Child Evangelism Fellow has expanded in northern Kentucky thanks to partnerships with Kentucky Baptist churches, according to the program’s regional director.
CEF currently has programs throughout the region and works with volunteers from nearly 30 churches, said director Martha Krebeck.
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“We couldn’t do it without volunteers,” she said. “I’m the local director and my husband is my No. 1 volunteer. We go into the public schools and try to start Good News Clubs.”
‘All about evangelism, discipleship and helping parents and families’
CEF, which began in 1937, has operated in northern Kentucky for about a decade, she said. Krebeck moved to the area with her husband, Bret, in 2017.
“The exciting part of our program is our ministry is all about evangelism, discipleship and helping parents and families become established in local churches,” she said. “We do evangelism at every single club we do.”
The Good News Clubs meet once a week throughout the school year as after-school programs either in schools, churches or community centers.
“I’ve seen whole families get saved from one child coming to Good News Club,” Krebeck said. “It’s very effective in that way. Leaders of clubs have opportunity to go to the house of the kids and start a relationship by asking if there is anything they can pray for them about. It gives them that opportunity.”
The Good News Clubs are led by adults and include snacks, an activity related to the theme of the day, a memory verse, songs and Bible lessons, Krebeck said.
It is for elementary age children from kindergarten through fifth grade. There is also a middle school curriculum available. Pastor Dale Beighle of Turner Ridge Baptist Church in Pendleton County teaches a middle school club, said Krebeck.
Mindy Ball, a member of Burlington Baptist, is one of the Good News Club elementary instructors. She previously taught for 30 years in public schools in South Point, Ohio.
“They have several clubs going in Grant County but in Boone County the hardest thing is just getting into the schools,” Ball said. “When I moved up here, I was so excited, but it can be frustrating. Everybody’s cliché response, even if they’re Christians, is if we let Christians in, we have to let everybody (other religions) in.”
Asking challenging questions
In Boone County, two elementary schools bus children to Good News Clubs, Ball said. She noted that students, who are exposed to many different religions in their diverse school community, often ask challenging questions.
“God has allowed me to teach college and career, junior high and elementary students in Sunday school classes. You don’t see those kinds of questions like, ‘How do we know this is the real one?’ They can get rooted in what they believe. We want to give them foundational truths to build on.”
Krebeck said the program is “very intentional” about sharing the gospel and “making sure they totally understand what they committed their life to” with a faith decision.
Word of mouth from students, whom Ball calls “little missionaries,” has helped the program grow.
Ball said she tries to share deeper truths from the Bible, so students better understand what they believe before making commitments.
“We do discipleship throughout the school year,” Krebeck said. “We get to know the kids and disciple them. As a result of that, they partner with a local church. When parents are picking up the kids, whoever is leading the club invites the parents and families to their church on Sunday.”
The Northern Kentucky chapter includes 11 counties, Krebeck said, adding that most of the churches involved are Baptist congregations.
Learn more about the program at cefnky.com
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Mark Maynard and originally published by Kentucky Today.
