Royal Ranger's Code

When we were in Ohio pastoring First Covenant Church of Willoughby Hills, our church did not have a midweek kids program, so my kids began attending the AOG church's Royal Rangers & Missionnettes program. They loved it. It literally brought tears to my eyes that within the first month they were memorizing Scripture. I was thrilled. Royal Rangers & Missionettes is like Cub Scouts for Christian kids. They have uniforms and work toward badges, etc. The Episcopal Church is not exactly the place to have your kids discipled these days, partly because of theology but even more so, discipleship ministries for kids are paltry. They get about 45 minutes on Sunday morning and that's it. It's really an after thought. So within the past 2 months, Alyx found out a friend was taking her kids to the Royal Rangers program at New Life Church in Depauville . It's out in the middle of nowhere ... truly "in the sticks" as the saying goes. About 20 minutes from our house in Black River. Again, my kids LOVE IT! I stayed home last night with Benjamin, who was sick, while Alyx took Katelyn, Carter & Nicky with her. They came home and Carter just burst through the door like a hurricane ... beaming, bursting with exuberance, re-enacting and retelling his whole evening. He thinks he looks so handsome in his red Royal Rangers shirt with a yellow bolo. And then he started to tell me the Ranger Code. Apparently they have a little cadence with the way they repeat it together at church. He shouts it out to me like he was part of a military drill team, and he's got it almost memorized. Shoot — I've almost got it memorized as he told it to me or read it to me about 8x before I put him in bed. Thank God OBEDIENCE is part of the code. That came in handy to get him ready and into bed. He's saying this over and over. And he believes it. And he's excited about it. He's memorizing Scripture, being taught solid Christian values for his character, and he is eager to be godly! I hear him repeat The Code, see his tender heart and I just know he is going to grow up to be a man after God's own heart. I'm thrilled. Below is The Code & J.B. Beaver the mascot, who Carter calls "BJ Beaver" ... I know ... I'm working on it. THE ROYAL RANGER'S CODE A Royal Ranger is ... ALERT: He is mentally, physically and spiritually alert. CLEAN: He is clean in body, mind and speach. HONEST: He does not lie, cheat or steal. COURAGEOUS: He is brave in spite of danger, criticism or threats. LOYAL: He is faithful to his church, family, outpost and friends. COURTEOUS: He is polite, kind and thoughtful. OBEDIENT: He obeys his parents, leaders and those in authority. SPIRITUAL: He prays, reads the Bible and witnesses.. J.B. BEAVER Benjamin is in Sprouts and proudly wears his vest all over town. He has memorized his verse: "This is the house of the Lord God." Katelyn just rattled off her verse from Psalm 139:14. They love their programs too. Today I am thanking God for the Assemblies of God Church. What a religious mutt I am: Ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, serving in the Episcopal Church, whose children are being discipled by the Assemblies of God. Thank you Lord.