5 Reasons CEF is Unique
- No one else is doing what we do! We are reaching unchurched kids AND their families for Christ – kids and families that churches would never reach because we are going into public schools.
- We are disciplining kids – teaching character and morals WITH a biblical background. We give reasons why we should do the things we do – because God, our creator, has told us to do it!
- We are building relationships with the kids and their families which is why Santa Barbara parents voted us the Best After School Program in our community.
- We teach and train our workers constantly helping them improve their teaching skills, few other volunteer organizations do that.
- Our volunteers teachers and leaders love what they do! More than half of our volunteers (we have more than 60) have been serving with CEF of Santa Barbara for 6+ years.
Christmas Parties at Good News Clubs
Christmas time is a great opportunity to share the Gospel with even more kids at the Clubs. At CEF we take full advantage of this season by hosting Christmas Party Clubs. With special games, snacks and of course the Nativity story we are able to reach out to all those kids who are wondering what Christmas is all about. MORE… It probably goes without saying, but Christmas is kind of a big deal with our Good News Clubs. It’s often the highlight of the whole year and so we tend to go a bit overboard. This year will be no different. To help add to the fun, because besides telling the Christmas story at all of the clubs, we do like to do something a little wild and crazy! Recently many of the clubs have received scooters and parachutes to help add more playtime excitement. They have made a huge impact with the kids who clamor for more and more game time. Have no fears, however, if you think that game time is taking away from the gospel message as the leaders have learned to incorporate that as well into their play!
2010-2011 Good News Club Updates
The 2011-12 Good News Club year began much as it ended 2010-11 -10 Elementary School Clubs including Adams, Brandon, Canalino, El Camino, Ellwood, Foothill, Harding, Hollister, Kellogg and Vieja Valley once again have a Good News Club presence on campus.
As wonderful as that is, we will not rest until every school in south Santa Barbara County has had a Good News Club bringing the gospel to kids and their families.
Early next year, we hope to open up another club in the Carpinteria area, as well another club in Goleta and perhaps in Montecito or Summerland. We also want to expand our preschool program by offering clubs to independent centers in Santa Barbara.
More help however is needed! We need to fill someone existing holes in staffing at the Brandon and Canalino sites - another club leader is needed at both these locations. Club Directors, who will oversee the program at new locations is also a must before we can see clubs added.
Pray about how God can use you to spread the “Good News”! Do you have an afternoon each week available for kids in your community? Do you know someone who does?
(Click Here to find out what it takes to be a volunteer)
CEF Connects with the Local Community to Get our Message Out To Kids
CEFSB has had great success both promoting the gospel and Good News Clubs at recent community events. In October, we were invited to be a sponsor for the Santa Barbara Christian School Youth Races, an event that included the entire Santa Barbara community.
We set up a booth with the intention of presenting the gospel message through the wordless book bracelet. Kids came up to intrigued to know what the colors of this beaded bracelet represented.
By the end of the day, almost all the participants, over 85 children had heard the message of salvation and had received an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. They also received a flier detailing the 10 Good News Clubs offered in town.
This same activity was repeated a couple of weeks later at the Learning Den Preschool Harvest Festival and at Calvary Chapel’s Light the Night Halloween event.
With all three venues combined, it resulted in over 200 presentations/invitations to both children and their parents.
Quite a success!
Next up, the ParentClick.com Children’s Expo at La Cumbre Plaza, Saturday, March 3, 2012.
Annual Cake Auction is a Sweet Success
The cakes were yummy indeed! And the food and fellowship was equally enticing! On Thursday, October 13 over 85 people attended the 8th Annual CEF Benefit for Children at the Reagan Ranch Center near downtown Santa Barbara. Besides the Cake Auction for which CEF has become famous, this year guests had the opportunity to bid and win vacation destinations, golf packages, unique dining opportunities and more!
The chair of this year’s event was once again Sandee Beckers, who along with her committee, Marcia Tremblay, Barbara Kloos, Dianne Davis, Kielle Horton, Cyndy Duerner, Barbara Biehl, Katie Clause, Diane Lundberg, Linda Havlik and Monica Vandeventer, did an amazing job of not only providing a great time for all who attended, but also helped CEF raise the needed financial support to see that our clubs have all they need for this club year!
Scott DuPar and Nathan Wagner, pastors from Calvary Chapel, kept the crowd entertained during the live auction portion of the night’s activities. The cakes were once again served by lovely young women, directed by Lauren Ishimaru, from our own Good News Clubs and Calvary Baptist Church, which helped keep the mood merry and bright! Calvary Baptist men, led by Mike Munden, youth pastor, whipped up beverages for coffee addicts in attendance. Santa Barbara Bank and Trust provided the necessary help to process all the donations coming in the last half hour. A huge thank you also goes out to the Young America’s Foundation, who once again donated the use of the Reagan Ranch Center for the event. Finally, thank you to all who attended the event and made it the blessing that it was to CEF of Santa Barbara.
8th Annual Cake Auction Fundraiser
Register Now!
Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is a Bible-centered, worldwide organization that is dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled and established in a local church.
We are locally made up of volunteers from many different churches, and walks of life.
This year alone in we have had Good News Clubs in 10 local public schools and almost 300 kids attending.
Where
Reagan Ranch Center
217 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Join us for an evening of irresistiblbakeries, large silent auction and spirited live auction featuring auctioneers Nate Wagner & Scott Dupar.
$20 per person includes cake tasting & hors d’œuvres.
Reservations required as space is limited.
Online Auction Open!
We are gearing up for our 8th Annual Cake Auction & Fundraiser in October.
This year we are adding a new component…an online auction!
It is open now on our website www.CEFSantaBarbara.org.
Anyone can bid and we have some awesome items including:
- Gift certificates for auto work
- Wine Tastings
- Hawaiian Band Show for you Party
- YMCA Membership
- Lake Tahoe Vacation Home
Click here for more details and to register.
What It Takes to be a Volunteer?
At CEF people often ask us what the requirements are to be a volunteer. It is really simple:
-
A willing heart.
-
A few hours a week.
-
Ability to learn and work with others.
-
No criminal record.
That’s it. No kid experience, no teaching experience, no special talents. We live and die by our volunteers. They are the ones who run the clubs, teach the kids, handle snacks, pray with the kids, talk to parents and teachers.
This might seem daunting, especially if you haven’t been to a Good News Club, we have a fantastic training program. We will give you the tools and resources to truly reach the kids you are working with.
One of the advantages of being a part of an organization that has been around for almost 80 years is that we have a system that works. It has been refined over the years, the good kept and the bad thrown out. We have training programs, ciriculum and support resources that are second to none.
If you come with a willing heart and good attitude and give a few hours a week, we assure you that you will never be the same. The kids will touch you, God will use you and you might just become addicted to that feeling.
