All, here's my two cents... Why can we not compromise on this issue? Is there any reason that we cannot tailor our respective ministries to fit our individual churches? Many small churches simply don't have the resources to run two individual programs. I believe that Rangers was created with this in mind. Unless you are the type of person that has to have everything "by the book", surely you must see the flexability that was built into Rangers. As commanders, we are given guidelines to follow in our resource guides and our leaders manual. These things are tools that have been provided for us to use and to learn from. Nowhere have I read that girls are to be universally excluded from our ministry. I think that we should be open-minded on this issue. It holds endless possibilities for success. But we should, as always, be prayerful in our decisions and judgements. It may not be the right thing for every outpost. But are going to "throw the baby out with the bathwater" on this one??? Our church maintains separate RR and Missionette ministries but we get together every chance we get. We have done co-ed hikes, pinewood derby races, and we have taken both groups to a junior college basketball game and pizza hut afterwards. Do we have a fully integrated co-ed ministry, no we do not. But we would be foolish to deny our kids that interaction, especially in a setting and atmosphere that we can control. Afterall, they spend all day together at school, right? I would certainly hope that our churches are healthier than our schools. Why should we deny ourselves a chance to reach and teach both sexes, especially on issues that pertain to both? (ie. drugs, safety, manners) Am I implying that we teach sex ed in our churches, no I am not. I believe that the parents should have that responsibility. However, if you have rangers like mine, they don't have any parents to speak of. Most of my boys learn 75% of what they know from TV. Not TBN either. Our commission is to win people for Christ, nothing more, nothing less. That means that we have the responsibility to reach, teach, and keep; not only the sons, but the daughters, the mothers, the fathers, and the families. If a church can do this more effectively with girls in Rangers, then I say Praise the Lord and bring'em in. If not, break out the Sponsors handbooks... I'll get off my soapbox now... In Christ Alone, Shane Shane A. Reidelberger Lieutenant Commander Home Ph.# 618-336-5555 Illinois District Outpost # 90 Percy Assembly of God Stephen Duncan, Pastor 103 N. 4th Street Percy, IL 62272 Church Ph.# 618-497-8169 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Eat the hay & spit out the sticks! - A#1's mule" RTKB&G4JC! http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
