Five Secrets of Good and Faithful Servants

Do you have kids or grand kids that like to keep secrets? A secret, the dictionary reports, is something hidden from view. That’s a good description of the hearts of “good and faithful servants” that Jesus described in Matthew 25. Although motivations of the heart are not always visible, Jesus takes notice and ultimately commends them. Here are 5 “secrets” of good and faithful servants that we trust will be an encouragement to you as you grow in your walk with the Lord.

1. Good and Faithful Servants Maximize God’s Resources. Have you thought about ways you can maximize the financial resources God has given you? For example, did you know you can increase your tax benefit and stretch your giving dollars to the Lord's work when you transfer appreciated assets (such as stocks or mutual funds) directly to your church or a ministry like Brigade rather than donating the proceeds after selling them? If you have owned securities for more than a year, your tax savings are significant because you receive an income tax deduction for the fair-market value (what it's worth today, not what you paid for it). Additionally, you will not pay any capital gain tax upon the transfer.

Another exciting announcement is on its way! #renewal

My Pastor was nearing the end of his sermon. My pen had slowed. But then I heard another nugget that caught my attention,

"God doesn't promise to make all new things.

He promises to make all things new."

It took a moment for my brain to process what he meant ... then it clicked: God doesn't keep starting over, like a boy with a trash can full of wadded paper attempting to make the perfect airplane, rather, God takes the same piece of clay and continues to lovingly mold and shape it, making it more beautiful and useful each day. Where we have come from is important. It's part of the story. But it's a story still unfolding and growing.

I couldn't help but see how relevant this is to our ministry. We are an old ministry, but we see how God is continuing to do new things, exciting things, in us.

God is continuing to renew us! So stay tuned this Wednesday for another exciting new  announcement!

Serving Christ by Serving you,

Scott Haima,
President, Christian Service Brigade

Someone To Watch His Back

This must happen if your boys are going to survive

The C.O. at the Army Ranger school at Fort Benning barked, “Difficult assignments require a friend. Step one in your training is the assignment of your ‘Ranger Buddy.’ The two of you will stick together. You will never leave each other. You will walk together, run together, eat together, and sleep together. You will help each other. You will encourage each other. And as necessary, you will carry each other.”

The US military understands that in battle nobody fights alone and survives very long.

Walking with Christ is a difficult assignment. Following Christ means engaging in a fierce three-front battle. A Christ-follower must daily overpower the enemy within, his own sinful nature. He must resist a world that continually bombards him with enticements that seek to take captive his heart. He must overcome the wily temptations of Satan, the evil one.  God never intended Christian men to fight their spiritual battles in isolation.

Continue Reading on Brigade Leader Magazine...

CSB is engineering wheels that should be the fastest on the market

We can't tell you too much yet but amazing wheels are around the corner!

We know our leaders are very serious about Shape N' Race and so are we. So we're engineering some new wheels that according to specs should be the fastest on the market AND some of the best looking wheels we think have ever been produced.

Let Tax Season be a Blessing

Putting your money to work for the kingdom

As tax season nears an end, you may find yourself with a little extra dough coming your way.  Please remember Christian Service Brigade as you determine God's plan for that money.  We would love to help you make an eternal impact with your return.

Donate today at www.csbministries.org/donate 

Pass The Torch Workshop Archive

If you weren't able to attend you can still listen! 

Our  two day Pass Thee Torch Brigade Leaders conference was a really great time of equipping and encouraging. Listen to the workshops and view the presentations if you couldn't make it.

Plus while you are there you can enjoy the all new Brigade Leader Magazine website!

Click here to view the workshops

An Invitation To Alumni: N-Counter

Brigade had a huge impact on you when you were younger, the impact doesn't need to end. 

If you are a Brigade Alum and can make it out for even part of this weekend event, we strongly encourage you to make the time.

Men and young men from more than 10 states will be gathering April 29 - May 1 for N-Counter 2016. When we did this event for the first time 5 years ago it turned out to be an amazing time of connecting for the young men who attended but it was also a deeply satisfying time of RE-connecting for Brigade alumni.

It's time to reconnect.

Find out more about N-Counter 2016 at: www.csbncounter.org 

Reading the Bible When You’re Busy

How one college student used the Watchword app to start spending time with God

I’m in college. That means I’m busy… and stressed. Reading, homework, presentations, exams, and the demands of learning to live life at age 19 all make me feel so busy that I don’t always remember my God time.

Last year I was really not as in touch with Christ as I needed to be. All of the stresses and anxieties had been building up and my life became full of worry. I knew I needed to be spending time with God but the busyness and worry made time with God seem even less possible. I needed to remember that God was in control but I was so distracted that I felt really alone and negative.

Part of my struggle to spend time in God’s word was simple forgetfulness and the fact that I had not yet learned to make it an important part of my daily routine. Not knowing when and what to read just made getting into the habit all the more daunting.

Read the rest of the story...

Re-Launching Brigade Leader Magazine

For most of our 80 years of ministry we provided a physical magazine called

Brigade Leader to equip the men leading the CSB ministry in each church.That magazine went away more than a decade ago but we don't believe that good things should be allowed to go away.

We've decided to resurrect

Brigade Leader Magazine!

Take a look

Don't miss an issue   

Subscribe now. It's Free! 

"Special" Boys

He'd never seen anything quite like Shane

Paul has been a Christian Service Brigade leader in his local church for 16 years. During that time he’s seen pretty much everything you can imagine when it comes to boys. He’s seen star performers, debilitating shyness, human loudspeakers, rambunctious and all points in between. However, he had never seen anything quite like Shane. “We were running a bus into town to pick up boys to come to our Brigade meetings,” explains Paul. “We had some rough boys. I was always stopping the bus to regain order. Shane was the worst of the bunch. He bullied other boys and really caused a lot of trouble.”

Shane had a difficult home life. There was a lot of abuse and Shane endured his share. Shane’s mother would even bring him to Paul’s house when his father couldn’t control his anger. She realized he was safer in the home of his mentor, than the home of his father.

Shane’s response was to act out in every possible way. Bullying, disrupting activities and making other boys uncomfortable. A day of reckoning awaited. Read more on Brigade Leader Magazine...

Telling The Truth: A Sneak Peek Into Our Next Valor Issue

He Couldn't Argue with the Chocolate ... But He Did

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By Carol McLeod

As the mother of three boys who have grown into uncommon men, I must say, there is nothing like a sprouting, determined boy to challenge the wits out of an otherwise sane woman! When a mother meets an infant son for the first time, the atmosphere is charged with an assignment from heaven itself! But as the spritely little boy grows into manhood, moms often loses focus and forget the importance of our heaven-birthed commission.

One of our sons had a problem telling the truth. Our little boy was known for exaggeration, story-telling and complete deception. My pastor-husband and I had sought diligently to make our home a haven where truth was valued and where integrity mattered greatly. How could we have a son who was so truth-impaired?!

Ryan's Story: I Lost a Brother But I Found a Savior

We're sharing Ryan's story below because it is such a great example of how God used the mentoring and leadership experience he received in Battalion to prepare and inspire him to christian service.  

"Growing up, I didn’t have much guidance or discipline. My life seemed as if I didn’t have much purpose at all. My parents loved me even through their divorce, but we never had the genuine love of God in our family. That love wasn’t given to me when I was a child. 

One afternoon, when I was 12 years old, I received the news that my brother had been accidentally shot. He was dead. That event changed my life. It seemed so tragic on the surface. Yet when I look deeper, I can see how God used my brother’s death to
bring me to himself.

Heralding Christ

Many organizations that emphasize an achievement process have a top honor to recognize those who have dedicated themselves to the organization and it's program. We thought we'd take a quick moment to tell you about our top honor, the "Herald of Christ."

A young man cannot begin the steps to receive this honor until he is 16 and must complete it before his 21st birthday. We require the minimum age of 16 because we believe that by that time a young man will have been buffeted by the winds of temptation and the world enough to begin to reveal his level of commitment, not to Christian Service Brigade, but to Christ and His kingdom.

Here, in brief, are the requirements for completing the Herald of Christ internship:

Before He Can Start

Prior to starting the herald of Christ internship a young man must also have completed the entire discipleship program of Explorer, Trailblazer, Guide, One star, Two star, and Three Star. By doing so he will have been equipped and demonstrated a life founded on biblical knowledge, disciplines, and leadership. So before he begins the HOC he will already have:

500 young men with torches .... N-Counter 2016

500 young men with torches ... normally a scary thought
was actually one of the highlights of the N-Counter 5 years ago
and has now become an unforgettable tradition.
Find out more: ww.csbncounter.org

Young men and their leaders from CSB Battalion units in 10 or more states, will be gathering at the end of April for N-Counter 2016.  This event comes just once in a Brigadier's middle and high school career.  This large multi-regional event will bring new experiences, with outdoor activities, worship and interaction over the biblical theme, Press On.  N-Counter 2016 will be held for one weekend in southeastern PA.  It's open to current Battalion members as well as Brigade alumni. You are welcome to come see what is happening in Christian Service Brigade today!  All who are interested in helping make this a successful event, can find out more about N-Counter 2016 at ​www.csbncounter.org