About CEF Mō mātou
Child Evangelism Fellowship® is a Bible-centred organisation of born-again believers. Our purpose is to evangelise boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to establish (disciple) them in the Word of God and in a local church for Christian living.
Our story
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Age 12
Jesse Irvin Overholtzer grew up in a religious family. At twelve he was convicted of his own sin and went to his mother for counsel. She told him, “Son, you are too young.”
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College
It wasn’t until he was at college that he heard the Gospel and trusted Christ as his Saviour.
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As a pastor
Years later, as a pastor, he read a sermon by Charles Spurgeon that changed the course of his life.
“A child of five, if properly instructed, can as truly believe and be regenerated as an adult.”
Charles Spurgeon -
The Lord used that statement to lead Overholtzer, at 60 years old, to begin the ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship.
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Today
CEF has grown into the largest evangelistic outreach to children in the world, ministering in more than 185 countries.
Our vision
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Every child
That every child will have an opportunity to hear the Gospel at least once.
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Every nation
That children in every nation will have access to the Gospel through an established and well-developed CEF ministry.
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Every day
That children who put their trust in the Lord Jesus as Saviour will grow in their faith by spending time with God, in His Word, every day.
How CEF works
CEF has many ministries for children. Alongside them, we train people and provide teaching materials so the work can grow.
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Ministries
Our primary ministries are Good News Club® and Christmas Party Club®.
See our ministries -
Training
CEF runs classes to train workers and other Christians who are burdened for evangelising children.
See training -
CEF Press
CEF Press produces and distributes Bible lessons, missionary lessons and related materials for teaching children.
Visit CEF Press
Our culture
Six convictions shape how we lead, serve and teach.
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Godly leadership at every level
Spiritual leadership is the highest form of authority. Those who lead must have a personal heart for God to discern His will and lead the ministry well. Whatever a leader’s skill, if they lack a heart for God, the work is eroded at its foundation.
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The spiritual welfare of our workers
We are never satisfied with simply teaching our staff how to reach children and train others. We purposefully invest in their spiritual lives. When our workers are driven by a passion for God and His glory, and have a clear call from Him, the work prospers, and our focus on God sustains us in times of challenge.
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Prayer as our foundation
The greatest advances in the work come not from the work we do, the meetings we hold or the decisions we make, but from time spent before the throne of God in prayer, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer brings power, labourers and resources into the ministry.
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Evangelising children
Many organisations do good and important things for children in need, and we thank God for them. CEF has been called to make it our highest priority to present the Gospel so that children may be saved and discipled in God’s Word. We must stay on point.
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A clear and biblical presentation of the Gospel
That a young child can understand the simple message of salvation and become a child of God is the foundational principle of CEF. Everything else we do rests on it. The good news of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation, so we must present it clearly and accurately.
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Excellence, for the glory of God
Every part of the work, however big or small, matters: the training we conduct, the materials we produce, the facilities we use and the way we present ourselves. In every area we strive for excellence to the glory of God.
Our wider family
CEF New Zealand is part of CEF Asia Pacific, based in Bangkok, Thailand, and of CEF International, whose headquarters are in Warrenton, Missouri, USA.