Purpose

Battalion is a discipleship-centered program where Christian men build personal relationships with teen guys to introduce and foster their relationship with Christ, and disciple them to become effective Christian leaders. These 12-18 year-old young men share experiences in peer group leadership through weekly meetings, the achievement program, service projects and outings, helping them to become leaders by leading. 

Goal

To give young men the tools of leadership and a safe place to explore and develop those new skills.  To help young men grow in their faith by creating opportunities which stretch and test their commitment to Christ in a controlled environment.

Leadership Team

A Weekly Meeting Run Through...

The weekly meeting is Ninety minutes of action include sports, games, projects, contests, Bible Study, and skill development. It is the place a boy regularly joins with his friends and where he finds adults who want to establish a caring friendship with him.

This meeting is a carefully planned, rapidly moving action program. More important, it provides opportunities for men and boys to do things together, to discover each other as persons. That is the heart of a discipleship ministry.

Meeting Schedule

A typical Battalion schedule has the following sequence of activities:

The wise captain will keep an eye on the clock and push the meeting along according to schedule. This helps to preserve the interest and attention of the boys.

A handy formula to remember when planning these meetings is "Always the Same; Never the Same." This means follow the schedule as it is outlined above, but makes the parts of the meeting new and interesting each night. For example, inviting a man from the church to give a Council Ring talk, or to present his vocation or hobby will add a fresh feature to the meeting. Boys like the routine of an organized meeting but they don't like to get bored.

Here is a more detailed description of each part of the weekly meeting with suggestions to make them exciting and worthwhile.

Schedule Description

PRE-MEETING ACTIVITIES 6:45-7:00

Action begins as soon as the first boy arrives. Informal games, contests and tests of strength are most suitable for this period of time. One of the senior or teen leaders should be in charge and start the activities immediately.

The captain should be free to greet all boys individually, especially visitors. He should not lead the informal games, but rather make a final check of all details related to the meeting.

The time prior to the meeting is also an opportunity to review a boy's achievement progress. The senior leaders should be available to check what individual boys have accomplished during the week and record it in a Battalion record book.

BATTALION FORMATION 7:00-7:05

The Battalion meeting begins with a simple line-up formation. This provides an easy, efficient way to get the group organized and prepared for the next activity. Once a pattern has been established, keep using it. The routine will help you and the group concentrate on the actual business of the meeting.

Here is a recommended formation:

To start the meeting, the captain should call out, "Battalion, fall in." Both men and boys should take their designated position, standing in an at ease position (feet apart, toes on the line, hands folded behind their backs). The captain says, "Battalion, attention." All the boys should respond by standing at attention (feet together, hands at their sides).

The captain then opens the meeting in prayer (or he will ask an individual to pray). He then announces the highlights of the meeting and any important information about upcoming Battalion events. He should ask boys to introduce any visitors or guests they have brought.

The captain then promptly dismisses the group to the next activity.

SQUAD MEETINGS 7:05-7:30

This is prime time for the teen leaders in the Battalion. They will lead a brief meeting of their squad which should include a devotional, attendance check, review of achievement progress, and a special activity or discussion. The teen leader is responsible for planning and conducting his squad meeting. Senior leaders need to be available to help but should not interfere as these teenage boys learn to be leaders.

When he plans his squad meeting, the teen leader should select a few verses from the Bible to read. He may want to assign one of his squad members to keep record of who is present and also collect money for a missionary project or Battalion outing (these are called shares). Most of the squad meeting should be devoted to an achievement project to be done by the group. The captain may suggest a project (especially when the Battalion is doing an Activity Patch).

Each squad meets in a designated room or location in the meeting area. While the squads meet, the captain and senior leaders prepare for the next part of the meeting.

If the Battalion is not large enough to form two or more squads, have the group function as one squad led by one teen leader. If none of the boys in the group are mature enough to lead a squad meeting, have one of the senior leaders handle the responsibility until one of the boys has been groomed.

During the last five minutes of this period, the captain should re-assemble the Battalion in formation and ask each teen leader to report on the results of his squad meeting. This occasion will reinforce the importance of the squad meeting and the role of the teen leader.

BATTALION ACTION 7:30-7:50

Every Battalion meeting needs a special feature to capture the interest of boys and enable them to grow in some aspect of their lives. Battalion Action provides this.

The emphasis of this part of the meeting is on achievement by the whole group. The best way to do this is by means of a demonstration, when a senior or junior leader, or an invited guest, introduces the boys to a new subject or skill. A hands-on project (e.g., leather craft) or a presentation (e.g., chemistry experiment) is always better than a lecture. Every leader can teach boys a few things; every leader can also learn a few things in order to teach them to boys. But often leaders will have to look to other men out-side the group to provide knowledgeable instruction; for this reason, guests are frequently invited to Battalion Action periods.

CSB's achievement materials are a rich source of activity ideas and topics for Battalion Action. One of the most helpful resources are the Activity Patches. These are six-week outlines on popular subjects (e.g., Aviation, Computers, Survival) to be used in Battalion Action. Activity Patch outlines include the information to present and create projects for boys and men to do together. Emblems are awarded to all Battalion members who participate in these activities.

To help leaders prepare for Battalion Action, the Battalion Planning Calendar suggests a subject for each weekly meeting and a plan of action for both teen and senior leaders. This does not preclude leaders developing their own plans (which is to be encouraged); however, they should approach their planning systematically with certain goals in mind.

GAMES 7:50-8:10

The action-packed game period gives boys a time of physical action that will develop skills, alertness, friendship and sportsmanship. These lively activities enable men and boys to relax and be themselves. In the process they may re-veal more of their character and needs. In the heated com-petition of games, for example, the mask of courtesy is stripped away, perhaps to reveal a selfish attitude, a hot temper or dishonesty. Both boys and leaders can observe areas of need in each other. Games also help break down personal barriers, enabling boys to develop confidence in their leaders.

Teen leaders should be given opportunities to plan and lead the game period. The other leaders should participate regularly but also use this time to talk with individual boys.

Games and sports require careful planning and wise leadership. Some games test alertness; others test skill or strength. A balanced approach is needed to meet the variety of sizes, ages and interests within the Battalion. Starting games, which require the most physical activity, are played first. Middle games usually call for less physical action but more concentration. Closing games provide a climax to the game period and normally end in a circle, providing a smooth transition to the Council Ring.

COUNCIL RING 8:10-8:30

The presentation of the Gospel, and the challenge to Christian growth and service is both a privilege and a responsibility for every leader. The captain and the senior leaders share the Council Ring according to their ability and preparation; however, they should also seek to involve the teen leaders, giving them the opportunity to witness to their faith in Christ.

The Bible is the foundation of every Council Ring; its message is presented in the form of a story, talk, discussion or Bible exploration. The person who speaks should pre-pare his thoughts in advance and present it with enthusiasm. Guest speakers are most appropriate though they should appreciate the time limit of the Council Ring.

An invitation to follow Christ or review one's faith and obedience should be made from time to time. Leaders should follow up personally with boys who wish to make decisions.

The Council Ring closes by repeating together the Battalion Watchword.

The Battalion is then dismissed with prayer.

LEADERS' HUDDLE 8:35-8:45

A brief get-together after the meeting gives all leaders a chance to discuss the program, check future plans and have fellowship in prayer. Meaningful interaction between adult and teen leaders helps build teamwork and is profitable in the discipleship of young men.

Evaluation focuses primarily on the needs of people and how they are being met. Procedural matters are considered, but discussions are kept brief. Prayer asks God for strength to carry through commitments, which have been made in response to God's Word. Leaders also benefit from lifting each other up in prayer as personal needs are known and shared.

If supervision is needed for stragglers, this is done on a rotating basis to maintain the unity of the leadership team.