Updated Friday, May 30, 2008

Royal Ambassadors: century of teaching and service

Baptist Press

ALPHARETTA, Ga. - Royal Ambassadors (RAs), the biblically based, hands-on missions program for boys, is 100 years old.

Founded in 1908, it now encompasses RA chapters in 8,000 churches and 14 countries and is growing.

"We're seeing a bit of a resurgence - lots of folks coming back to this heritage," said Rob Carr, national RA coordinator at the North American Mission Board.

An estimated 2.5 million boys have voiced the Royal Ambassador pledge: "As a Royal Ambassador, I will do my best to become a well-informed, responsible follower of Christ, to have a Christ-like concern for all people, to learn how to carry the message of Christ around the world, to work with others in sharing Christ, and to keep myself clean and healthy in mind and body."

In mentoring boys for the cause of Christ, Royal Ambassadors teaches missions and evangelism and such virtues as loyalty, courage, responsibility, compassion and teamwork, akin to the missional life reflected in 2 Corinthians 5:20: "We are ambassadors for Christ."

The RA curriculum includes Lad magazine for grades 1-3 and Crusader magazine for grades 4-6, along with leader versions of the magazines for planning RA meetings. Age-graded personal growth plans lead boys to earn patches or pins as they progress through the levels of Lad, Page, Squire and Knight. RA activities include scripture memory, evangelism, missions learning and missions projects, while campcraft workbooks help boys earn their Discoverer, Hiker, Camper and Woodsman patches.

For more information on Royal Ambassadors, or to download a free copy of the RA Planbook, a guide for organizing an RA chapter in your church, visit www.royalambassadors.org.