Nine enthusiastic teenagers from the Newport News area gathered in the home of Dianne Tate on May 12th for Christian Youth in Action® (CYIA™) Pre-Training. CEF of Peninsula’s teens usually attend the Pre-training provided by CEF® of Greater Richmond, but due to scheduling conflicts, our Chapter training team of Judy and Kevin Mooers agreed to take on that task.
CEF of Greater Richmond provided all the teaching materials required for Pre-training. Local chapters within CEF of Virginia continually work together for God’s glory to provide training for future and current teachers of children.
Pre-training prepares the students for CYIA camp which will be held at Eastover Retreat Center June 17th through the 23rd. The teens are given an introduction to Child Evangelism Fellowship®, 5-Day Clubs, Wordless Book, community life, and future possibilities with CEF. CYIA camp is one of the best ways to get training to teach a 5-Day Club® or Good News Club® (GNC™).
Last summer, our Newport News CYIA team of 3 teens and 2 adult sponsors led four 5 Day Clubs, a VBS, and a one-day Party Club for a total of 80 children hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and 14 counseled for salvation. Praise the Lord! It will be exciting to see what the Lord has planned for this summer!
Quick Start is another training program that is scheduled throughout the year here on the Peninsula. Both teens and adults gather to learn the components of a Good News Club.
This basic training is for new-club startups or teachers who want to sharpen their skills or teach in different areas of the club. Quick start includes much of what is provided in Pre-training, but also includes breakout sessions for teaching Bible lesson, Scripture memorization and Song time.
Quick Start was already held this year on January 27th at Williamsburg Chapel, and also January 31st and February 5th at Fairfields United Methodist Church in Burgess, which included 17 people trained. Volunteers trained in January rounded out the teams that started Good News Clubs for the first time at Aberdeen Elementary and JB Blayton Elementary!
Also attending in Williamsburg were returning leaders who wanted to learn more about teaching different areas of the Good News Club. This cross-training is good for equipping backup teachers in the clubs and provides the children with a variety of teaching styles by alternating teachers.
Fall Training Schedule for the Peninsula includes:
Good News Club Kickoff – August 11, 9 a.m. to noon at Williamsburg Community Chapel
GNC leaders, administrators and prayer coordinators are encouraged to attend, but all volunteers are welcome! New CEF training material and future plans for the year are provided. Everyone gets a chance to know each other better by sharing ideas on motivating the children.
Quick Start training – FREE to the community at these locations
~ September 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Williamsburg Community Chapel
~ September (TBD) from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Fairfields United Methodist Church
NOTE: Determining the date for Northumberland County participants works best when planned just a few weeks before, so to gain maximum participation.
Child Evangelism Fellowship training has been honed through 80 years of dedicated focus on child evangelism!
Are you involved with reaching children for Christ as a Children’s Ministry Director or teacher, parent, guardian, or grandparent?
Won’t you mark your calendars now to join us and sharpen your skills in sharing the Gospel message on a child’s level – simply and clearly? Contact Judy Mooers for more information.
Written by Kevin Mooers
CMI Graduate, Training Instructor for CEF of Peninsula
Children’s Ministry Resources
Wordless Book Training
Do you feel confident that you are prepared to answer the young child who asks, “How can I know if I am a Christian or not?”
Relating the truth of the Gospel with words of two syllables or less is a challenge. Children can recognize and respond to His message with simple faith. That makes God’s plan even more astounding!
To reach more children effectively, CEF has made the Wordless Book training accessible online. You will learn how to present the Gospel message in 5 colors. First you hear how to present each color, and then watch a demonstration by a master trainer. Last you are challenged to present that section of the gospel message to a person (or stuffed animal) to practice.
It’s amazing how much you think you are absorbing and think “I know this,” until you are asked to present without notes!
Check it out today. Print the student notes first and then start the training video. You will be tempted to skip the practice section because you’ve got it down. NOT!
Only watch the training video if you are serious about the command in 1 Peter 5:8 –
“But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
Wait, everyone? Yes, even a child!
Testimonials | Stories Of How God Is Moving
GOING!
A group of teens at Smith Memorial Baptist has been trained and discipled in child evangelism for two years now. The church has been the host for the GNC at Waller Mill during that time. The Youth Ministry also reached out to children at DJ Montague Elementary through an Ultimate Christmas Party in 2016. On July 23rd a team from Smith Memorial heads to Puerto Rico to minister to a country still reeling from Hurricane Maria. Surprisingly, 1/3 of the team will be Good News Club volunteers! Five teens, along with GNC Team Lead Melanie Courtney, will be presenting The Wordless Book to children in Spanish. When teens are challenged to share the gospel with children and trained with the “How?” God can use them in mighty ways!
GNC volunteers: Amy (second from left back row), Adam (fourth from left back row), Hannah (second from the right back row), Nathan (back row last on right), Melanie (second from left in front row), Madison (third from left in front row)
This is Melanie’s explanation of their mission and how we can be a part of that in prayer:
“Our team of 18 (10 adults, 8 teens) fly out June 23rd and will return on the 29th. We will be partnering with First Baptist Church in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. We will be ministering in a variety of ways, from disaster relief home repairs to evangelizing in the parks as well as doing the CEF Wordless Book GNC in Spanish! Please pray for fertile soil in the hearts of those we encounter and pray for our team as we prepare to be the hands and feet of Christ to a people in much need of hope.”
