Boys today are under assault. Ongoing cultural changes and the powerful infl uence of a secular media have created an environment where the path to manhood is no longer clear, and many boys are losing their way. Dr. James Dobson, nationally-acclaimed family counselor, author, and founder of the Focus on the Family radio program, warns, "Now, more than ever, boys are experiencing a crisis of confi dence that reaches deep within their soul".

According to Dr. Dobson, the statistics are alarming. As compared to girls, boys are:

Six time more likely to have learning disabilities
Three times more likely to be registered drug addicts
Four times more likely to be diagonosed as emotionally disturbed
Twelve times more likely to commit murder
Five times more likely to commit suicide
Boys make up 90% of those in drug treatment programs and 95% of minors involved in juvenile court. These traumatic experiences shape the kind of men, husbands, and fathers they will become. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the capability to dramatically impact the lives of the next generation and set them on a solid path to becoming the Christlike men and servant leaders they were created to be.

The Royal Rangers program provides an eff ective means of discipling boys by utilizing direct personal relationships between men and boys, developed around a core of shared interests and experiences. Activity-based ministries are essential to the spiritual development of boys.

David Murrow, author of the book "Why Men Hate Going to Church" writes, "Men and boys are changed by what they experience [together], not necessarily by what they are told". However, side-by-side activities alone won't bring about the transformation of boys into godly manhood. It requires the direct personal involvement of godly men. Robert Lewis, author of "Raising a Modern Day Knight" writes, "Boys become men in the community of men" and John Eldridge writes in "Wild at Heart", "Masculinity is bestowed. A boy learns who he is and what he's got from a man, or the company of men. He cannot learn it any other place".