Christian Service Brigade - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Christian Service Brigade (CSB) is a non-denominational Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

organization for men and boys in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Often referred to as "Brigade," it is organized according to a model historically similar to that of international Boys Brigade and Scouting

Scouting

Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....

organizations. Brigade units are
sponsored by local churches, and these are typically Protestant and Evangelical

Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

in character. Brigade programs put a particular emphasis on the relationship between fathers and sons. The Christian Service Brigade motto is "Bright and Keen for Christ."

History

Brigade was founded in 1937 by Joe Coughlin (1919-2005), then a sophomore at Wheaton College, Illinois. It began as a boys' group, under the name of the "Christian Service Squad," at the Methodist church in the Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

suburb of Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Glen Ellyn is an affluent village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the village population was 26,999.-Geography:...

, where Coughlin served as a Sunday School

Sunday school

Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...

teacher. By 1940, when Christian Service Brigade was formally organized with a governing board, there were Brigade units at 18 churches in the Chicago area. From there, Brigade spread to churches across the United States and Canada. Today, units are most highly concentrated in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Ohio.

Organization

"Units" refer to the individual chapters of Christian Service Brigade at local churches.
Units are numbered in the order of their founding, and each unit can consist of any (and often all) of the following programs:

Tadpoles (ages 4–5)
Tree Climbers (ages 6–7)
Stockade (ages 8–11)
Treks (ages 8–11)
Battalion (ages 12–18)
Vanguard (college age)

Stockade

Stockade (ages 8–11) is a program organized along the lines of the Cub Scouts. A Stockade is headed by an adult volunteer, the Chief Ranger, who is assisted by other adult volunteers, Rangers, who supervise sub-units called posts. Boys are typically assigned to posts according to their age. All Stockaders wear light blue uniforms that sport patches marking the accomplishment of various achievements. Builders (8 and 9 year-olds) earn patches called Blockhouses (of which there are eight), while Sentinels (10 and 11 year-olds) earn patches called Stations (of which there are also eight). The dark green uniforms worn by Rangers and Chief Rangers are similar to those worn by Brigadiers (members of Battalion).

Battalion

Battalion (ages 12–18) is a program organized along the lines of the Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...

. Each Battalion is headed by a Captain, an adult volunteer, who is assisted by other adult volunteers, called Lieutenants. At the Battalion level, considerable leadership responsibility devolves to the Brigadiers themselves. The student leader of the Battalion is the Sergeant (typically a high-school senior), who is assisted by Corporals and Lance Corporals, student leaders in charge of sub-units called squads. Brigadiers wear dark green uniforms that sport Activity Patches marking the accomplishment of various achievements. By earning Activity Patches and fulfilling other requirements, Brigadiers move up through the ranks of Explorer, Trailblazer, Guide, One Star, Two Star, and Three Star.

Herald of Christ

The Herald of Christ is the highest honor conferred by Christian Service Brigade. It is awarded only to Brigadiers who profess a faith in Christ

Christ

Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...

, have attained the rank of Three Star, and have passed their 16th birthday. A candidate for the Herald of Christ must also complete a series of written reflections on selected Bible

Bible

The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

passages, memorize additional passages from the Bible, complete a three-month church-related ministry project, complete a three-month community project, and submit a 1000-word essay of reflection on his faith. The award is conferred upon the approval of both a candidate committee and a CSB Regional Director.

Governance

Christian Service Brigade is operated under the aegis of CSB Ministries, headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...

. Regional Directors (of which there were 19 in 2006) act as liaisons between the national office and the local churches with Brigade programs. Pioneer Girls, historically the sister ministry of Christian Service Brigade, now operates independently as Pioneer Clubs. CSB Ministries formerly operated Girls Alive, a program sponsored by local churches for girls of elementary school age, but now partners with GEMS Girls' Clubs. Christian Service Brigade's vision and mission statement are:

Vision: Godly Men Who Serve, Lead and Disciple Each Generation.

Mission: Building Godly Men of Today and Tomorrow.

Camps

Camp programs are a major part of the ministry of Christian Service Brigade. Brigade camp programs are usually organized, like Brigade units, into Battalion, Stockade, and Treeclimber programs. There are 13 camps across North America associated with Christian Service Brigade:

Stony Glen Camp, Madison, OH

Wilderness Ridge Brigade Camp, Bastrop, TX

Camp Teepee Pole, Sundre, Alberta.

Sequoia Brigade Camp, Concord, CA.

New England Frontier Camp, Lovell, ME.

Camp Kaskitowa, Michigan.

Nathanael Brigade Camp, Hinckley, MN. Also known as Camp Nathanael.

Northern Frontier Camp, North River, New York Adirondack Mountains

Adirondack Mountains

The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....

.

Hickory Hill Brigade Camp, Varysburg, New York.

Haycock Camping Ministries, Kintnersville, Pennsylvania.

Hemlock Wilderness Brigade Camp, Wardensville, WV.

Camp Kakeka, Haliburton, Ontario.

External links

Relevant links

CSB Region 33 Official Site Information, downloads & a variety of resources
Unit 2047 Information, downloads & a variety of resources
Unit 2733, Excellent Resource

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