Missionaries of All Ages Through the Ages

I recently read an article by Bienfait Regis Ntakabanyura, of BURUNDI (a county in East Africa) in the CEF Impact Magazine. The story was about 11 year old Gaby and 9 year old Lenitha. Both children are from Africa and joined the Good News Club at their school. They heard the Gospel and responded in faith to receive Jesus Christ for salvation.

When Gaby learned through the missionary story that he could become a missionary too, he said; "I'll be a missionary." He has been asking for prayer each week at club for God to help him be a full-time missionary one day.

Lenitha has been sharing the Good News of Jesus with the other children at her school using the colors of the Wordless Book wristband. She went to her school director and asked if she could be allowed to take just 10 minutes of her break to go to the preschool and share with them the Word of God. Her school director was amazed and give her permission.

God is moving in power to reach children with the Good News across the globe!

In the USA there are Good News Clubs in every state.

In Southern Illinois there are twenty Good News Bible Clubs meeting after-school at a local elementary school reaching over 500 children and growing. There are currenly120 volunteers going to teach children from God's Word at Good News Clubs in the SIL Chapter. Children hear the Gospel each week and many are responding in faith to put their trust and hope in Jesus. Children are growing in their walk with the LORD and sharing the Good News with their family and friends.

The Good News Club always shares a foundational lesson series at the start of each new club year. This year we started with a six week set of lessons called; The Wordless Book Visualized and the mission story of Madugu - a true mission story from Nigeria.

In the story Madugu hears the Gospel shared by a missionary who used the wordless book colors to point the children to Scriptures from God's Word. The colors of the wordless book gives children a clear visual and a way to remember the Bible verses.

God the Holy Spirit drew Madugu's heart to responds in faith to the truth of the Gospel. He when goes back to his village to share the Good News of Jesus with his brothers.

It is the life changing message of the Gospel that inspires people to participate in this mission. The volunteers, the host churches, parents who fill out the registration form their child to come to club, and the children who attend club.

Good News Bible Clubs are sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) and hosted and conducted by local Bible-believing churches and community volunteers in partnership with CEF.

The next generation is worth the time and effort it takes to become a volunteer! GOD CAN USE YOU TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

The Fall 2024 Good News Training is scheduled for September 20th and 21st.

cefsi.com

Robin

The Weights Are Real & So Are The Choices.

Robin "Life is full of choices!" That was the opener to the long speech I received from my grade school principal. I was a seventh grader sitting in his office for the third time in a week. In the natural what he could see was a 5''8' ninety-eight pound angry child. But, what he did not see was the heavy weight (yoke) that I was carrying.

Sometimes people refer to as a chip.

You have heard the saying; "they have a chip on their shoulder." The second part of that is... "and they are just looking for someone to knock it off."

Is it possible that the undeveloped adolescent mind makes poor choices to act out in an effort to get someone to notice the heaviness and the need for it to be knocked off or taken off? What if kids were given some tools to learn to carry it or share it, so they at least have a chance to make better choices on the path to growing up?

Are most "chips" develop on a person because of low-self-esteem/ low self-worth? At the very root can this be be fear? Fear of harm? Fear of failure? Fear of never being able to change a situation? All of the above +?

Is it possible that "chips" start out as fear and fear takes on many deformities in a young person to distort, diminish, or even inflate their identity? Is it possible that fear can turn into anger in some personality types and depression in others? Sounds like the ancient tactics of the devil to me! Is fear in the lives of God's people the only effective weapon the enemy owns?

I believe that often it is the undetected, unchecked, uncast fear bottled up inside of a child that gives way to anger and/or depression and can produce a "chip on the shoulder." Poor choices will follow!

The devil will use fear on a child to make them act out in self sabotage behavior. They will make poor choices and their behavior will be so annoying, disruptive or even repulsive that many adults will be tempted to throw in the towel and give up on the child. Even worse many time tired adults will add to the weight on the child by labeling them and speaking over them curses with an untamed and untrained tongue.

(James 3:5-6)

How can we recognize and properly address fear in children? The medical world has a saying; "early dedication can save lives."

A spirit of fear is NOT from the LORD. The passage found in 2 Timothy 1:7 makes this very clear:

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.

Kids need to know this at a very early age!

Let us be about the business of recognizing fear in people of all ages and especially children and teach them about the One who offers them HOPE over HOSTEL, ANSWERS over ANXIETY AND FREEDOM over FEAR.

At after-school Good News Club children learn about Jesus the One who helps us cast all fear, anxiety, anger and worry upon Him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7-14) Children learn and memorize Bible verses that equips them to stand strong, avoid pitfalls, arms them to fight the lies of the enemy and gives them Real and Lasting HOPE!

My junior high principal was right about one thing that day.... Life is full of choices.

When a child is equipped with the proper tools to deal with fear and the freedom to move toward overcoming fear, they will have the confidence to ask for help in bearing the weight that is too massive or heavy for them to carry alone.

Jesus helps us in amazing ways to make the loads and weights lighter and when this happens, it will be easier to make some better choices in life.

HELP SOMEONE TODAY BY LOVING THEM ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO THEM, SEE THEM THE WAY GOD SEES THEM AND OFFER THEM HOPE!

HOPE is greater than FEAR!

He

Offers

Peace

Eternal.

Blessings,

Robin

Angry me #13 and my best friend #12 in the 7th grade:)

Leaders Lead By Example!

In the CEF Southern Illinois Chapter well over 250 Good News Club volunteers have attended a start up GNC Training since 2016. Twenty-one teams have launched out to host and conduct an after-school Bible Club at an Elementary School in Southern IL.

Church Leaders are leading by example to reach the next generation of children in Southern IL.

Steadfast, strong, dedicated, creative, people of faith who love God, love people, and have a great desire for children to hear the Good News!

Showing up! Investing time, energy, resources, and most of all allowing their hearts to be touched by the children they serve. There are currently 18 active Good News Bible Clubs meeting after school in Southern IL.

I am truly amazed by the men and woman who go each week to teach the Clubs. They are more than just home-town heroes, they are making a difference in SIL, IL, the USA, the world, and for all eternity!

Many of the GNC teachers who go to public schools immediately after-school are local pastors.

In fact in the Southern IL Chapter there are ten pastors who teach in a Good News Club.

It is with extreme joy and gratitude that I share this news with you! To witness the leadership in our local churches stepping into the position of going to teach the children is extraordinary!

More than 85% of children living in America today do not attend church and that number will continue to rise if the Church leadership stays home.

Church leadership is not just the pastor as some church members like to think. I have served on several church committees over time. I have heard statements like, "well that is the pastor's job" and how about this one..." The preacher is paid to do this kind of thing."

Speaking of going out to visit the sick, shut in's, and share the THE GOOD NEWS with those who have not heard.

I was quick to speak up to say that is not what God said.

The Word of God is very clear about our call as Christians to go into all the world to preach the Gospel and make disciples. It is stunning to think that there are many names on church membership rolls who have never even once stepped out to share the Good News of Jesus with another person. Leaving the walls of the church to GO & TELL the Good News and share the reason for our faith is essential for all believers.

God is raising up many believers to meet the need head on. There are faithful and passionate church members who are taking the charge to lead by example to build a Team to GO reach to teach the next generation!

Thanks to the armies of loving Local Pastors, Moms, Dads, Grandmothers, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, Sunday School Teaches, Retired School Teachers, Pastor's Wives, Home-school Families, Teenagers, Children's Ministry Leaders, Youth Leaders, and Public School teachers who carry the Bible and the message of the Gospel into our Elementary Schools.

I am more than over joyed that clergy in Southern Illinois see the great need to mobilize to reach the next generation. I am thankful that many are willing to ADOPT-A-SCHOOL in their community to GO and lead by example! The Good News Club mission is work and it takes the whole Body to make these fun and meaningful Clubs happen for the kids in our towns and communities.

As a nation we can not afford to miss this opportunity! We most mobilize now and make the most of the 2001 Supreme Court Ruling on Equal Access in America. It was handed down by God for such a time as this.

To hear how your church can adopt the local school in your area to host and conduct an after-school Bible Club for children, reach out to Robin or Ashley at cefsi.com. We offer a 20 minute presentation in the CEF Office. Invite Robin to your church to speak to the Church Leadership, Outreach Committee, or Missions Committee about how you can make a difference. Kids need to hear the Good News!

Robin