‘All over the world, Christmas grabs the attention of children and parents in a way that few other topics do, so they’re eager to attend a Christmas Party Club,’ says CEF Executive Vice President Moises Esteves
For Immediate Release
December 11, 2023
ST. LOUIS — As the Christmas season unfolds, Child Evangelism Fellowship’s (CEF’s) Christmas Party Clubs are in full swing.
“We have 3,500 staff worldwide in nearly every nation,” says Moises Esteves, CEF Executive Vice President. “Because of our well-developed infrastructure with in-country teams, this gives us the unique opportunity to reach 10 million children face-to-face in 30 days with the Gospel message.
CEF’s Christmas Party Clubs are a way to reach unreached children who would otherwise never hear the Gospel message. They are able to celebrate Christmas and understand the greatest gift.
“All over the world, Christmas grabs the attention of children and parents in a way that few other topics do, so they’re eager to attend a Christmas Party Club, where they hear that Jesus loves them and is ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life,’” he adds.
Christmas Party Clubs are taught by trained volunteers. Often, this is a volunteer’s first experience evangelizing children. CEF partners with churches to reach into communities in creative locations such as homes, orphanages, day cares and schools.
Esteves says. “In the United States, we are holding 10,000 Christmas Party Clubs and reaching 330,000 children.”
Stories abound of children and their parents who are deeply moved by the presentation of the Gospel message in the Christmas Party Clubs.
“I didn’t know who Jesus was, but at the Christmas Party Club I heard about the birth of Jesus and the reason He came,” said Rakhi, a little boy from a sensitive country. “I knew I was a sinner because I told lies. When the teacher explained how Jesus died for my sins, I asked Jesus to save me.”
Christmas Party Clubs allow for children to hear the Gospel that otherwise might not have an opportunity. This year’s Christmas Party Clubs are focusing on the theme of “God keeps His promises,” which allows children to hear the story of the first Christmas and understand the story of Jesus’ birth.
“Imagine, you live with your parents, baby brother and another young sibling in a motel. Your grandmother receives a last-minute invitation to a Christmas Party Club and tells your parents,” says a staff member at CEF of South Dakota, Inc., Black Hills Chapter.
“Happy to get out of the motel, your whole family goes to the Christmas Party Club. It is your first time ever being in a church. You played games, heard a Bible story about the first Christmas, ate snacks from other countries and received a present!”
Christmas Party Club (explained in a brief video) is one of the Party Club ministries of Child Evangelism Fellowship® that presents the Gospel to churched and unchurched children.
These one-time events are taught by Good News Club® leaders, Sunday school teachers, children’s ministry workers, and other believers who love children. Christmas Party Clubs include a Gospel-centered Bible lesson, games, a memory verse and songs to teach children about the true story of Christmas.
Often, a Christmas Party Club will even open the door to hosting a weekly Good News Club® at the children’s school. Churches that already help with a Good News Club® can have a Christmas Party Club as part of Good News Club® at a local public school or other community area.
Sanskar, a 12-year-old child who attended a Christmas Party Club last year said, “I sang and played games at the Christmas Party Club. It was interesting to hear about Jesus. My life was changed when I learned about His death and resurrection. I accepted Christ into my life and decided to follow Jesus and learn His Word from that day forward.”
Last year, Child Evangelism Fellowship held 169,000 Christmas Party Clubs and reached 6,262,729 children through the clubs. Through a Christmas Party Club, churches can work alongside Child Evangelism Fellowship to reach children with the true story of Christmas. While each Party Club is Gospel-centered, there are also teachings for children who already have faith in Jesus.
“People interested in holding a Christmas Party Club need not fear taking on something new,” says Esteves. “CEF connects volunteers with the training, materials, and activities needed to confidently host a Christmas Party Club. It’s a great way to continue spreading the Good News to children in your community.”
CEF’s goals for the upcoming Christmas Party Clubs
CEF initiated a 50 days of prayer guide to pray that they reach their goals for the upcoming Christmas Party Clubs. Some of the goals for this year’s clubs include holding 330,000 Christmas Party Clubs, training 300,000 volunteers and reaching 10 million children face-to-face with the Gospel.
“These goals may sound bold, but remember, we have a big God who continually surprises us with blessings,” Esteves says.
Child Evangelism Fellowship, which was founded 86 years ago, has been establishing Good News Clubs® in countries around the world for decades. Clubs are thriving worldwide, in countries including Australia, Cambodia, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Uganda.
Last year, through CEF’s combined ministries, more than 19.5 million children worldwide heard the Good News. In 2022, more than 439,000 teachers were trained around the world.
For more CEF news, see the ministry’s latest edition of the online magazine Impact.
Child Evangelism Fellowship (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, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.