‘Children thrive when they know they are loved, and Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to share God’s love with them,’ says CEF Acting Vice President of Administration Fred Pry
For Immediate Release
February 3, 2025
ST. LOUIS — Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), the world’s largest evangelistic ministry to children, offers Valentine’s Day advice for parents and others on teaching kids how they can express their love and care to others.
“Teaching the true story of the ancient Christian hero and martyr Valentine affords a priceless opportunity to put love in action with an eternal perspective,” says CEF Acting Vice President of Administration Fred Pry. “Valentine’s Day, which is widely celebrated as a day for people to show their love, can be used as a way to share the greatest love of all — God’s love gift of His Son for the whole world.”
Parents are looking for ways to let their children know that they are loved. Pew Research Center asked over 3,700 parents nationwide: “Compared with how you were raised, are you trying to raise your children in a similar way or a different way?”
“Among parents who say they are raising their children differently from how they were raised, 44% gave answers that focused on love and their relationship with their children,” the researchers said. “Many said they are giving them more love and affection than what they received as a child.”
“Children thrive when they know they are loved, and Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to share God’s love with them,” Pry says. “No matter what else happens in their lives, they will know that God will always love them.”
Here are ways parents can encourage their children and help them to express their love for God and others.
A love gift
“One of the greatest gifts you can give a child is the assurance that they are loved. Doing something special for a child is one way to say, ‘I love you!’ But it’s also reassuring for kids to hear you tell them you love them and show you care by spending time together and listening to what they have to say.”
The true origin of Valentine’s Day
“About 200 years after Jesus lived on the earth, the Roman Empire was one of the biggest kingdoms in the world. Many of its laws were against God, and people were told they had to worship Roman idols. But a man named Valentine lived to honor God. When he was arrested and brought before the emperor, Valentine bravely shared about the love of Jesus, although he knew it would cost him his life. He was killed for his faith on February 14th. We celebrate Valentine’s Day in his honor and to remember his love for God and others.”
Feeling left out
“Valentine’s Day is a great time to talk with kids about showing love to everyone. That doesn’t mean they have to be everyone’s best friend, but they can treat everyone with kindness. Remind kids that God’s love is for everyone. They can ask God to help them show His loving kindness to kids who are mean to them and to kids who are considered outcasts. They should treat others the way they would like to be treated.”
Who should Christians think about?
“It’s natural for children to think about themselves — what they want and what they get. But you can help kids learn how to think about others. As Valentine’s Day approaches, talk with kids about whom they can show love and care to and how. They can think about others in their family, neighbors or someone from church.
“When you remember them on Valentine’s Day, you can share God’s love and bring great joy. You can help kids make and deliver Valentines to them. Talk about some things they can say as they hand out their valentines, such as, ‘God loves you,’ or ‘You’re special to God.’ They can ask, ‘Did you ever make Valentine’s cards?’ or ‘Do you have a special Valentine?’ Remind them, that when they believe in Jesus, they can know God is always with them and that His love for them will never end.”
In addition to the ways CEF is equipping parents to teach their children about the true meaning of Valentine’s Day, CEF offers a wonderful Party Club lesson entitled, “The Greatest Valentine.” The lesson teaches kids that Valentine’s Day is more than roses, hearts and candy, and about how Valentine risked his life to obey God and share His love with others in ancient Rome. The lesson includes Valentine-themed games, activities, a foldable memory verse object lesson, plus optional resources to encourage children to pray for persecuted Christians. By getting involved in a CEF Valentine’s Day Party Club, children are able to learn the Good News of Jesus in a way they understand.
Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), which was founded 88 years ago, has been establishing the Good News Club® in countries around the world for decades. Clubs are thriving worldwide, in countries including Australia, Cambodia, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda, and many more.
In 2023, through the combined ministries of CEF, more than 25.2 million children worldwide heard the Good News. More than 577,000 teachers were trained around the world.
For more CEF news, see the ministry’s latest edition of the online magazine Impact.
CEF is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled, and established in a local church since 1937. CEF is located in all 50 American states and in most countries around the world, with over 3,500 paid staff and tens of thousands of volunteers around the world.
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To interview a representative from Child Evangelism Fellowship, contact [email protected], Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, Dawn Foglein, ext. 100, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.