Thursday, February 14, 2008

Boys Adrift?

I invite you to look at some challenging research presented by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D. Check out a brief summary found at www.boysadrift.com. Pay close attention to the "five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men."

You might also appreciate seeing Sax's earlier work, "Why Gender Matters."

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

A Call to Prayer

One hundred years ago, Hubert Carleton claimed that ministry with boys is "the hardest, highest, and holiest work in all the world." What would he think today when reflecting on current needs? Would you pray specifically for greater attention devoted to boys and young men? Ask God to move among church leaders to do more in addressing the needs of boys. Let’s trust God to raise up visionary men to mentor boys.

The need for ministries like Christian Service Brigade is greater than ever before. Carefully read the statements below and turn them into "prayer fuel." Let’s trust God for a mighty movement of intercessors placing their faith in a loving God.

CHALLENGING REALITIES
Why do churches need to devote more attention to their boys? Boys, when compared to girls are:
  • six times more likely to have learning disabilities,
  • three times more likely to be addicted to drugs,
  • and four times more likely to be emotionally disturbed.
  • Boys younger than 15 are twice as likely to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals and
  • five times more likely than girls to kill themselves.
(James Dobson’s Bringing Up Boys.)

Many families can’t "go it alone" in raising their children; it takes a caring congregation to look out for boys needing love, attention and mentoring. CSB works with pastors to develop teams of men who will pour their hearts and lives into boys.

Thanks for an opportunity to share this request with you. May God ignite our hearts to see young men’s lives turned around for his glory. That’s the mission of CSB and why I serve here as publications director.

Grateful for your support,

Mr. B. J. Slinger

O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
Revive Thy church with life and power;
O Breath of life, come, cleanse, renew us,
And fit Thy church to meet this hour.


O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,
Till humbly we confess our need;
Then in Thy tenderness remake us,
Revive, restore, for this we plead.


O Heart of Christ, once broken for us,
’Tis there we find our strength and rest;
Our broken, contrite hearts now solace,
And let Thy waiting church be blest.


Revive us, Lord! Is zeal abating
While harvest fields are vast and white?
Revive, us Lord, the world is waiting,
Equip Thy church to spread the light.
(B. P. Head)


For partners considering a donation, please know it will directly impact youth discipleship. Nearly 70% of our revenue comes from donors. For those already contributing, please realize our gratitude.

"Menu options" for donors include:

· CSB Regional Director serving your area

· Stockade Upgrade (#301 012)

· B. J. Slinger Support (#311 025)

CSB Ministries
P.O. Box 150
Wheaton, Illinois 60189
800-815-5573
http://www.csbministries.org/
bjslinger@csbministries.org

Foundations

It all starts with foundations, right? I'm inviting you to join me on a journey. Let's explore together how we might discover new insights about the world of boys.

Where do we ground our thinking about understanding and reaching boys? Writing as a follower of Jesus Christ, we would base our starting point in the Bible. We'll talk more about that of course in future topics.

Our motivation for ministry is rooted in New Testament principles that call believers to be engaged in the hearts and lives of others around them. 2 Corinthians 5 describes one's motivation for ministry. 2 Timothy 2:2 zeroes in on the role that older men have as role models with younger men.

May God unite our passion to understand and reach boys.