Chapelgate CSB

Sevice at Our Daily Bread

2009-12-11T12:13:00.002-05:00

Our Daily Bread is a charity food service in Baltimore which serves hot meals to the needy of the city 365 days a year. Our Battalion has volunteered to help with the food service on Saturday, December 19th. The maximum number of Brigadiers we can bring is 10 so sign up early to make sure you have a spot. We will leave Chapelgate on Saturday morning at 8:00 am and return by ~2:30 pm. Please contact Lt. Jeff Lutz at 410-489-7487

Thoughts from our December 1st meeting

2009-12-02T12:54:00.002-05:00

Hi gang,
It was great to see everyone sharing their achievement work within their squads last night and I'm encouraged by the progress you are making. The potatoe cannon was pretty cool too! We talked in Council Ring last night about the spiritual fuel in our lives. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians uses an analogy of food to illustrate our progress toward maturity in our faith in Christ. Milk for babes and solid food for the more mature. When we examine our lives and relationship with our Lord, can it be said that we've remained babes in many ways? The Holy Spirit may be calling you to look deeper at the truths of scripture and to reform your thinking which may have become stagnant. Wrestling with the deep questions in our hearts can bring about new levels of maturity as we seek the truth. The Lord is faithful and will honor those who seek Him (see John 16:4-15). Here are some questions to wrestle with. They all have "Sunday School" answers that you may have heard since you were young but those times have passed and I believe we are being called to something greater. What does the Bible say about;

Who is God? What is my relationship to Him? Do I cultivate that relationship? Does He pursue me? Do I expect Him to make all the moves? Am I a sinner? What is the depth of my sin? Is it really that bad? Who cares, or why should I care, or what makes me care? Do I really live as though I believe? Is there joy in my salvation? Does it influence my life?

As always, it's great being with you guys. If you have other questions you're wrestling with, I'd be happy to discuss them with you.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

CMTS Trip Follow Up

2009-12-02T12:42:00.002-05:00

Our trip to CMTS a couple weekends ago was a resounding success! Our team of 23 was put to work loading a 40 ft shipping container with hospital beds, a large generator and trailer, two dentist's chairs, huge amounts of clothing, and other medical equipment. The container is bound for Haiti where a hospital is being built. The spirit among our crew was high and everyone worked diligently throughout the day and evening. It was rewarding to see the fully loaded truck head out on its trip to the port. You guys are to be commended for your willingness to give your time and effort in this way and the CMTS staff told me over and over how much they appreciated your diligence in this heavy work. Our prayer is that this equipment will be a blessing to the people of Haiti and a means of furthering the Gospel of Christ in that country.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

Service Opportunity!

2009-11-18T18:02:00.001-05:00

Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009
Start Time: 8:30am at Chapelgate to carpool or 9am at the Boths
Finish time: 3pm (est.)
Home of: Dan and Pat Both
Chapelgate CSB 6468 has scheduled a work day to serve CSB Chairman Dan Both and his wife Pat. This is an opportunity to bless and encourage them in a tangible way as they recover from heath issues. The work will include, but not limited to leaf raking, tree trimming, loading and unloading for trips to the dump. Please plan on attending and giving any time available.
What to bring:
Bag Lunch and Water
Tools: Work Gloves, Rake, Trimmer, Pruner, Old Tarps, Bow Saw, etc.
Anyone with a truck, that would be willing to come and help with hauling items to the Howard County Dump, would be most helpful.
Contact Gene Siggins for directions or questions: siggins5@msn.com

Notes from November 10th

2009-11-11T12:44:00.002-05:00

Hi gang,
Well we've finished Backyard Ballistics and started Small Engine Repair this week. For those who still need to finish off your test (memorizing the verse) you have until next week to demonstrate your mastery to Lt. Tallman. I think we'll start dismantling our engines next week and may get a little grimy so wear something appropriate.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

Christian Missionary Technical Services (CMTS) Trip

2009-11-11T12:06:00.002-05:00

Mark your calendars for Nov. 20-22 to attend our trip to CMTS for a work weekend at one our favorite ministries. Meet at Chapelgate at 5:00 pm on Friday the 20th and we'll leave asap. We'll be back by 5:00 on Sunday afternoon. Here's what to bring.
Sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries
Work clothes, gloves, boots or old shoes
Clean clothes for church Sunday, Bible
Money for dinner stop on Friday night and lunch on Sunday.
Cost of the trip is $25 which covers our other meals and lodging. Make checks payable to Chapelgate Presbyterian Church.

From October 20th

2009-10-22T12:50:00.002-04:00

Hi all,
How have you liked the Backyard Ballistics unit? I think Lt. Tallman and Lt. Clark have done a great job showing us a variety of interesting ways to launch potatoes and other assorted vegetables. Also, I need to give a big shout out to Carl and Anthony for a great presentation of their pneumatic potatoe chucker last week. They went all out and it showed. Great project! Remember, next week we will work on the marshmallow shooters and the next week will be our test so study your verse (Hebrews 4:14-15). Here are some links to websites Lt. Tallman talked about if you've got the urge for a neat home project. http://www.siege-engine.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jolYDinb_50# Last but not least, here is the link to Lt. Lutz's illustration from his very excellent CR. Let it remind you that it matters very much what we fix our eyes on. http://illusioncontest.neuralcorrelate.com/2009/the-break-of-the-curveball/
Canoe Trip Update: We got tested hard with the weather this past weekend so the canoe trip didn't get completed as we had hoped. But, the area is very beautiful and a great trip so we may plan to do it again in the spring. Stay tuned.

Blessings,
Captain Hayden

From September 29th

2009-10-01T12:59:00.002-04:00

Hi all,
We've had two really good meetings the last couple weeks with Lt. Tallman showing us a simple to build but really fun water rocket and Lt. Clark's awesome Tecbuchet. That thing looks almost like an amusement park ride. I could see people being shuffled into the bucket to provide the weight and someone on the business end getting flung into a big net. Don't get any ideas about trying that at home though unless you have parental supervision of course. Anyway, Council Ring's been great too. Seeing Jesus face to face someday is something we sing and pray about but for many, it remains a very abstract thing which was illustrated quite well in the song Lt. Anderson shared with us. We do all want to go to heaven, just not right now. Interesting thought to wrap our heads around. In the mean time, Lt. Adams counciled us to flee from temptation like Sampson did not. Thanks to all who are putting in the time to make this a great year. Remember, next week is dedicated to presenting your progress in your work with your mentors. Lts. and Non-coms, there will be a planning meeting at 12:15 this Sunday. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

From September 15th

2009-09-21T12:33:00.003-04:00

Hi all,
Hope you enjoyed our first "regular" meeting of the year with the first installment of "Backyard Ballistics". I say regular but it was anything but as I can't ever recall, after years of doing this, that we've ever had a massive Nerf gun battle like the other night. That was great and maybe we can do it again. I really like the verses Lts. Clark and Tallman have picked out for us for this course. Hebrews 4:14-15 expresses the truth that while Jesus represents or "advocates" for us perfectly before the Father, he also identifies with us perfectly as well. This is no "long distance" relationship with someone who doesn't know or understand our situation. He's "been there, done that" except without missing the mark like we do! That's good news. Hey Non-coms, get your registration in for the Leadership Advance in October. Everyone, keep your ears open for details about the upcoming canoe trip October 16-18. We need to know who's coming so we have enough canoes. Oh, and crack your book open and work the next step. I'll be glad to talk with you about it Tuesday.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

Camp Hemlock Weekend, September 11-13

2009-09-15T07:40:00.004-04:00

We had a great time working at Camp Hemlock this past weekend! We helped to clean up the pool area and make it ready for winter and stored all the archery equipment. Then we had guys replacing the roof on Shaw's Shanty and installing drywall in the Staff Cabin. On Sunday we spent some time at the Rock Garden for worship. We spent time in prayer and confession and talked about how we've been set free in Christ. If you've never pondered that great gift, I'd be glad to talk with you about it. Later, we climbed and explored. A great attitude was shown by all and Chief was very pleased with the progress. Thanks to all who participated!

Welcome to CSB Battalion 6468 , '09-'10

2009-08-28T12:09:00.002-04:00

Hi all,
I hope you've had a great summer break. As you're preparing to start school again, I hope you're also thinking about participating in Battalion this year as well. My prayer for this year is that we see more clearly God's soverein hand in our lives and that our understanding of the Gospel and love for the Savior will grow. Our first meeting this year will be on September 8th starting at 7:00pm in the gym at Chapelgate Presbyterian Church. I think we have some exciting things planned for the year, some old favorites and some new, that you'll really enjoy. Starting off the year, we'll look at some fun activities from the book, Backyard Ballistics. Then we'll move into a unit on small engine repair (sorry, we're going to remove any excuse for you not to mow the lawn) and then on to SCUBA diving in the Spring. If our plans work out, you'll have the opportunity to experience actual SCUBA diving (with certified instructors in a controlled setting of course). Our weekend outings should be a lot of fun too with service opportunites, canoeing, and backpacking in our plans. In fact, we're going to hit the ground running with our first campout on Sept. 11th-13th. We'll meet at 5:30pm on Friday the 11th and travel to Camp Hemlock in Wardensville, WV to participate in some work projects at the camp. We'll save time for some fun stuff too then return home around 5:oopm Sunday afternoon. We'll provide transportation, two breakfast meals, and Saturday dinner. You bring your camping gear, Bible, pack a lunch for Saturday, and bring some money for a couple of fast-food stops. The cost will $7. If you need some gear, we can take care of that too. I hope you'll be able to join in this first service project. I'm really looking forward to this year and to seeing you all on the 8th.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

A Few Thoughts From January 20th

2009-01-23T12:40:00.002-05:00

Well, once again I've let too much time slip past without adding a little something new to the old blog. You faithful visitors are going to get fed up with me but I beg your pardon again. A couple of things happened towards the end of the year that are worthy of note the first being another successful trip to Our Daily Bread in downtown Baltimore. A number from our Battalion were blessed to serve meals to the less fortunate of our city and again experience this amazing ministry. Day after day(365 days a year!), hundreds from Baltimore are served a hot meal in a comfortable and dignified setting. The dedicated staff always make this outing a memorable one for us and I marvel at the coordination of volunteers who cook and serve and clean each day. Thanks Bruce for heading this up for us! Secondly, we enjoyed a bit of good natured competition as the squads and adult leaders pitted themselves against each other in a food drive to help a local pantry. You all really worked at it and in the end, collected ~1800 servings of food! I was so happy with your generosity that I didn't really mind that the adults lost the competition and had to provide the goodies and entertainment for our Christmas party. I think you'll all agree the Captain and his Lieutenants should keep their day jobs when it comes to singin but we had some laughs. Third, Sports All-Nighter is coming! Lastly, our new President was inaugurated today and I hope you'll continue to pray for him and our other elected officials as we did the other night. I praise God for those who have stepped up to lead knowing there is an account to be given. I pray you guys will continue to exercise and stretch your leadership skills as we continue in Battalion. The Church and your country needs you.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

Backpacking Freeze Out Trip

2009-01-22T08:10:00.011-05:00

Wow! It would have been hard to pick a better weekend for our freeze out than what we had January 16-19 on the Appalacian Trail. I found it interesting that many people I talked to before we went would simply shiver and tell me how miserable we'd be. Many just thought we were crazy and said so! I would tell them we weren't going on the trip to be miserable but to experience comfort in a hostile environment by practicing what we've been learning about. The truth is they still thought we were crazy. You know that when someone says you shouldn't do something how it makes you want to do it more? Well that's what I sensed from our intrepid group of eight as we left our cars behind and headed up the trail Friday night. (There's a lesson in how the Law exposes our sin in there somewhere but that's for another time.) Soon we reached our camp and settled in for the night. We learned the temperature dropped to -6F during the night but everyone slept well and when we hit the trail again Saturday morning, it was a balmy +3F. It generally warmed up as the weekend progressed and by the time we hit the hay Saturday night it had reached all the way to 20F. We had a few complain they were too warm that night! So our preparation was good and our fellowship even better as we enjoyed one another's company on the trail. We learned how fast a water bottle will freeze when the temperature is in the single digits and the pleasure of a warm, melty cheese and pepperoni sandwich next to a fire. That's livin!

Blessings,
Capt Hayden

Thoughts from December 2nd

2008-12-05T12:08:00.005-05:00

Howdy all,
We're off to a good start on Winter Camping/Backpacking and the basic information we've gone over so far will make sure everyone has a good foundation to build from. Good news! I've heard from Lt. Tallman and he'll be joining us the last week before we break for Christmas and his classes next semester won't interfere with Tuesday nights. PTL! I'm really excited by how the food drive is going and you all have put out a good effort. Remember, Tuesday the 9th is the last week to have donations counted toward your squad so make an effort. You can, of course, donate beyond that date purely as a service to your community. Man, I really enjoyed Lt. Anderson's talk this past Tuesday. I must have said the Watch Word a couple hundred times and after awhile it can become just words. Thing is, they are pretty special words and tie us to a vision and mission that has spanned a long time. Have you been "bright" this week? Did you light up the rooms and halls you inhabited with the gospel of grace and peace that comes from God? Do you remember how, in our last memory verse, the scripture told us that our bodies were "temples of the Holy Spirit"? Well guess what was one of the furnishings that God mandated to be in the temple? If you said, "Lamp Stand" you'd be right on. We are God's holy temples lit from within by the fire of the Holy Spirit. That's a great privilege! "This little light o mine, I'm gonna let it shine...". In case you don't know it, here's the prayer or "Watch Word" we say at the end of each meeting.
Now we trust in God to keep us bright and keen for Christ
because we love him and we want to serve him until we
see him face to face.
Hey, candy for anyone who brings in something for the food drive this week.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

CMTS Trip, Novermber 14-16

2008-11-24T20:07:00.005-05:00

A group of 12 brigadiers and adult leaders traveled to Christian Missionary Technical Services near Reading, Pa on the evening of the 14th. We were anticipating a good weekend of work at what has become one of our favorite places to serve. This was our fifth year to work at CMTS and the timing couldn't have been better. We met Missionary Evan Williams who is originally from Ireland but after 24 years of missionary service around the globe, is being called to set up a ministry in Honduras to train men to serve as Pastors in their home towns. Many Pastors in Honduras have not had the opportunity to study in an organized setting and Mr. Williams is working to make that a reality for them. We were tasked with transferring his belongings and items for the church from two U-Haul vans along with 2000 bibles from a third van to a 40 foot sea container that will be loaded onto a ship for Honduras. We also unloaded books from a bus that will be loaded with other supplies and heading for Haiti. The bus and its contents will be shipped to Haiti to benefit a church community headed by Pastor Joshua whom we also met. A number of other moving and clean-up jobs rounded out our Saturday. Once again, the staff at CMTS was impressed and grateful for the work accomplished and the spirit of fun that was evident throughout the weekend. Checkout the pics thanks to Mr. Dean.

November 18th

2008-11-24T19:23:00.001-05:00

Well guys, it's been more than a month since I last posted something here and a lot of water's gone under the bridge. Mostly though, I've been kind of lazy so please forgive me. A faithful brigadier reminded me last week that I wasn't doing my job very well and I needed the push. So, what's been going on? My wife and I had a wonderful trip to Europe (my first) and there were many things I enjoyed about it. None more though, than getting home to the good ole USA. For all of Europe's charms, I'm still glad I live here and the wisdom of our founding fathers is more clear to me than ever. I pray that as we debate the issues of religious freedom, we never set aside the foundation of God's soverienty upon which our government rests. Next, a couple of the adult leaders and almost all of the Non-comms participated in a leadership conference at Camp Hickory Hill in New York. We included a sight seeing stop at Niagra Falls which is a truly awesome sight. I'm really proud of the spirit of service among our Non-comms and their willingness to improve the way they serve the Battalion was evident at the conference. These are good guys to follow. The following weekend was our trip to CMTS and I've got a separate blurb on that so I won't go into it here. We also finished up the Physical Fitness Activity and I think nearly everyone improved in at least one area so congrats to all. Set new goals for yourself and keep it going! We'll be transitioning to Winter Camping now and working toward our trip in January to try out our new skills. We'll have new character and leadership traits and a new verse to memorize. Speaking of memorization, here's a test to see if you got our first memory verse in your long term memory. Tell me the verse next Tuesday night (the 25th) and I'll have something sweet for you.

Blessings,
Captain Hayden

Notes from October 14th

2008-10-14T21:25:00.002-04:00

Hi parents and Brigadiers,
We spent a little time learning to shoot a basketball tonight though you guys may have been scratching your heads thinking, "what in the world are we doing?!" Well, there's a little method to my madness and what we did more than anything was to give you some easy drills to get a feel for the ball and good shooting form even though we never actually shot at a basket. It's all about control of the ball and our bodies. Lt. Anderson made a great point tonight about how shooting a basketball can illustrate what sin is. Sin is missing the mark and anyone who's ever shot the Bball knows what that's like. I even remember an exercise from one of the Stockade Blockhouses that used that example. So if sin is "missing the mark", then what is the "mark" to begin with? Well for that we look to the perfection of our great God and it's clear to any honest person that we just aren't going to make it on our own. And that's what's so amazing about God's grace. His only son takes what we deserve, for missing the mark, and we're seen as having hit the mark perfectly, like Jesus, when we trust Him as our Lord and Saviour. That's good news! I'll see you when I get back from my trip Lord willing.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

Thoughts from October 7

2008-10-09T23:03:00.005-04:00

Hi gang,
We got some good information for our quest to better our physical fitness this week. We've all got goals to shoot for now and practical ways to get there...if we act. Remember, there's some prizes out there for showing you are working your plan. You know, having a plan is important for many areas of our lives. I talked some this week about our being more diligent about regular devotions whether that occurs using our Adventure Trails books or by some others means. The key again is to have a plan. Plan your work then work your plan. Do you have a time each week you can devote specifically to your relationship with the Lord? I like to read the paper while I eat my Frosted Mini-wheats each morning. But, you know, the news ain't that great these days and I'm convinced I'll find better news in the pages of my Bible. That's a time I could make a change. Which brings me to the story Lt. Lutz told us this week. Shadrach, Mishshach, and Abednego had a very telling moment in their lives, a moment to stand in faith or to crumble. If you read the beginning of the book of Daniel, you find that these young men were faithful to God from the beginning and he in turn gave them knowledge and understanding. They were young men of action and planning and because of that, they were prepared when a test of faith came. It was neat to learn that Lt. Lutz actually came to know Jesus as his savour as Stockader some years ago and he shared that CSB Ministries’ mission is to win and develop children and youth to be leaders for Christ. That mission hasn't changed. I think you are in the right place. Did you know Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego weren't their original names? Tell me their original names and I'll have something for you at the next meeting.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

Thoughts from our September 30th meeting

2008-10-01T19:37:00.002-04:00

Greetings all!
September has come and gone and we are off to a great start in Battalion. The consistency of our attendance each week is really encouraging and even this week we had a guy come who we hadn't seen since last spring. We've got a great group. Well, how did you like the basketball lesson? It was clear everyone was working pretty hard at the drills and you guys are good sports. Everyone did very well and, like the fitness programs, it's consistent practice that gives real improvement. For some, playing a game is a more rewarding way to get and stay in shape so you'll have that opportunity over the next couple weeks. Well you all heard from Ethan Criss this week. He's one of our newest Lieutenants but he's not new to Battalion or even to 6468. Ethan's been involved as a Brigadier and Non-com and has joined us again now that he's graduated from Washington College. I'm thankful he's here. What he didn't tell you is that if you need some help with American History, he's your man. He shared with us some wisdom he gained in his experience at college and it's advice we'd do well to heed. If you're human, and I assume you are, you know how tough it can be to break a habit. We try and fail, try and fail again. It can get pretty discouraging! But discouragement is the last thing God wants for us. In fact, He's made the greatest sacrifice to give us not what we deserve but himself through Christ. He doesn't require us to get our act together before he accepts us. That's what we call grace and that's good news! Let me know if you have any habits you're working to change at our next meeting and I'll have something for you.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

Thoughts from the September 23rd Battalion Meeting

2008-09-25T21:28:00.002-04:00

Hi all,
Well, we've got a lot of information on exercise programs. We learned how they benefit us, what they should include, target heart rates, aerobic and anaerobic exercise, etc. My fear is that the only thing working out so far is our brains. Have you started? Are you "just doing it"? All the knowledge about fitness and workouts won't make us stronger or better conditioned. We have to do something with what we've learned. I hope you will. You know, fitness knowledge is to fitness what knowing about Jesus is to knowing Jesus. We have the Bible to tell us all about who Jesus is, why he came, and why we need him so badly. But if it only goes as far as our head, we may end up like those fellas in Mathew 7:21-23. They may have known about Jesus but didn't "know" Jesus and Jesus didn't know them. James talks a good deal about faith that is all head knowledge and no action. Lt. Anderson used a great illustration to show us the difference in believing something is true about a thing and actually laying hold of that thing to make it ours. In that same Chapter of Mathew, Jesus tells us to ask, to seek, and to knock. Those are action words. Take action. Jesus is waiting. Let me know how you've taken action this week and I'll have something for you at our next meeting.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

2008-09-18T21:26:00.010-04:00

STOCKADE

Chapelgate Presbyterian Church's Chistian Service Brigade Stockade 6468 program is for boys grades 3rd through 6th grades who want to have fun while growing in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Along with fun and games, the boys participate in activities that involve exciting growth experiences: physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. The Stockade Boys are grouped by grade in Posts and lead by 2 or 3 Christian men. The Tuesday (7pm-8:30pm) weekly meetings are a time of games, stories, achievements and a regular challenge from the Word of God. In addition, the boys will participate in some special events such as Camping, Service Project, Talent Show, Shape N Race Derby, and a Rocket Launch. Contact Chief Ranger Gene Siggins at 410-795-6782 with any questions.

Week of September 16th

2008-09-17T12:50:00.002-04:00

Well it was another good turn out this week and good to see everyone. Looks like everyone recovered from our fitness test so now we can set about the business of improvement. I hope you'll seize the opportunity to develop a simple routine of exercise to see what you can accomplish over the next six weeks. I think you may surprise yourself. A great point that Kyle and Trevor made in their presentation last night is that exercise is necessary to get in shape but also to keep or maintain a level of fitness. Our relationships are like that too. When we practice or "exercise" our relationships with others, they get better and when we continue in that, our relationships with parents, friends, etc get even stronger. The one relationship that really sets the tone for all others is our relationship to Christ. Have you "exercised" that relationship lately? It shouldn't be hard. The scriptures tell me He's particularly fond of you and seeks a relationship with you. He actually pursues you. Lt. Heckman talked some about this last night when he mentioned our "connectedness" to Christ. Let us fix our eyes on Him (like a finish line) and run the race He sets before us. That's a fitness program we can all use. Do you remember the verses from Hebrews Lt. Heckman talked about? Let me know at the next meeting and I'll have something for you.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden

The Bike Trip Was Great!

2008-09-16T02:44:00.003-04:00

Hi all,
Well the weather cooperated and we had a fantastic weekend on the C&O Canal. We were dropped off in Harpers Ferry and traveled 44 miles on Saturday to Swains Lock and only experienced one flat tire. The scenery was great and the miles slipped past. We pulled into camp around 6:30 ready for a good meal and some rest. Sunday, we spent some time in worship after a hardy breakfast (good pancakes Dan!) then headed for Georgetown stopping at Great Falls to take in the sites of the river. We made it to the Mile 0 post then met up with our driver, Dan Both. Dan gave up his weekend to get us to and from the drop points and to make sure our camp gear was there when we needed it. We couldn't have done it with out him and we're greatful for his service to the CSB. Hope you enjoy the pics.

Blessings,
Capt. Hayden