Tree Climbers – Boys age 6 and 7

Stockade – Boys age 8 to 11

Battalion – Young men age 12 to 18

PLEASE NOTE: The age ranges for CSB programs are flexible. Many churches tie their CSB programs to school grade levels, some by age group, and other churches allow boys to join a program earlier or remain in the program longer based on their individual needs.

4) We encourage a weekly ministry. A set day and time is helpful precisely because modern schedules are so full. By setting aside this consistent time it helps busy men to carve out this important time of discipleship.

5) The weekly meetings are held in the church (or another suitable location) and include physical action, games, achievement, service projects and a Bible-centered story or presentation by a leader or guest. Personal Bible study and memorization, together with other activities such as field trips, camping, hiking, and inter-church competitions, round out the program. With guys interacting individually with men in activities or working on special projects, there is plenty of opportunity for discipling and sharing life lessons.

6) The responsibility for organizing, directing and maintaining the boys' ministry ideally rests with a person or group appointed by the church to provide initial and ongoing oversight. The actual leadership of boys is the task of carefully chosen Christian men.

Section 3: How to start a CSB Ministry in your church

The Process

The steps necessary to establish an effective CSB ministry

1. Church Approval

2. Establish a CSB Oversight Team

3. Oversight Team Groundwork

4. Continuing CSB Oversight Team Action

5. Training Leaders

6. Continuing Oversight

STEP 1 – Church Approval Since CSB is designed to become an integral part of the church’s discipleship ministry, there must be solid church interest and understanding from the start. The future strength of the program often depends on the degree of church involvement at the beginning.

A number of important factors should influence the decision to establish a weekly activity program for boys in the local church:

 Prayer: As soon as a men’s ministry to boys is under consideration, it should become a topic for prayer. Through prayer, God's Will is revealed and the burden for reaching boys is intensified. Items for prayer include:

• The church's decision to help equip men to disciple boys and young men • The appointment of an Oversight Team • The selection and training of leaders

 Information. An understanding of what CSB Ministries is and what it is not is essential. The pastor and leadership team should be particularly well informed in order to give proper leadership to others. Church members should see it as a program of evangelism and discipleship – not simply as a recreational outlet or a weekday church school. “No Greater Call”—a brochure which presents the basics of the organization—is available for distribution within the church.

 Teamwork: CSB is a discipleship ministry that will touch most other ministries in a church. It ministers to young men and boys as it ministers to the older men who are leading. This means that all of the relevant pastoral and leadership staff should be aware of, and involved in, the process of reviewing the CSB Ministry. Some typically important areas of ministry to consider involving are:

• Pastoral staff and other necessary decision makers • Men’s ministry leaders • Children’s education staff • Youth ministry

If, after prayer and discussion, the church decides to establish a CSB Unit, official action is taken. This should be a representative decision so that church support is firmly established.

STEP 1 CHECKLIST: □ Are the pastor and other church ministries well informed regarding CSB’s purpose and programs?

□ Has the subject of a men’s ministry to young men and boys been a regular matter of prayer in the church?

□ Has there been a successful effort to acquaint the church with CSB Ministries?

□ Has there been a representative church decision to adopt the CSB program? RESOURCE LIST: □ No Greater Call (Introductory Brochure)

□ It’s a Bad Time to Be a Boy (Brochure describing the incredible need for an intergenerational men’s discipleship ministry)

□ It Takes A Man (Brochure aimed at challenging men to consider serving as leaders)

□ A Mother’s Mission (Brochure for moms considering their sons’ involvement in a CSB ministry)

□ For more resources please visit the CSB website at www.csbministries.org or www.csbministries.ca (Canada) or contact our home office or the Regional Director for your area

STEP 2 – Establish Oversight Team After church approval for a CSB ministry it is important to establish who will provide oversight to organize and direct the ministry. This oversight will vary from church to church but should consist of individuals who are passionate about ensuring that young men and boys are discipled. The selection of oversight members should be made carefully, since their service is as important as that of the group leaders.

Oversight members should be:

 leaders of men

 spiritually mature

 of sound judgment

 passionate toward youth ministry

Following their appointment, those providing oversight should set a date for their first meeting. Once responsibility has been given to the Oversight Team, the entire church should support these people in prayer.

STEP 2 CHECKLIST: □ Has CSB Oversight Team been appointed?

□ Has a date been set for the first meeting of the Oversight Team?

□ Have copies of this booklet, the Sample Kit and the “No Greater Call” brochure been circulated to oversight members prior to their first meeting?

STEP 3 – Oversight Groundwork A meeting of the CSB Oversight Team should be called as soon as possible, preferably within a week of the initial church action. Prior to the meeting, copies of this booklet, the Sample Kit and the “No Greater Call” brochure should be distributed to oversight members for their review. The following agenda is recommended for the first meeting:

 Organization of the Oversight Team. If there is more than one person providing oversight, which is preferable (Proverbs 11:14) then a Coordinator should be appointed to help facilitate the different tasks of oversight.

 Review of the programs. Before proceeding with the selection of leaders, a brief review of the CSB programs is necessary. Members of the Oversight Team should have had previous opportunity to read copies of this booklet, the “No Greater Call” brochure, and the Sample Kit. If this has not been done, it is worth scanning through them during the meeting.

 Selection of the leadership team. This is where you begin to determine what men will be actually leading the CSB program(s) in your church. This is a critical process – do not rush through it! Leadership choices should be carefully evaluated in the light of CSB’s recommended standards. These standards are given at the end of this step. All leaders should be Christian men.

Tree Climbers and Tadpoles are designed to be father-and-son oriented with one man taking the responsibilities of Coordinator.

Stockade requires a Chief Ranger, as well as a Ranger for every five to eight boys. An assistant ranger is needed for every post (small group of boys based on age or grade).

Battalion requires a basic leadership team that consists of a Captain and one or more Lieutenants—three or more men in total.

When considering men for leadership a good question to ask is “What men would we like the young men and boys to look like in the next 5-10 years?” Discipleship, after all, is about following in the footsteps of the Lord in order that we might learn to walk the way He walks and talk the way He talks. Perfection is not required, but maturity is.

Your regional director is available to help you think through the abilities and character traits of men who will be effective in this type of discipleship ministry.

 Communication of action. The conclusion of this step is the communication of official action to the church and to the CSB Head Office. This involves submitting the Working Agreement form, which is included in the Registration Packet, to the CSB Head Office along with payment for the program(s) you will be running this year. One copy of this form is kept for Oversight Team records and serves as a basis for communication with the church. A copy of Building Men should be purchased for each leader.

SURVEY OF LEADERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS The individual leader—the man who works directly with the young men and boys—is the driving force in winning and disciplining guys for Jesus Christ. His responsibility is significant, as he is both a guide and mentor for the young men and boys within his influence. He represents Christ, the Church and CSB Ministries to the boys, to their families, to the local church and to the community. For these reasons, it is essential that the right men be selected.

While there is no human measure that can adequately determine the quality of this man, the Holy Bible gives clear guidance. By applying the principles of Scripture, the following checkpoints are both a measure and goal for the Christian leader:

 A deep love for Christ and for boys. Because of a man's love for Christ, he can manifest a deep Christian love for young men and boys regardless of their background, personality, interests or spiritual condition.

 A firm foundation in the Bible. Because God's Word is the guide and principal resource for spiritual growth, each man must be personally capable of making the Scriptures attractive to young men and boys and applicable to their needs.

 A proven faithfulness in their responsibilities to family, church and employer. Respect for a man's leadership among boys grows as it is demonstrated in all areas of his life and activity.

 A clear recognition of the job to be done. A man must see the importance of his position as a leader of young men and boys, and understand the responsibility which rests upon him for their welfare.

 A sincere dedication of every talent to the Lord. Whatever abilities a man has that could be useful in his leadership of boys must first be surrendered to Christ.

 A consistent demonstration of Christ’s power in his daily life. The leader’s own life must provide a positive example for boys in order to have the maximum effect upon them for Christ. Each man should evaluate his personal conduct according to the Word of God.

STANDARDS FOR CSB LEADERSHIP It is the responsibility of the local church to see that the following specific requirements for leadership are upheld for each leader:

 He must be a born again Christian.  He must be 21 years of age or older to serve as Battalion Captain, Stockade Chief Ranger, Tree Climbers or Tadpoles Coordinator. All other leaders must be 18 or older.  He must subscribe to the CSB Statement of Faith  He must declare himself to the local church CSB Oversight Team in regard to the following: • His purpose for undertaking the leadership of young men and boys • His attitude toward his personal conduct as a leader • His willingness to prepare for leadership • His agreement to submit to a “Background Check”

In view of the great responsibility of leadership, CSB Ministries recommends that the local church require its CSB leaders to take a decisive stand on all lifestyle choices. Leaders are to be role models for those they lead in conduct, speech and life. Leaders are influencers; therefore they must be expected to navigate their lives according to Biblical principles driven by a Christian worldview. Leaders must not participate in lifestyle choices that are unbiblical. The highest standards will be upheld where CSB groups gather together on an inter-church basis for camping, sports and other activities.

These are tough requirements and may be challenging to talk about given the great need of the Church in finding men who are willing to get involved. But, it is far more important that Christian men are found who demonstrate that they have been “called” by God to serve in ministry.

Leadership Qualifications and Standards are reviewed during CSB training courses, but due diligence by the local church is imperative. Background checks cannot replace direct questions about living a life dedicated to Christ.

STEP 3 CHECKLIST: □ Have oversight roles been determined?

□ Has an agenda for the first oversight meeting been prepared?

□ Do oversight members have sufficient understanding of the program to proceed with the steps of organization?

□ Have CSB’s Leadership Qualifications and Standards been carefully reviewed by the oversight members?

□ Has the decision regarding which CSB programs are to be used been made?

□ Have prospective leaders been selected?

□ Has the Working Agreement Application Form been sent to the CSB Head Office?

□ Has a copy of Building Men been ordered for each leader?

□ Has a date been set for the next oversight meeting?

□ Are any additional efforts needed to adequately acquaint the church with CSB Ministries? RESOURCES: □ “The Marks of a Christian Leader” checklist

□ Working Agreement (to be signed and returned to CSB)

□ Building Men Book (materials for training leaders)

STEP 4 – Oversight Team Action While prospective adult leaders are preparing for their responsibilities, the CSB Oversight Team can turn to other important considerations, a priority of which is the registration of the Unit. Periodic meetings of the Oversight Team should be scheduled as necessary to handle its business. Prayer for leaders and for the boys should always be a primary concern for the Oversight Team.

The following matters typically warrant oversight attention at this time:

Review of actions A progress report on leadership training and other essentials should be communicated to all oversight members. If additional leaders are needed, this should be made a specific matter for prayer and consideration.

Determination of cost Determination of the annual costs to the boys and their families for: personal registration with the group; uniform; achievement manual; and shares. A budget should be established for the year, recognizing that costs of getting your program(s) started will be higher than subsequent years because of the need to purchase all necessary program supplies. Your local CSB Representative can provide a list of suggested materials and corresponding costs to assist you in this process.

Start-Up materials Consider Start-Up materials at this time. Although these costs are relatively small, consider asking the Men’s Ministry, certain people in the church, and the church itself to sponsor items needed to build a successful program. Leaders will also incur some costs for their uniforms. These should be discussed.

Registration paperwork If everything is pointing to a successful launch of the program, then it is time to apply for an official CSB Ministries Charter by completing the Working Agreement. The Oversight Team can obtain this by downloading it from the CSB Ministries website or requesting it to be sent by email. Once we receive your completed, signed Working Agreement, a Registration Packet will be sent to you which will include: a copy of your Working Agreement with your new Unit Number, a special Unit-only CSB Store Login ID, instructions on how to register your leaders for discounted CSB Store pricing and additional benefits, and an invoice for Program fees. In subsequent years a Renewal Registration Packet will be mailed mid- to late-summer. We will issue your annual CSB Ministries Charter upon receipt of your completed registration information and Program Fees.

Discussion of ties to other church ministries CSB’s discipleship ministry is not best utilized when it is in isolation from the ministries of the rest of the church. One of the most important ministries for CSB to be connected with and feel a sense of responsibility to is the men’s ministry in your church, as well as intentional cooperation with the youth and children’s ministries. There may also be CSB alumni in the area that may assist in getting the CSB program started. In general, this is a good time to be asking what kind of ties should be developed between the CSB ministry and other ministries and key leaders within the church.

Consideration of CSB support A section in the Appendix outlines the partnership which exists between the local church and the CSB organization. As a missionary organization, CSB Ministries looks to the local church for the support of its staff and Home Office. Thus the CSB Oversight Team should have an understanding of CSB’s financial policies and should seek the Lord's direction concerning church support of the organization. The CSB Oversight Team may not be able to act for the church in financial matters, but it should make a specific recommendation to the church Mission’s Committee or other responsible group concerning support.

A form is provided with registration materials on which the church’s decision regarding financial support can be indicated.

In addition to these matters, the Oversight Team may also assist the Battalion leaders in organizing the Noncom/Junior Leader training program. In any event, they will be looking ahead to the next step and planning for the start of the regular weekly meetings.

STEP 4 CHECKLIST: □ Has a date been set for the Basic Leadership Training (BLT) Course and the CSB Rep contacted to present this course?

□ Have any of the Leadership Training Materials been ordered from the CSB Warehouse?

□ Have the Battalion leaders and the CSB Oversight Team organized a training program for the Battalion Noncoms?

STEP 5 – Training Leaders Leadership of young men and boys offers the Christian man a productive place of service within the local church, and CSB seeks to help the church prepare him. Leadership training should be considered an ongoing process, but we recommend getting started with the following steps:

1. Initial orientation meeting

2. Basic Leadership Training Course (BLT)

Initial Orientation Meeting The initial orientation meeting is used to communicate what the church is hoping to accomplish with its CSB programs. The programs are reviewed, and comments and questions are addressed to ensure that the overall vision for the ministry has been communicated adequately. Leadership positions are highlighted and the men are consulted to determine who will take on what roles. This is a short, informal and fun meeting and is concluded with an announcement about when and where the “CSB Training” will take place. This date should be coordinated with upcoming CSB webinars or your local CSB Representative’s schedule.

Basic Leadership Training (BLT) course The BLT provides a general understanding of how CSB Ministries fits into the Great Commission. It highlights the need of boys in today’s society, and gives the Biblical basis to CSB’s Foundations and Purposes, as well as the Principles and Elements behind the success of CSB’s programs. It also looks at the nature of boys and the attributes of the Christian leader. Lastly, the BLT provides the outline and details for how to run each of the programs that CSB provides.

The primary resource for equipping the men who will be leading and discipling the young men and boys is a manual we call Building Men. Building Men is a manual for leaders with basic information about boys, young men, leadership skills and the CSB programs. Each man will need a copy of Building Men.

This course should be approached seriously as it will serve as a standard for awarding each leader the Basic Leadership Training Certificate. The BLT course is required to be completed within one year of becoming a CSB leader. This will be easy to do when you are first getting started, but you will need to be diligent to ensure new leaders are trained as they are added over the life of the ministry. Your ministry will only be as effective as the men who are involved. Be sure to spend the adequate time needed to equip each leader. This is work that is well worth the effort and will last an eternity!

CSB Oversight Team members, as well as the prospective leaders, are urged to complete this course. Besides being an encouragement to the leaders, Oversight Team members will gain a better working knowledge of the CSB programs.

STEP 5 CHECKLIST: □ Have the relevant orientation materials been distributed to prospective leaders?

□ Has a date been set for the Basic Leadership Training (BLT) Course and the CSB Rep contacted to present this course?

□ Have any of the Leadership Training Materials been ordered from the CSB Warehouse?

□ Has the CSB Oversight Team, as well as program leaders, been encouraged to complete the training?

□ If the new CSB program includes Battalion, has a training program for the Battalion Noncoms been scheduled?

RESOURCE LIST: □ A Copy of Building Men for each leader

□ Basic Leadership Training Certificate

□ Leaders’ Training Information Form

STEP 6 – Continuing Oversight Team Actions With the training well underway and primarily in the hands of the Leaders, the Oversight Team should turn its attention to:

Program preparations Details of weekly meetings are the responsibility of the program leaders, but the overall direction of the ministry to boys is established by the CSB Oversight Team. While the Key Leaders (Captain, Chief Ranger, and Coordinators) are not necessarily members of the Oversight Team, they should be invited to oversight meetings when program matters are discussed.

The CSB Oversight Team, together with the Key Leaders, should now focus on:

 A General plan of action for the first quarter: With the help of CSB Ministries’ staff, the CSB Oversight Team and the Program’s Key Leaders, determine the plans for the first three months of meetings.

 Time, place and date of the first meeting: Arrangements for the Launch Date will be influenced by other church activities and by the pace of organizing the church’s CSB effort. Sufficient time must be allowed for planning, publicity, training and obtaining of initial resource supplies.

 Announcement to young men, boys, families, church and community: About four to eight weeks before the first scheduled meeting, announcements should begin. Promotional posters and fliers are available from the CSB online store. If the Junior Leaders (teenage leaders, also known as Noncoms in the Battalion program) are genuinely enthusiastic, they will do much to spark interest in the new ministry. The church should also be kept informed.

Leadership Training The progress of the adult and junior leader training should be reported to the Oversight Team.

Ministry Linking Further discussion should be given to coordinating with the other relevant church ministries and a definite plan of action approved.

Financial Support The status of the recommendation for financial support of the CSB organization should be reviewed by the Oversight Team and further action taken, as needed. (See the section on financial support in Appendix).

STEP 6 CHECKLIST: □ Has the CSB Oversight Team taken action to link the local Men’s Ministry and CSB Alumni (if applicable) to the boys’ ministry?

□ Have plans been worked out to help all leaders and CSB Oversight Team members access the resources of the CSB websites?

□ Has a date been set for a CSB Oversight Team planning meeting with the program’s Key Leaders?

□ Has a Launch Date been set for the first program meeting(s)?

□ Have steps been taken to announce the new programs to the young men, boys and families of the church and community?

□ Has each program’s Leadership Team arranged for their first monthly planning session(s) with all their Leaders?

□ Have the Launch materials and supplies been ordered?

Appendix

CSB AND THE LOCAL CHURCH – Financial Partnership As a missionary organization, CSB Ministries depends on the prayer support and financial contributions of the people and churches who share its vision. Only through such support can this ministry continue to reach out to young men and boys. Thus, having a part in maintaining and advancing the CSB ministry is an opportunity, not an obligation. A church’s financial support should not be considered as a payment for services, and CSB’s partnership with a local church is not conditioned upon its financial support of the ministry.

It is, however, important to remember that CSB is essentially a local domestic missions organization. As such we ask that you seriously consider partnering financially with the ministry both to the overall ministry and your local Regional Director to help support him equip churches to build the men of today and tomorrow throughout your region.

The following statement of CSB Ministries’ financial policies provides a basis for church stewardship and support:

Sources of Income Contributions from churches and individuals provide the majority of CSB Ministries’ operating income. These funds come largely through individual financial support, as well as through church Missions budgets and CSB Units. The balance of CSB income is derived from the sale of supplies and resources.

Financial Integrity CSB is committed to the highest standards of financial integrity and is a member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC) in Canada and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) in the US.

How Gifts Are Applied Gifts to CSB Ministries meet two basic needs: 1) the support of individual staff members; and 2) overall operating expenses. Staff candidates are required by the CSB Board of Directors to raise their own support. Full support includes salary, office and field expenses. Costs of secretarial services are a part of the Home Office expense.

Disbursement of Funds An annual budget is established by the CSB Board of Directors. A summary statement of the CSB budget is available upon request.

Glossary of Terms:

Achievement – Program of graduated learning activities designed to develop a young man or boy physically, mentally, socially and spiritually

Battalion – CSB Ministries’ program for young men ages 12-18

Brigade – Short way of saying Christian Service Brigade

Brigade men – Men who are associated with CSB as alumni, helpers or leaders

Christian Service Brigade – Formally: anything associated with the Battalion or Stockade programs; Informally: all of CSB Ministries

CSB – A contraction of Christian Service Brigade; or a contraction of CSB Ministries

CSB Coordinator – Chairperson of local church’s CSB Oversight Team

CSB Ministries – The umbrella organization representing Christian Service Brigade; Tree Climbers/Tadpoles and TREKS

Key Leader – Senior-most member of the leadership team in a specific CSB program (Captain, Chief Ranger, Tree Climbers or Tadpoles Coordinator)

Noncom – Junior (teenaged) leader in the Battalion program

Program – The systematic approach to building boys into men through a Christ-centered experience, in particular the age-specific ministries offered by CSB for boys and young men: Tadpoles, Tree Climbers, Stockade, Battalion

Shares – Weekly voluntary monetary support by the young men and boys of the program

Stockade – CSB Ministries’ program for boys ages 8-11

Tadpoles – CSB Ministries’ program for boys (or girls) ages 4-5 and their dads

Tree Climbers – CSB Ministries’ program for boys ages 6-7 and their dads

Unit – Official designation of all aspects of CSB in a registered church