Fred Pry, CEF® Vice President of Administration:
‘Children love Christmas and see it as a season of gift-giving, which makes them especially open to hearing about God’s greatest gift: His Son’
For Immediate Release February 23, 2025
ST. LOUIS — Since 1937, Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®) has shared the Good News of Jesus through engaging, time-tested programs hosted in a child’s local community.
One such program is the Christmas Party Club®. Presented in partnerships with churches and individuals worldwide, each club includes a Gospel-centered Bible lesson, engaging games, memory verses, songs and more, all designed to help children encounter the true meaning of Christmas.
Fred Pry, CEF Vice President of Administration, shared, “Children love Christmas and see it as a season of gift-giving, which makes them especially open to hearing about God’s greatest gift: His Son.”
In 2025, God opened new doors for CEF to bring the message of Christ’s birth into hostile regions marked by harsh terrain, war and conflict, spiritual darkness, and persecution. Workers endured extraordinary challenges to reach children, including traveling 36 hours by bus; carrying ministry materials for hours on foot; crossing open waters, navigating vehicle problems; and ministering in temperatures as low as -58°F.
Despite these odds, reports from around the world emphasized the program’s extraordinary growth. During the 2025 holiday season, CEF:
- Held over 9,400 Christmas Party Club training seminars that equipped 236,000 volunteers
- Hosted nearly 348,000 Christmas Party Clubs
- Reached over 12.5 million children, an increase of 21% over 2024
And while the impact is profound, it is also personal, highlighted by countless anecdotes from around the world.
In one community, a mother felt burdened for children but did not know where to begin. While fetching water at a community tap, she noticed women entering a CEF training seminar. Leaving her water containers behind, she followed them. That small decision led to her becoming equipped to reach children with the Living Water of the Gospel.
In Thailand, CEF workers overcame religious barriers by hosting a Christmas Party Club at a Buddhist temple, offering children there a unique opportunity to hear about Jesus.
In the Middle East, a 13-year-old Muslim boy hesitantly entered a Christmas Party Club out of curiosity. During a game at the Christmas Party Club, when asked how to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life, he boldly answered, “We must believe in Jesus and welcome Him into our lives.” Moments later, he placed his faith in Christ.
In Nigeria, where Christians face increasing persecution, courageous workers distributed invitations to a Christmas Party Club. When workers arrived at the venue, 247 children were already waiting to hear the good news about Jesus.
Across Europe, Christmas Party Clubs flourished, as children heard the Gospel in schools, churches, homes and community halls. One young girl openly shared a commonly held saying, “I will never forget this Christmas,” stating she understood for the first time why Christmas is celebrated.
Best of all, the Christmas Party Club offers a gateway to year-round discipleship through Good News Club® Ministry. There are nearly 27,000 Good News Clubs slated for 2026, ensuring that children reached during the Christmas season can continue growing in their newfound faith in Christ.
“The truth of the Bible and the hope found in Christ is still vital today, to address life’s questions and find real purpose in our world,” summarized Pry. “That’s why we believe in the importance of sharing Christmas Party Clubs and the true meaning of Christmas.”
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 heard or read the Good News. More than 533,000 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.