This past week I attended a fundraiser banquet sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF) of Northern Virginia. Under the theme of “Send the Light,” the banquet sought to raise awareness of the awesome opportunity to minister to the children of Northern Virginia and raise the funds necessary to expand the work of CEF NOVA through Good News Clubs® (GNC). Good News Clubs provide children in public schools (yes, public schools!) an opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and learn how much God loves them. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2001 (in Good News Clubs v. Milford Central School District) that Good News Clubs can meet in public schools after school hours on the same terms as other community groups with parental permission.
Studies have shown that from 60 to 85 percent of all Christians make the decision to follow Jesus Christ before reaching the age of 12. The 2001 Supreme Court decision helped open the doors to teach God’s Word to tens of thousands of children in this age group. And in Northern Virginia alone, children from more than 80 different ethnic backgrounds attend public schools, effectively turning public schools into a mission field ready for harvest. Good News Clubs indeed provide an awesome opportunity to get involved in “overseas” missions without having to travel overseas!
Good News Clubs meet once a week in the public schools during the school year for about 90 minutes. They are led by a team of three to four volunteers who love children and desire that they come to know Jesus Christ personally and grow in Him. Over 5,000 Good News Clubs are being held in public elementary schools across the USA. In Northern Virginia, 28 schools (out of about 330 public elementary schools) have Good News Clubs, reaching close to 900 children each week. In Maryland, Good News Clubs are in over 70 schools (out of 900 elementary schools). This means there still remain over 1000 public elementary schools in Northern Virginia and Maryland without Good News Clubs, having forfeited the opportunity to reach children who may never hear the Gospel otherwise.
To get a GNC in every public school may seem like an impossible task, but it can happen if more volunteers and churches are involved. I don’t have the exact numbers, but I believe if every church adopted one nearby elementary school, all the remaining schools will be covered. We at NCFC spend thousands of dollars take the Gospel “to the ends of the earth” through overseas short-term missions, and we should. But how about ministering to the children from the ends of the earth and are living right in our own backyards as well? If you cannot volunteer your time, you can help other volunteers through your tax-deductible donations so necessary supplies and snacks can be purchased. Do you know if your child’s school already has a GNC? If so, would you be willing to volunteer your time? If not, would you be willing to prayerfully consider starting one?
Several members of NCFC Virginia Campus have also attended the CEF banquet, and I am super excited that a few of them are prayerfully considering adopting an elementary school in the Ashburn area. Jesus has said, “It is not my heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish.” I pray that NCFC members become more active in preaching the Gospel to the children in our “Jerusalem” first, and then be His “witnesses in all Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
From Pastor Sara’s Heart
March 29, 2015