by Matt Ballantine
Parenting isn’t for the faint-hearted. It demands grit, grace, and a steady hand — especially when raising kids to stand firm in a world that often doesn’t. The daily grind of decisions and discipline can wear you down, but the goal remains: to raise children with character, conviction, and Christ at the centre.
The BB Object is “The advancement of Christ’s Kingdom among boys, and the promotion of habits of obedience, reverence, discipline, self-respect, and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness.”
If you’ve been around BB for more than five minutes, you’ve heard those words. They’re not just a motto — they’re a mission. A blueprint. A challenge. And they don’t just shape our Company nights. They shape how we parent, how we lead, and how we live.
👨👩👦 A Wedding, A Son, A Realisation
Not long ago, my wife and I were asked to speak at a wedding — not just as guests, but as parents. We stood up for a young man who came to live with us at 17. We didn’t raise him from childhood, and we can’t take credit for the parenting that made him man he’s become. But we’ve had the privilege of walking alongside him — and now his wife — as part of our family.
As we wrote that speech, I realised something: our words echoed the BB Object. They were about legacy. About raising up men and women who live with purpose, integrity, and faith.
The Foundation That Holds
We kept coming back to Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 3:14–17:
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings…
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Paul points to Timothy’s mother and grandmother — women who laid a solid foundation of Scripture in his life. That foundation matters. In our “son’s” case, the foundation from his parent’s parenting was strong and secure and it had been from the day he left home.
BB and Parenting: Shoulder to Shoulder
Before I was a BB Leader, I was a BB Dad. I didn’t attend BB as a boy, so I didn’t grow up knowing the Object. As young parents, my wife and I wanted to raise our kids to be respectful, honourable, Christ-following people.
Parenting to raise kids that way is tough It starts from a young age and carries on until they are adults. We needed the support of each other and our “village” – church, family and friend – to stay consistent and encouraged.
That’s where BB can help. BB is not here to replace parents. BB is here to back them up. To stand shoulder to shoulder and help raise the next generation of Christians. Sometimes that means encouraging a dad who’s had a rough week. Sometimes it’s spotting leadership potential in a lad who doesn’t see it in himself. Sometimes it’s just listening.
The BB Object works because it’s clear. It tells the boys what we’re aiming for. It tells us, as Officers, what we’re accountable to. It’s not a slogan — it’s a standard.
And it’s not just for Company nights. It’s for life.
🔥 Building Men, Not Just Running Programs
When we talk about “Advancing Christ’s Kingdom Among Boys,” we’re not talking about ticking boxes to earn awards. We’re talking about shaping men. Boys are encouraged to attend leadership, church, youth group. They lead devotions, run games, teach skills, and grow in confidence. We see glimpses of the men they’re becoming — and it’s a privilege to be part of that.
It’s a big responsibility. But it’s a bigger blessing.
The Boys’ Brigade is not just a program. We’re mentoring future leaders — of the Church, of families, of communities. We don’t know where God will take them. But we do know this: we’re called to point them to Christ.
And that’s a job worth showing up for.
Sure and Stedfast.
Matt Ballantine is an officer at 16th Brisbane, President of the South Moreton Battalion and Training Director for BBQLD.