Brigades & Uniformed Youth Groups
I often get asked about Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade etc, (Scouts and the like are not so common among Baptists). The questions are often about how to close the groups without offending people who hold dear to their ideals, how to integrate them in to the wider youth work of the church and how to use them effectively.
A while ago I was sure the era of uniformed youth groups was long over and we should just kill them all off (the groups not the participants!). But every now and again I hear stories of great things happening through these groups, especially in unexpected situations or places where other forms of youthwork have failed. Plus I know the organisations themselves have made big efforts to try and bring them in to the 21st Century.
But is there a place for uniformed groups? What should we do with them? How can we use them?