‘Child Evangelism Fellowship helps neglected children experience love, hope and comfort in Jesus,’ said CEF Vice President of Administration Fred Pry
ST. LOUIS — Children thrive when they feel loved and secure and see adults modeling godly behavior.
But when children are in an abusive or even coldly indifferent household, they can experience long-lasting negative effects, such as poor self-esteem, anxiety and depression. This can often lead to troubling behavior.
A Harvard study estimated that one in five children lives in a home in which parents or caregivers abuse drugs or alcohol. Children in these situations are three times more likely to be physically, sexually or emotionally abused, and four times more likely to be neglected than their peers.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to focus on ways to protect children and improve their outcomes.
“Child Evangelism Fellowship helps neglected children experience love, hope and comfort in Jesus,” said Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Vice President of Administration Fred Pry. “CEF Good News Club® is a safe place for kids experiencing neglect or lacking positive role models.”
In schools (yes, schools!), community centers, churches and neighborhood homes, teachers who are screened, trained and equipped lead action-packed Good News Club® every week, delivering the timeless truths of the Bible in exciting, engaging ways. Children hear the Gospel, and many come to know Jesus as their Savior.
Identifying possible abuse
An article on the CEF website, “How to Help Neglected Children With CEF,” explains the importance of spotting such children and using CEF resources to help them.
It has many suggestions, such as, “Show them the love of Jesus and that you care by taking the time to get to know them, including them in activities, writing them letters, sending them a birthday card, or giving them little gifts.”
“The love of Jesus can radically change boys’ and girls’ lives, even if their immediate situation doesn’t get better,” the article says. “God is near to the broken-hearted and His heart weeps for those neglected and lost. Children desperately need to hear that God knows and cares for them, but they also need to be shown that love by Jesus’ hands and feet here on earth: the church.”
“That’s exactly what Good News Club® does for so many children,” Pry says. “They not only learn about Jesus and the Bible in fun ways but feel like they are part of a loving community. They are no longer alone, facing life without help and hope.”
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.