As participation in church or other religious activities continues to decline, Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is seeing an increase through its vast network of volunteers who reach millions of children around the world.
That’s really is good news as International Volunteer Day is observed Dec. 5.
Headquartered in Missouri, CEF saw record participation in 2023, with more than 25.2 million children involved in its programs. The organization also trained over 577,000 teachers across its international chapters.
“Volunteers are crucial to our worldwide commitment to sharing the Gospel with children,” says CEF Acting Vice President of Administration Fred Pry. “They are investing time — and impacting eternity.”
The organization, marking its 87th year, relies heavily on volunteers to run its signature Good News Club programs and other initiatives like Christmas Party Club across local communities.
READ: CEF wants to reach 100 million kids each year
“CEF volunteers make it possible for Good News Club, 5-Day Club®, Christmas Party Club and many other areas of our ministry to proclaim the Gospel to children,” Pry said.
It is also expanding its global footprint through the “Every Child, Every Nation, Every Day” mission. The effort has born fruit in areas as diverse as Cambodia, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Bradley Blalock is a success story. He’s a former high school baseball prospect who was impacted by CEF as a child and later became a group leader. Today he continues to volunteer.
The organization’s reach now extends to 9 in 10 countries around the world, each having active programs. They vary widely in location including Australia to Uganda, and Mexico to Poland. Each of these local chapters has one thing in common… providing many volunteer opportunities, from teaching and mentoring to local administrative support.
CEF’s training program has become a valuable resource for church volunteers, equipping them with skills that extend beyond children’s ministry. The training has proved a powerful tool, not just for CEF, but for churches whose voluteers say they now have more confidence in sharing their faith with others while the church community has grown closer…and stronger.
For information on how to be involved personally or to set up a churchwide effort, visit their website: www.cefonline.com.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice