There are four basic steps to establishing a Royal Rangers outpost in your church and community.
Step 1-Establish the Leadership Roles Church Leadership
The pastor or bishop is the key to having a successful Royal Rangers ministry. If he is fully aware of the effectiveness of Royal Rangers as an evangelistic tool, he will support the ministry wholeheartedly. First, the pastor must learn about Royal Rangers. The best place to start is by attending Church Leadership Orientation, which is a concise and enjoyable conference offered by the national Royal Rangers ministry office. The Leaders Manual is the best resource to broaden one’s understanding of the ministry. If the pastor initiates the program in the church, this will ensure congregational and staff support for this vital ministry. He should discuss with the congregation the basic needs of the students and recommend that the program be adopted.
Church
The congregation should recognize that the Royal Rangers groups (Ranger Kids for 5-7 year-olds, Discovery Rangers for 8-10 year-olds, Adventure Rangers for 11-13 year-olds, and Expedition Rangers for 14-17 year-olds) are a part of the "total church ministry." Also, the congregation must understand that the leadership of the church should assume responsibility for the promotion, leadership and financing of the program. The church is also responsible to screen its leaders to ensure the safety of the children and youth involved.
Ministry Oversight
The pastor and church board must define where Royal Rangers fits within their church’s structure. Some include the Royal Rangers ministry as a part of their children’s or youth ministries. Churches with cell groups usually form the Royal Rangers leadership as a cell in either the men’s, children’s or youth’s network, or a combination of these. Still others establish it as a separate, independent ministry accountable directly to the pastor or other member of the pastoral staff or church board. The flexibility of the ministry allows the church to plug it in where it will best advance the pastor’s vision. Whomever Royal Rangers is accountable to, those individuals should become familiar with the vision, mission, values and methods of this ministry.
Outpost Council
The outpost council is appointed by the pastor and the church board, or by a ministry of the church charged with this responsibility. It is comprised of three to five persons who are interested in the ministry, capable of leadership and willing to invest time developing the program. This council is responsible for appointing leaders, for securing a meeting place, finances, and equipment; and for planning advancements. (Chapter 27 of the Leaders Manual explains the full duties of the outpost council.)
Outpost Leaders
Because the commander serves as an example, the outpost council should consider the following qualifications when seeking leaders to fill positions within Royal Rangers:
Is the candidate a born-again Christian, well grounded in the Word of God?
Is the candidate loyal to the church?
Are the candidate's habits and ideals above reproach?
Does the candidate have a heart for ministering to students and enjoy working with them?
Does the candidate have a consistent testimony in daily Christian living?
Is the candidate able to lead and delegate authority?
Does the candidate possess good judgment?
Is the candidate willing to accept and fulfill responsibility?
Does the candidate command the respect of others?
Does the candidate cooperate with the programs and ministries of the church?
Will the candidate take leadership training?
Is the candidate for commander 21 years of age or older? (Assistant commanders may be 18 or older.)
Group Commanders and Senior Commander
Each group within Royal Rangers needs a leader (called a group commander) and, when possible, one or more assistant commanders. It is very important to match the leaders to work with the group that best fits their temperament, talents, and likes.
The Ranger Kids group is for students 5 to 7 years old.
The Discovery Rangers group is for students 8-10 years old.
The Adventure Rangers group is for students 11-13 years old.
The Expedition Rangers group is for students 14-18 years old.
A survey ascertaining the number of interested students in each group will help in determining which groups may be needed and the number of leaders that must be recruited. While it may not be possible from the outset, the outpost council should seek to establish all four groups.
One leader is appointed to coordinate the overall work of the groups and the leaders. He is called the senior commander. To say this is the single most important outpost leadership choice is an understatement.
Step 2-Get Training
Training is the key to a successful Royal Rangers ministry. Leaders should endeavor to receive all the knowledge available to them about Royal Rangers. A novice leader should carefully read the Leaders Manual. The next step is enrollment in Ranger Fundamentals, usually a one-day seminar that will enable him to meet the challenges of leading students.
In addition, the national office offers the Leadership Training Course, Ranger Safety and the National Training Camp. These and many other training events are designed to further develop and empower leaders in the Royal Rangers ministry.
Securing the Royal Rangers curriculum is very important at this stage. Chapter 5 of the Leaders Manual describes the body of materials available. The professionally written curriculum is leader-friendly and will empower leaders to attract and keep students in Royal Rangers.
Step 3-Plan and Conduct the First Three Meetings
It is vital to plan carefully for these first meetings. They will set the tone for the parents and students. Make them fun and informative! Get the word out and draw a good kick-off crowd. People want to be part of what is successful-and what starts well tends to go well.
The First Meeting
The following suggested outline for the first meeting follows the regular meeting plan for the groups.
Before the Meeting: Arrive early to prepare the room and be ready to greet the students and their parents and guardians.
While the Students and Parents Arrive: The commander and assistant commanders should welcome the students and their parents or guardians. Keep them busy with games, puzzles or crafts before the meeting begins. At the starting time, play games for about five minutes.
Suggested Game
Materials: Letter-size sheets of paper
Play: Place a box or small garbage can (or make an X with masking tape)
on the floor at least 3 meters from the standing line. Instruct the
students and parents to make paper airplanes and fly them into the
container or marked area. See how many times they can hit the mark.
Opening Ceremony: Have leaders present the colors with the national flag in the center flanked by the Royal Rangers flag and the Christian flag. Lead in the pledges-national, Christian flag, and Royal Rangers pledge. Open in prayer. The pastor or senior commander should greet the audience and introduce each commander. If practical, ask the families to introduce themselves. Distribute any pertinent information related to the church. Explain the ideals and purposes of Royal Rangers using the information found in Chapter 1 of the Leaders Manual. Demonstrate how Royal Rangers will open doors to adventure, friendship and fun. Explain how commanders will work with them to make activities and programs a success. Distribute Royal Rangers related literature, such as brochures or catalogs. Let the students and parents look at the uniforms, awards and accessories. Discuss how the students can obtain their uniforms. Explain how they earn and receive recognition.
Speaker: It is advisable to invite a speaker who is very familiar with the program to motivate the students and parents.
Question-and-Answer Time: Give opportunity for people to ask questions.
Closing Ceremony: The pastor or guest speaker should end the meeting with some closing thoughts and prayer.
After the Meeting: Serve refreshments. Be available for further questions. After students and parents leave, have a quick review meeting with the Royal Rangers leaders. Thank them for a great kick-off. Remind them that in the second meeting the groups will participate in the opening ceremony together, and then separate to have their own individual meetings. Instruct the leaders to study the introduction to their respective group’s Leaders Guide CD, and the first lesson of the first quarter. Each commander should be ready for his separate group meeting next week. The third meeting will be held completely as a group from beginning to end.
Between Meetings: Before the second meeting, call all parents and thank them for attending the first meeting. Call those unable to attend and encourage them to send their children to the second meeting.
The Second Meeting: Begin your second meeting with an opening ceremony with all groups together. When the opening ceremony is complete, the senior commander will dismiss the students with their respective group commanders to their individual meeting rooms or areas.
The Third Meeting: The third meeting, and those that follow, will be led by commanders with the students in their group. They use the curriculum found on the group’s respective Leaders Guide CD that has complete lesson plans for each meeting (Chapter 5 of the Leaders Manual presents this information more fully). The senior commander coordinates and helps insure all is running smoothly.
Additional Meeting Suggestions: Your outpost should meet once a week for at least one-and-a-half hours. It is important that you and the students have an enjoyable time together. Every meeting should provide both fun and accomplishment. By using the Royal Rangers lesson guides, you will provide a well-rounded program in every meeting so the students will always be anxious to return. A meeting that has only fun with no accomplishment causes the students to soon lose interest. Begin and end each meeting on time. This is good training for the students in managing their own affairs. It also helps inspire confidence in the students' parents.
Royal Rangers Curriculum: Royal Rangers provides support resources to assist leaders in fulfilling the mission of the ministry. This Leaders Manual is one resource for operating a successful outpost. It gives an overview of the entire ministry, offering assistance to leaders that cannot be found in any other resource. Leaders Guide CDs provide the leader with detailed plans for all weekly meetings for Ranger Kids, Discovery Rangers, and Adventure Rangers. Instructions for using the Leaders Guides are in Chapter 5 and also in the introduction of each Leaders Guide CD.
The Discovery and Adventure Rangers Leaders Guide CD also contains merit reference materials for every merit and lesson plans for many. The lesson plans are designed for use during the Program Feature and Advancement times of the meeting. These materials allow the leader to select the merit lesson that best fits his group's needs and interests without the burden of doing hours of research in preparation. Free downloadable samples of these materials are available online: Click here for a free sample of the Ranger Kids materials.
After you have established your outpost, you can receive a great deal of assistance in implementing the program by chartering your outpost. In order to obtain chartering, you must meet the minimum requirements, including:
A qualified leader and, if possible, one or more assistants
At least five students who have met the recruit requirements (explained in Chapter 14 of the Leaders Manual)
A registration fee for each participating student and adult paid to the national Royal Rangers ministry office
Holding three regular meetings
Along with being officially recognized as a chartered Royal Rangers outpost, your ministry will receive many benefits such as:
A unique outpost number the students and leaders rally around and wear on their uniform
An official charter certificate to proudly display at the church
Membership cards for the leaders and students in your program
News reports from the national Royal Rangers ministry office
Award program enrollment, making your leaders and students eligible to participate in national incentive programs to keep them sharp and motivated
Selected materials that highlight the many areas of ministry available to Royal Rangers participants
Other benefits, such as participation in the Leadership Training Academy and Ranger of the Year program offered by the national Royal Rangers ministry office
Starting a Royal Rangers ministry is quite simple. But it does require time to walk through the four steps that will lay a solid foundation upon which the ministry can grow and thrive. Once you have established a healthy outpost in your church, you may prayerfully consider starting groups throughout the community-in schools, community centers, public plazas, orphanages, and in other strategic places to “reach, teach, and keep students for Christ.”
