Written by: Emily Ramsdell
CEF Local Director Assistant– Onondaga County

Good News!

Before we talk about our summer ministries, we want to take a moment to praise God for all He did through our Good News Clubs this past school year! We had 13 school-related Good News Clubs, with a total of 166 children enrolled. Even more exciting, 13 children made decisions to follow the Lord! WOW! Thank You, Lord!

Since January, Mariah, our CEF Director, has also had the opportunity to teach 8 one-time CEF Party Clubs, with 89 children participating and 5 children making professions of faith! We are so thankful for every opportunity God has given us to share the Gospel with children.

After a short breather, we jumped right into our summer ministry! CYIA (Christian Youth in Action) took place June 29–July 4 and served as our summer training school for those preparing to teach 5-Day Clubs, serve in park ministries, and assist with VBS programs at several local churches. Following training, our ministry team, along with many dedicated volunteers, hit the streets and got to work sharing the Gospel! We are excited to see how God will use each person who has said “yes” to serving Him this summer.

What did you ask?

“What happens at our park ministries?”

Park Ministries & Summer Outreach

This summer, CEF/Syracuse will be taking the Gospel into local parks through fun, engaging Park Ministries. We want to create an environment where children can have fun, build relationships, and most importantly, hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We have purchased a colorful parachute that will give us many opportunities for fun games and activities. Children will also be able to participate in basketball, soccer, volleyball, football, tag, tug-of-war competitions, and other activities. We will also have opportunities for girls to paint their fingernails and for children to make Wordless Book wristbands as a fun way to help them remember the Gospel.

Because we have done park ministry before, we know there can be many challenges and distractions—and, of course, heat! At one park, we may be right next to a fire station, and it never fails that the fire trucks seem to leave on a mission with their sirens blaring right in the middle of the Bible lesson! We may also have airplanes flying overhead, lawnmowers operating nearby, people coming and going, and children getting up and wandering away during the club.

These challenges make prayer especially important. Please pray that nothing will hinder the children from hearing the Gospel and that their hearts will be open to God's Word.

Please also pray for safety for our ministry teams and the children we serve. We have carefully selected locations within the parks where we can set up—away from heavy activity, under trees when possible, and in areas with fewer distractions.

In addition to Park Ministries, CEF/Syracuse will also be teaching Home Clubs and VBS programs at local churches throughout the summer. Please follow our summer schedule and pray with us as we seek to reach as many children as possible with the Gospel.

Pray that God would open doors, bring children to each outreach, remove distractions, protect our teams, and prepare hearts to hear and respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ!

“And then he prayed”

You know me—I love to share testimonies! So, sit back, grab a glass of iced tea, and let me tell you what God has been doing through CEF in Syracuse!

This testimony comes from my friend and fellow CEF director, Larry, who came to Syracuse with our CEF State Director to help with a special club we held. The week before, we had hosted a CEF Soccer Party Club at a local church. We had a wonderful turnout, and many of the children had questions and wanted to learn more about Jesus. Unfortunately, there simply wasn’t enough time to answer all of their questions or counsel the children who were interested in accepting Jesus as their Savior. So, we decided to have another club the following week. This time, we planned games and snacks, followed by small groups where each group would have an adult who could spend time talking with the children and answering their questions.

Larry shared, “I observed the kids during the games and snacks and pretty much zeroed in on one boy who was super active and ‘might be’ a challenge if he were in my small group. Well, lo and behold, he was in my group!” We’ll call this 9-year-old boy Robbie. Robbie does not attend church, but he was eager to participate and had plenty to say!

Larry decided to break the ice by introducing the children to the Wordless Book, a simple tool that uses five colors to explain God’s plan of salvation. They began with the Gold Page, learning about God, His love, and His character. Then came the Dark Page, where they talked about sin and how sin separates us from God. Larry said he could see the “light going on” as the children began to understand what sin is and why it is such a serious problem.

Then came the Red Page, where they learned about Jesus and what He did on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. And then came the questions—so many questions from Robbie! Larry said, “What a joy to be able to tell him and the kids at my table about JESUS!”

Next came the Clean Page, which explains how we can have our sins forgiven and receive Jesus as our Savior. This is the invitation portion of the Wordless Book. Robbie wanted to respond. Larry carefully asked him some review questions to make sure he understood what he had been taught. Robbie demonstrated that he understood the Gospel and knew what he was choosing to do. Robbie prayed and received Jesus as his Savior!

But the story doesn’t end there. Larry continued teaching about the Green Page, which reminds us that after we receive Christ, we need to grow in our relationship with Him. While Larry was teaching, Robbie said he wanted to pray again. This time, he prayed to thank Jesus. And then he prayed for Mr. Larry. He asked God to take care of Mr. Larry and let him live for many more years! Larry said, “My heart was deeply touched!”

And mine is too! This is why we do what we do. Behind every game, snack, craft, and activity is a child who needs to hear the Gospel. Robbie needed someone to slow down, listen to his questions, and clearly tell him about Jesus. Praise God for the opportunity to share the Gospel with children and for the privilege of seeing Him work in their hearts!

“Why did Jesus die?”

As we wrap up our school-related Good News Clubs for the year, I would like to share a special email we received from one of our wonderful club volunteers. Her words are such an encouragement and a beautiful reminder of why we do this ministry.

“I just want to share with you that you are all doing such an amazing job with GNC, and the kids are truly benefiting from it. I know it can be tough, especially with so many challenging kids and having club after a long day of school, but the children really look forward to coming to club.

“I sat with my group of girls at the table, and during the last few minutes of club, one girl began asking some great questions. She asked, ‘Why did Jesus die?’ and ‘Is Jesus still dead?’ I had the opportunity to explain to her that Jesus is God’s Son, that He loves us, and that He died to rescue us from our sins. I told her that He didn’t stay dead—He came alive again!

“I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was really thinking about the Gospel message!”

“To me, that was thrilling! Thank you to everyone who was involved with Good News Clubs this year!”

What an encouragement! Those questions are exactly why we believe Good News Clubs are so important. Every week, children have the opportunity to hear the Gospel, ask questions, and begin to understand who Jesus is and what He has done for them. We may not always see the immediate results, but God’s Word is being planted in their hearts.

Thank you to every volunteer, teacher, prayer partner, church, and school that helped make Good News Clubs possible this year! Your faithfulness is making an eternal impact in the lives of children.