‘Christian Youth in Action® is about training young people to reach children, but it’s also about these young leaders themselves experiencing spiritual growth,’ said CEF® Vice President of Administration Fred Pry
ST. LOUIS — For young people who sign up for the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Christian Youth In Action (CYIA™) training, summer can be a life-changing, soul-enriching time of their lives.
CYIA is designed to train young people in effective and engaging ways to teach children about God and His Word.
Young people attend a one- to two-week training where they learn to present the Gospel clearly on a child’s level, counsel a child for salvation and lead a dynamic 5-Day Club® ministry for kids.
These trained CYIA leaders then return to their local community and teach 5-Day Club, VBS and camps at various locations with a team of other young people.
By participating in this training, they learn how to reach boys and girls with the Gospel; see their faith and vision grow; build new friendships that will last a lifetime; grow in communication, teamwork, endurance, responsibility and self-confidence; and gain experience for ministry in their own local church, school or future vocation.
“Christian Youth in Action is about training teenagers to reach children, but it’s also about these young leaders themselves experiencing spiritual growth,” said CEF® Vice President of Administration Fred Pry. “Young people often tell us that while they expected to learn how to impact children, they found themselves changed and their faith in God strengthened.”
Impacting those who impact children
A CYIA leader from CEF in East/Central Africa shared, “I am only 15 years old. I have been able to lead 18 and 19-year-olds to the Lord. Attending CYIA is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.”
Kinley Prince, local director for the Greenville/Piedmont chapter of CEF of South Carolina, remarked, “Over the past few years, we’ve seen CYIA become a catalyst — not just for reaching children with the Gospel — but for cultivating a sense of Gospel urgency among students. They come in unsure and nervous, but by the end of the program, they’re confidently sharing the Gospel and leading the 5-Day Club with boldness and joy.
“Our CYIA students don’t just teach in the 5-Day Club. They are involved throughout the school year, leading weekly Good News Club®, volunteering in their churches, serving on Christmas Party Club® teams, and mentoring other students. They’re not waiting until adulthood to serve; they’re answering the call now.
“As CEF works toward reaching 100 million children, CYIA is one of the most strategic tools we have. It multiplies the workers for the harvest and plants seeds of lifelong ministry in the hearts of young believers. CYIA is not just for the summer. CYIA impacts CEF ministry all year long.”
A CEF staff member in Jamaica noted how the ministry is seeing growth. “CYIA in our own country grew from 12 young people to 30 over the last three years and is still growing. We are registering youth for the senior track [training], which means a lot because it shows tangible growth and brings back those who have already attended previously. There is nothing that prepares you to share the Gospel like sharing the Gospel. That is why CYIA equips youths — to know that God is equipping them with everything they need to share the Gospel and also enhances their spiritual growth in Christ.”
Francis from CEF in East/Central Africa said, “CYIA has helped many, if not all the teenagers involved in CYIA remain in school. In South Sudan, there is a high rate of school dropout amongst teenagers, mostly attributed to peer pressure, early marriages, early pregnancies and many other factors. The teenagers who join CYIA remain committed to their education because of the Christian values instilled in them. I have heard testimonies of many successful people say, ‘If it was not for CYIA, I would not have been what I am today.’”
To see the life-changing impact of CYIA through the eyes of former students and their parents, watch this video.
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.