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| Good News Club image courtesy photobucket.com |
On May 18th of this year, CEF celebrated 75 years of reaching children for Jesus world wide. The Good News Club and Release Time Christian Education are two of the most popular forms of ministry. The goal is to claim a city for Jesus by reaching the children.
Good News Club® is a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship® in which trained teachers meet with groups of children in schools, homes, community centers, churches, apartment complexes, just about anywhere the children can easily and safely meet with their parent's permission.
As a young child I attended a good news club just down the street from us. There Bible stories were told, songs about Jesus and living for God were learned as well as Scripture memory verses. Prizes were given and at the end of the class usually a candy or cookie was enjoyed for paying attention.
The Wordless Book is still popular today when a small book with no words, just colored pages tells the Gospel story. The cover is green representing everlasting life and growing in Christ. Black represents our hearts full of sin. Red reminds us of the blood of Jesus that can wash away our sin, White as snow is our heart after we receive Jesus. The color Gold represents the city in heaven that we now have the privilege to go one of these days.
I was thinking back to when my own children were attending a Good News Club located just around the corner from us. A Christian family had opened their home for the Bible Club, and faithfully each week Mrs Drinkle and a helper would share the love of Jesus with a group of neighbourhood kids including my children.
One day my youngest daughter Judie had gone to the Bible club with her friend from school. My two older children for some reason had not attended that day, but were at home with me in the kitchen. Suddenly Judie rushed in very excited as she burst out the good news. “Mama, today I gave my heart to Jesus at Good News Club. Mrs. Drinkle gave me a little book and wrote my name with the date in it so I can remember when Jesus came into my heart." We rejoiced together and I was so happy for Judie.
What happened next was unexpected, as her sister Becky said, “I don’t think I have ever done that.” Her big brother Steven came over to her, and looking into her face said, “Then you had better do it now.” Together we prayed the sinner’s prayer and that day, Heaven registered two new names in the Lambs book of life.
I am so thankful for Good News Club and for faithful teachers like Mrs. Drinkle! Some plant, some sow and others reap but it is God who gives the increase.
Child Evangelism Fellowship welcomes volunteer teachers, and they also have dedicated missionaries who minister full time. Martha Wright our friend of many years became one of the CEF missionaries. She represents our family as she ministers daily for the children in the State of Maryland.
Volunteers are needed and full time workers need support. Interested? Contact CEF.
http://www.cefonline.com/
This post has been shared at God Bumps and God Incidences.
