Updated Friday, May 30, 2008

RA boys thrive with quality modeling by adults

By Norman Jameson

BR Editor

An adult role model is worth more than 1,000 sermons said Joe Giaritelli. The Royal Ambassador (RA) program at Lawndale Baptist Church in Greensboro where he is pastor is full of them.

The 12 RA counselors at the Greensboro church serve gladly among the 40 boys in six grades who typically meet on Wednesday to learn Christian virtues, study missions and to have fun.

Boys are "blank slates" says Giaritelli. These counselors "lead the boys to think globally and outside themselves."

Counselors appreciate both Giaritelli's support from the pulpit and the staff support of children's minister Arvil Pennington. Both know the counselors "make it interesting and fun."

RAs, the boys' mission education and training program that celebrates its centennial in 2008, "has a track record," Giaritelli said. The program needed a boost of visibility when he came as pastor and he gladly did that, rather than institute another program such as Awanas, with which he had "philosophical differences."

Neal Matthews leads the Lawndale program with a magnetic vigor and joy. He deflects any credit to his team and to Richard Clayton, 74, who led the work at Lawndale for about 35 years.

One of the keys to Matthews' success in keeping a high level of interest is the point system he uses in which boys earn points to be redeemed in a "store" at year's end. Boys can earn RA apparel, sports equipment, pens, mugs, water bottles, etc. Points are awarded for participation in class and mission projects, and are not subtracted for discipline.

One mission project the boys were preparing for the night of May 21 was distributing donuts to persons in the hospital waiting room. In exchange the RA asked to pray for the patient.

They've taken donuts and milk to the local fire station, received a demonstration on fire safety, then encircled the firefighters and prayed for their safety.

The RAs are involved with the church in sponsoring four families from Burundi. They are helping to teach the children English.

They've raised money for a missionary family in Africa, to dig a well in India and to stock a food pantry in Raleigh.

RA leaders like Matthews and Clayton hand pick leaders. They look for two qualities: a leader must love God and love boys.

"With the materials NAMB (North American Mission Board) puts out, a desire to help is all you need," said Matthews. He is in his third year leading this program, which was identified by former Baptist State Convention RA program leader Tom Beam as one of the top in North Carolina.

"Any reflection of excellence in this program is because we have 11 other excellent counselors," said Matthews. Others say he is a stickler for the details that keep programs operating smoothly.

"I saw an opportunity to win boys to Jesus through informal contacts like the Wednesday night events, camping, hiking, fishing and RA racers," says Matthews, who has been involved in RAs virtually all his adult life. "This is a program that allows a man to share his life and model Christ for boys."

Mike McKinney, who worked in RAs 18 years at Greystone Baptist Church in Durham, and for the past eight years at Lawndale, does it because, "We love it. You get more out of serving than you do standing on the sidelines."