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Outpost Neverland With Commander Pan

The story of Peter Pan of Neverland is timeless and has captured the imaginations of many children over the year.
Pan means “everything”, and this is how we think of children.  They are nothing but potential.  We often hear a parent say, “you can be anything you want as long as you put your mind to it.”  But, in neverland Pan is only potential and nothing more, and when you’re the leader of neverland all you will ever lead is the lost boys.

Often potential is thought to be the thing that opens the world up to you, but in fact is takes real opportunity away from you.  Its only when you throw off childish things and narrow your focus that the world opens up to you.

I like what John Maxwell says, “you can’t be anything you want to be, but you can be everything God wants you to be.”

It has concerned me over the years that Outposts keep reinventing themselves or worse keep hanging on the potential of something better and never grow up to be a “real” Royal Ranger Outpost. Only a fully grown, fully functioning, fully vision driven Royal Ranger Outpost that can take the lost boys out of neverland and into the real adventure of life.  A Royal Ranger Outpost that doesn’t try to be anything it wants to be but is everything God intended it to be, will open the world up to boys and men and narrow their aim to hit the bullseye God is directing them towards.

A Dangerous Hook!

Be careful you are not putting the slogan ahead of the mission.  Let me explain.  A mission, or mission statement is not something crafted to add things to the mandate, quite the opposite, it’s crafted to narrow your focus and say no to those things that are not mission critical.  Michal Hyatt says, “successful people learn to say no, really successful people always say no.”  Why, because they have taken aim at the narrowest of targets, the bullseye.  Remember what Nehemiah said, “I’m on a latter doing a great work and I cannot come down.”  We have all used the phase, “reach, teach, and keep boys for Christ, as a slogan and not as a mission statement.  The danger is that you will begin to drift away from the mission.  Anything could be used to reach, teach, and keep boys for Christ, and everything has.  From sports to music to fine arts, God has inspired men and women to used these tools to encourage boys and girls to follow God’s word and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  As for Royal Rangers, we are the premiere camping and outdoor adventure program of the Assemblies Church, and we are great at it.

There is a huge world of sports, music, and fine arts out there and Royal Rangers will never be able to compete in those arenas.  The good news is that God hasn’t asked us to but rather has given us His playground to use as our backdrop for mentoring the next generation and the world of sports, music, and fine arts with never be able to compete with us there.

If by compete you think I mean that it’s a competition, you bet I do.  You are naïve to think otherwise.   When families and boys say yes to some activity they are saying no to all others.  And, the competition doesn’t stop there.  According to God’s word we live in a world between two kingdoms at war for the very souls of the young men and families we mentor.

The hour is late and much time has been waisted.  God gave a vision to Johnny Barnes and it’s our job as Royal Ranger Commanders to protect the integrity of that vision and continue to apply the principles and tools faithfully.

So, what makes an Ranger Outpost grown up?

• Gather the faithful and train them up.  God will make them able
• Hide God’s word in your heart
• Charter with the national office and commit to the God ordained vision of Johnny Barnes
• Live by the ranger code, and make the golden rule your daily rule
• Follow the Royal Ranger Organizational Structure
• Put on a Royal Ranger Uniform
• Follow the Advancement Trail
• Provide a Outdoor, Adventure Rich, Experience
• Oh, and have fun