Fred Pry, CEF® Vice President of Administration:
‘The fall season provides the perfect backdrop to teach kids about God’
For Immediate Release
October 13, 2025
ST. LOUIS — America’s young people are increasingly rejecting traditional biblical teachings, leading to a concerning decline in foundational spiritual beliefs among children ages 8 to 12. In fact, research reveals that only 25% of preteens consider the Bible God’s word, while just 21% believe in the concept of absolute moral truth.
Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is committed to changing this troubling narrative. Grounded in Scripture and embracing an interdenominational approach, the organization is dedicated to sharing the Good News of Jesus with children everywhere, discipling them through the Word of God and helping them become rooted in a Bible-believing church for Christian living.
One way CEF pursues this mission is through annual outreach activities, including its fall initiatives.
According to Fred Pry, CEF Vice President of Administration, “Fall is a special time of year: The weather starts cooling down, school schedules are set in place and fun activities are around the corner. The fall setting provides the perfect backdrop to teach kids about God.”
To that end, CEF suggests a few fall activities parents can do with kids that will teach them more about their Creator, including:
- Sharing and discussing Bible verses about God’s creation and creativity while spending time together outside
- Creating gratitude crafts
- Carving a transformation pumpkin, using each step to highlight a truth about God, the “See the Light Shine” tract has step-by-step instructions and Gospel applications.
Carving pumpkins also signals another fall event, Halloween. While many Christians avoid engaging with this holiday, CEF approaches it strategically, using it as an opportunity to teach kids about God.
“Instead of cursing the darkness, we are determined to bring light and the love of Jesus to a dark and hurting world,” shared Pry. “At CEF, we envision it as another opportunity to reach children in a new way. We have tracts geared to the occasion, and work alongside churches when they hold seasonal events.”
The CEF Press tract, “The Best Treat,” follows two friends who love treats and scheme to steal Halloween candy from others. However, their plans take a turn when a friend introduces them to an even greater treat — one that is freely given and can only come from God.
Other seasonal resources include “Unforgettable Pumpkin Run,” a Party ClubTM lesson designed to share the Good News, while teaching young believers to love others with the love of Christ; “The Thank You Spy” is another Party Club lesson. Local CEF chapters often attend or organize Trunk or Treat events where children trick or treat out of car trunks. In 2024, over 1,500 children in Central Maine were reached through Trunk or Treat events using CEF resources.
CEF also hosts fall festivals at churches throughout the country, a number of which take place on Halloween, giving local families a safe, wholesome alternative to trick-or-treating. Last year, CEF in Northern California reached 4,324 children, 1,108 of whom professed their faith in Jesus.
Altogether, these fall programs and resources offer Christians a variety of ways to shine a light in an increasingly dark world.
“CEF supports individuals and churches as they follow their convictions surrounding this cultural event, which has grown more and more prominent in recent years,” remarked Pry. “We’re told in the Bible to redeem the time because the days are evil, and this is our way of redeeming Halloween by sharing God’s love and encouraging others to focus on His light.”
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 2024, through the combined ministries of CEF, more than 31 million children worldwide were impacted for Christ. More than 533,000 teachers were trained around the world to reach children.
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.