by David Gregg, CSB USA Northern California Regional Director
Many organizations that emphasize an achievement process
have a top honour to recognize those who have dedicated themselves to the
organization and its program. We thought we'd take a quick moment to tell you
about our top honour: the "Herald of Christ."
A young man cannot begin the steps to receive this honour
until he is 16 and must complete it before his 21st birthday. W
e require the
minimum age of 16, as we believe that by this 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, 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 should be equipped
and demonstrating a life founded on Biblical knowledge, disciplines and
leadership. So, before he begins the HOC, he will already have:
Experienced the
mentoring of numerous adult men
Experienced the
blessing of accountability from both adult men and peers
Explored the
structure and application of the Bible
Memorized and
learned to apply boat loads of scripture
Studied the
word of God and interacted with his leader/mentor regarding his study
Studied the
theology of prayer
Practiced the
disciplines of consistent prayer and Bible reading on his own
Developed a
habit of service
Considered his
place in the Church
Practiced
conflict resolution
Studied and
practiced evangelism
Studied the
principles and examples of Biblical servant leadership
Led a small
group of young men
Practiced
mentoring and discipling young men
Led meetings
Helped plan and
execute events
Led the process
of evaluating meetings and events for improvement
Spoken in
public
Assessed his
own leadership gifts and weaknesses
Begun to consider
his spiritual gifts
Practiced
listening skills, phone skills, and interview skills
After He Starts
If by the time the young man has completed the
prerequisites, is at least 16, and is evidencing the fruit of Christ's work in
his life, the Herald of Christ program can begin. This process includes:
Bible Exploration of the following books:
Deuteronomy
Judges
Ruth
Proverbs
Hebrews
1 John
2 John
3 John
For each chapter, he must identify two discoveries,
highlights or truths, and discuss this with his mentor.
A short, 250 word summary for each book is required, as
well.
Bible Doctrine
The young man will meet with a member of his church staff
for formal study in the doctrine of his church, followed by a written report
summarizing the doctrinal study.
Ministry Project
The young man must choose and, with the help of his
Herald of Christ Committee, organize a church related Ministry Project that
will be challenging to him. This could be teaching a Sunday school class,
serving as a junior counselor at camp, or organizing a missions trip, for example.
Community Project
The young man must also engage in a leadership or service
project in the community for at least three months. This too should be
challenging to the young man and is designed to emphasize the important role
that Christians are to play in the community where God has placed them.
Bible Memorization
In addition to the scripture committed to memory as a
prerequisite, he must also memorize:
Romans 8:38-39
1 John 3:2
Isaiah 40:28-31
John 14:21
and two of the following:
Psalm 37:1-9
Isaiah 53:1-6
Romans 5:1-8
Ephesians 2:1-7
1 Timothy 3:1-7
Essay or Theme
As the internship comes to an end, he must write a 1000
word essay answering the following four questions:
How did I come
to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour?
In what ways is
Christ working in my life today?
What are some
of my future plans for serving Christ?
What are some
key Bible verses for me at this time in my life? Why?
If at the end of this process the young man continues to demonstrate
the fruit of Christ in his life and has shown himself to be a herald of his
Lord within the gifts and abilities God has granted him, then he will become
one of just over200 young men to have received this honour in the 73 year
history of our organization in Canada.
If You Are
Interested
If you, or a young man you know, are interested in
learning more about the Herald of Christ program, please contact our national
office at:
613 225-3689
or, your local Regional Director through our website:
If you are a CSB Leader, consider the
Herald of Christ for Leaders. It is generally completed comfortably within three years of starting. Contact CSB for the program's special requirements.
