Merry Christmas Friends!
Yes, I know it’s summer in Texas with temps in excess of 100F and July starts tomorrow, but we’re already gearing up for Christmas at CEF Dallas. Can you believe that half the year is gone already? Christmas will be here before we know it!
Do you remember the Sesame Street character Elmo and his song “Why can’t every day be Christmas”? Elmo sings the song in the movie “Elmo Saves Christmas!” While we don’t have Elmo to save Christmas, the need to redeem Christmas from our culture has never been greater. Many children only know Christmas as Santa and all the trappings, as Christmas is celebrated by more than 90% of Americans.
We know Christmas as the history-making event it was and is. We look back to the first Christmas with awe, as the shepherds looked forward based on what had been promised. Throughout the world, Christmas has great influence as millions of people from many cultures want to learn what Christmas is all about. Child Evangelism Fellowship is helping children worldwide understand the “Reason for the Season.”
Last year, CEF International accomplished 181,578 Christmas Party Clubs reaching more than 6 million children. At our National Conference in May, the strategic plan for the USA was announced. Our leadership is placing a major emphasis on Christmas Party Clubs, to represent 45% of our ministry strategy. At CEF Dallas, we’ve adopted this strategy, which is why we’re celebrating Christmas in July.
We’re gearing up for a great Christmas Party Club season, scheduling training, equipping leaders, and getting ready for what God will do as we share the Christmas lesson with thousands of children. Last year, we hosted 50 Christmas Party Clubs with more than 1,300 children participating. This year, we’re setting a goal to double that!
We’re putting Christmas Party Clubs on your radar now and asking for your prayerful involvement in hosting clubs near you. To reach a goal of 100 Christmas Party Clubs we are praying for 20 Party Club leaders to each do five clubs starting the last week of November. That’s just 1 hour a week to invest into the lives of children who may have never heard the real “Reason for the Season.” But whether you can do one club or 10, this is an opportunity for you to make Christmas really special this year.
CEF Dallas will provide training, curriculum, a gift for each child, and location coordination. You provide your time and talent, and recruit a team. We’ve posted below a short video of one of our Party Club leaders sharing her heart about the significance of Party Club ministry.
Is 100 Christmas Party Clubs this year possible? Definitely! But we can’t do it alone. We are praying and asking God to send out the workers into the harvest. Could you be one of those who leads Christmas Party Clubs? Please pray and ask the LORD.
You may be thinking, “But I’m not a teacher!” But you could be! You’re a Christ follower, so the Holy Spirit will equip you with what you need. And we’ll train you to teach the lesson. Training dates for Christmas Party Clubs will be announced in September. But plan to join us at the end of July for Teaching Children Effectively Level 1 starting July 29. You’ll learn how to teach children about Jesus in this dynamic course. Registration closes in a couple of weeks and there’s only a few spots left.
Perhaps your schedule doesn’t allow you to participate in a Party Club but you want to help. The average cost of a Party Club is approximately $100. We need to raise $10,000 to cover the cost of 100 Party Clubs. Your gift of $50, $100, $200 or $500 will help us reach the children with the message of Jesus this Christmas. Just click here to give an early Christmas gift.
Good News Club season starts with our Back-to-School Kickoff on August 25, but until then we pray you have a wonderful and refreshing summer. Only 179 days until Christmas!
Christmas Blessings all year long!
Brian Considine
Director, CEF Dallas