Behind Every Volunteer Is a Story

As we celebrate our chapter’s Volunteer Appreciation Month this February, we are reminded of how God works in the hearts and lives of His people and opens doors that allow them to serve Him through CEF®.  At times, this work begins as the story of a child in another part of the world. 

The smell of incense, the hustle and bustle of rush hour traffic, the taste of curry and chai. These are all familiar experiences for a young girl growing up in India.  But unlike most other children in India, Shalin was also able to experience being a part of a Good News Club. 

In Good News Club®, Shalin learned songs and memory verses, she played fun games and she learned how the stories in the Bible applied to her life as a child.  As Shalin heard the Gospel at Good News Club and in her church, the Holy Spirit began to work in her heart, eventually leading Shalin to trust in Jesus as her only Savior from sin at a revival meeting. 

In her teens and early 20s, Shalin moved to Singapore, then back to India and then to America. Her childhood experiences, including her walk with the Lord, soon became distant memories. 

As an adult, Shalin worked Monday through Friday and partied on the weekends. However, her lifestyle left her empty. After several years, Shalin returned to the Lord. Soon after, Shalin met and married a godly man, and they soon started a family, and began raising their children in God’s Word.  As Shalin’s children grew up and became adults, Shalin continued walking with the Lord. 

In retirement, Shalin and her husband moved to the Greenville/Piedmont area, and they joined a local church where they became active members. One evening, Shalin and her husband attended an associational meeting for churches in their area, where several local ministries were also represented. As Shalin browsed through the ministry opportunities, she suddenly heard someone mention Good News Club, and the memories from being a part of a Good News Club as a child in India came rushing back.  Shalin went over to the table to find out more, and she felt that nudge in her heart that she knew was from the Lord.   

Today, Shalin serves alongside hundreds of other volunteers in the Greenville/Piedmont Chapter who share the Gospel with children through Good News Clubs on a weekly basis, bringing her story that started in India full circle. 

As we celebrate our volunteers this month, we say with the Apostle Paul,  

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel.”  Philippians 1:3-5 (ESV) 

We here at CEF are thankful for every volunteer whom God has brought into this ministry, and we are thankful for partners like you, who are generously giving and earnestly praying to reach every child, in every neighborhood, every day. 

When God’s Word Outlives the Moment

As we step into a new year, we’re reminded that while seasons change, the truth of God’s Word never does.

Recently, a Pastor of one of our church partners and his wife made a trip to the grocery store where they were approached by an 18-year-old young woman. She shared something unexpected and deeply encouraging—she had once been a child in their Good News Club!

She spoke fondly of those club meetings, recalling how much she loved coming each week to hear Bible stories, sing songs, and learn about Jesus. Even years later, she shared how much she still misses those times and the joy they brought her.

Those lessons weren’t new or flashy—they were the same timeless verses and Gospel truths that have been shared for generations. Yet God used them in a powerful way, planting seeds that continue to grow long after the club doors closed.

As we begin a new year, this moment serves as a beautiful reminder: the Gospel message doesn’t need to change to remain effective. God’s Word is just as powerful today as it was when this young woman first heard it as a child.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Isaiah 40:8 (ESV)

Because of faithful partners like you, children are hearing these unchanging truths year after year—truths that last well beyond childhood and into eternity. Thank you for standing with us as we carry the same Gospel message into a new year, trusting God to continue His work in hearts and lives.

A Season of Good News

As Christmas draws near and we celebrate the Season of Good News, we’re reminded again that God often moves through the simplest moments—an invitation, a conversation, a friendship. And sometimes, He uses one child to open the door for another to experience the hope of the Gospel.

At the Bell's Crossing Elementary School Good News Clubs, a fourth-grade girl named Ava had been growing in her understanding of God’s love throughout the fall. Week after week, she soaked up the Bible lessons, sang with joy, and eagerly participated in every part of club. But what stood out most was her heart—she didn’t want to keep the Good News to herself.

Ava began talking with her best friend, Mia, telling her all about Good News Club: the fun, the friendships, and most of all, the message of Jesus. She shared what she was learning and how it was changing her own heart. Then she did something bold—she invited Mia to come with her.

On Tuesday, November 18, Mia walked into Good News Club for the very first time. She was greeted with smiles, welcomed into the group, and listened intently as the Gospel was presented. Surrounded by kids her age who were learning and growing just like her, she heard clearly what it means to know Jesus personally.

And that very day—her first day at club—Mia prayed to receive Christ as her Savior.

One invitation. One step of courage from a nine-year-old. And a life forever changed.

That’s what the Season of Good News is all about: children hearing, believing, and sharing the message that transforms hearts and homes.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.” — Luke 2:14

Because of your partnership, children like Ava and Mia are discovering the hope of Jesus and courageously sharing His Good News with others. Thank you for helping us shine the light of Christ during this season—and every season.

*Names changed for privacy

Thankful to Tell the Good News

As Thanksgiving approaches, our hearts are filled with gratitude—not only for food, family, and fellowship, but for the ways God is working through children to reach other children with the Good News of Jesus.

This fall, one local family experienced a reason for Thanksgiving that reached far beyond the dinner table. During a Wednesday night Good News Club at their church, children gathered to sing, learn, and grow in their understanding of God’s Word. Among them was Ethan, a curious and thoughtful boy who had been attending club faithfully this year.

But what Ethan didn’t realize was that God had already placed someone in his life who would help him take the next step—his big sister, Lila. A few years earlier, Lila had attended the same Good News Club, where she heard the Gospel and trusted in Jesus as her Savior. That truth stayed with her and began to shape her heart in quiet, powerful ways.

Just this month, their mom shared a message that made our entire team pause and give thanks. She wrote to tell us that Lila had talked with Ethan at home about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus—and that he prayed to trust Christ as his Savior, led by his very own sister!

What a beautiful reminder that when children truly understand the Gospel, they can share it too. The message doesn’t end at club—it multiplies through families, neighborhoods, and hearts made new by God’s grace.

This Thanksgiving, we are thankful to tell the Good News and even more thankful to see children telling it to others.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever.” — Psalm 107:1

Because of your partnership, children like Lila and Ethan are hearing, believing, and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Thank you for helping us reach children with the message that changes everything.

*Names changed for privacy 

Anna’s Joyful Choice

It was the final day of Good News Club last school year, and excitement filled the room—games, snacks, and a party to celebrate the year. But Anna, a quiet 5th grader, had something else on her heart. She knew this was her last chance to talk to someone about what mattered most. 

Even though a close friend invited her to leave early for a playdate, Anna chose to stay. She wanted to make sure she truly understood what it meant to have Jesus as her Savior. 

Sitting with a leader, she shared how she had already trusted Christ, but questions lingered. Did she really do what was necessary for Jesus to come live in her heart? With gentle reassurance and clear answers from God’s Word, Anna’s doubts gave way to peace. 

Though she missed much of the party, her face radiated a joy far greater than balloons or cupcakes could bring. She left knowing with confidence that Jesus was hers, and she was His. 

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:7 

Thank you for helping make moments like Anna’s possible. Because of your partnership, children not only hear the Good News but find the assurance and joy that comes from trusting Christ. 

Will you pray for Good News Club that started this year? Would you pray that the Lord will work in the hearts of the children, drawing them to himself? 

*Names changed for privacy 

Exciting Ministry Update: Sam Miller as New Director of Development

God’s Perfect Timing: A Former Good News Club Student Gives Back

Sometimes God shows us just how perfectly He weaves stories together.

Earlier this month, we had the joy of visiting Skyland Elementary for their final Good News Club meeting of the year. During that special time, we were able to give Bibles to 50 children—thanks to the generosity of a young man named Caleb.

Caleb had been part of a Good News Club himself years ago, and the experience left a lasting impact on his life. For his passion project at school, he collected over 240 Bibles to donate to children.

Caleb’s gift came at just the right time. While Skyland students were thrilled to receive their Bibles, his donation also helped meet a growing need. We had been praying for more Bibles for our upcoming summer 5-Day Clubs, as our supply was running low. Caleb’s donation was a wonderful answer to that prayer, ensuring that every child had an opportunity to take home God’s Word, the Bible, this summer.

When we met Caleb at Skyland, he shared how much Good News Club had meant to him growing up—and how special it was for him now to help others receive the Good News. We are so grateful for Caleb’s obedience to God's leading and the beautiful way he helped answer a prayer at just the right moment.

Caleb’s story reminds us: no matter our age, God can use each of us to plant seeds of the Gospel. And in His perfect timing, He brings about the harvest.

The Impact of God’s Word: Brayden’s Story

This spring, Brayden, a fifth-grade boy at Hollis Academy, joined Good News Club for the first time. Every week, he eagerly participated, excited to learn. During Grade Shepherding time—the small group segment at the beginning of the Club where students catch up with their Grade Shepherds (dedicated volunteers), share prayer requests, enjoy a snack, and work on their JAM UP sheets (Jesus and Me focused activity sheets)—Brayden built a strong relationship with his leader, Bill. He steadily grew in his understanding of God's Word. 

One night, while a storm raged outside, Brayden felt anxious and afraid, worrying that a tree might fall on his house. In the midst of his fear, he remembered the memory verse he'd been learning in Good News Club: 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." 

— Proverbs 3:5-6 

Through songs, interactive teaching, games, and reciting Scripture during Good News Club, Brayden had hidden God's Word in his heart. Recalling God's promise brought him peace in that frightening moment. The following week at Good News Club, Brayden excitedly shared with Bill how the verse had comforted him and helped him trust God through the storm. 

Last week, Brayden graduated from Good News Club and received a Bible to accompany him into sixth grade. His story beautifully illustrates why memorizing Scripture matters—not merely as words to recall but as truth to rely on in everyday life. 

Why Grade Shepherding Matters: Grade Shepherding time is more than just a small group gathering; it's where genuine connections form. It's where kids feel known, encouraged, and supported. Volunteers like Bill faithfully invest in children each week, building relationships that nurture faith. 

Thank you for helping make stories like Brayden's possible! Please pray that he continues to grow in his faith and that many more children will experience the life-changing power of God's Word through Good News Club. 

*Names and photo changed for privacy  

Stepping Out in Faith: How God is Moving Through Good News Clubs

Three years ago, Jimmy and Jennifer Maurer returned to Greenville from Kansas City and settled at Jones Avenue Baptist Church in Easley. Not long after they arrived, the couple became part of the launch team for the Good News Club at West End Elementary in Easley. Just one year later, they stepped into leadership, coordinating the club.   

For Jimmy and Jennifer, the Good News Club is more than just a weekly gathering—it’s an opportunity to build deep relationships in their community and share Jesus' love. Along with their team and church, they’ve embraced the entire school community, supporting students, teachers, and administrators through meals, school projects, and consistent encouragement. The school staff and children have become family to these dedicated volunteers.  

As for the impact? It’s undeniable. God is at work in this club. Children are hearing the Gospel, families are finding church community, and lives are being transformed by the Gospel. One of the most recent stories is that of a family of seven whose journey started when four of their children joined the West End Good News Club. Their involvement in the club led them to visit Jones Avenue Baptist Church, where God continued to move in their hearts. Soon, the entire family made life-changing decisions to be baptized and become church members.  

Since then, their transformation has been remarkable. The parents have become active in the church ministries; the mother is now a Sunday School teacher, and the father is a part of the church’s security team. Their children continue to grow in their faith—three have joined the church’s youth ministry, while the two youngest remain actively engaged in the Good News Club. This family has become a blessing to their church, glorifying God through their service.  

For Jimmy, volunteering in Good News Club has deepened his faith, allowing him to witness the goodness of God in ways he has never seen before. Jennifer treasures the moments when children truly grasp the life-changing gift of the Gospel.  

God is at work at the West End Good News Club through the volunteers that serve so faithfully. Their story is a powerful reminder that when we step out in faith to serve, God moves. Through the dedication of volunteers like Jimmy and Jennifer, Good News Clubs continue to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   

This month, we celebrate and appreciate our volunteers who make Good News Clubs possible. Will you join us in praying for them as they serve? 

Join us for A Night of Good News!

Important Ministry Update

 Dear Friends of CEF,

The year 2023 has been full of exciting changes. In December of 2022 the Lord began giving me some discernible lessons in His timing and in my own ability to trust His timing. I have had a ring-side seat for months watching Him work, mastering details and timetables in ways that I could not. I never dreamed that as I watched and trusted, that the coming changes would be so personal. Alas, in all that has happened with CEF ®, God has shown me that my time with the ministry has come to an end.

I believe God has called me to a different ministry opportunity through my church, so I am stepping away from CEF. While this change has brought an abundance of emotions and questions, I am assured that God’s planning can be not only trusted, but also celebrated. He is doing a new thing that is better than we might ask or imagine. As I step away from CEF leadership, God has put into place a leader with whom most of you are familiar, Kinley Prince. God has prepared Kinley for this season and knowingly placed him at the helm of CEF to move the ministry forward.

I am grateful for my time with CEF, and I am so excited for the future of this ministry! Thank you for praying for, supporting, and loving the ministry during my tenure. It has been my privilege to labor alongside each partner of this ministry and I look forward to seeing His continued work in CEF. May you each be richly blessed by His mercies.

Ephesians 2:10- “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Blessings,

Lisa Yerrick

My Fellow Partners in Ministry,

Someone recently asked me what I liked most about working with CEF ®. I excitedly began to share about an exceptional and sacrificial staff, exciting and unparalleled ministry programs, an outstanding and genuinely caring volunteer base, gracious and generous donors, and encouraging supporters. Their reply to me was simple and humorous: “So… everything?” Well, to answer truthfully, yes! I love everything about the ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship®!

I have been a part of almost every CEF ministry— from the age of 11 years old when I was enrolled in a local Good News Club®, to high school and college where I spent five summers participating in the Christian Youth in Action®, program, to coming on staff with CEF full time 10 years ago. The Lord has used almost every ministry of CEF to influence my life in some way, and I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to now serve Him by leading the Greenville/Piedmont Chapter.

The word “change” usually does not instill feelings of comfort and relaxation. The past few months have certainly brought some big changes for our chapter of CEF, with the move to a new office space for the first time in 18 years. I am personally thankful that we can rest in a loving God who never changes – ever! Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” He never changes; therefore, His purposes never change.

I am looking forward to working and serving with each of you in this new role of Local Director. We are partners in ministry. Whether you have partnered with us financially, voluntarily, or prayerfully, we can continue to work together, despite a changing world, to bring hope to the children. Every child, every nation, every day.

Grace & Peace,

Kinley Prince

We found a new home!

Dear Ministry Partner, 

Our moving process is coming along very smoothly, and we would like to keep you updated as our move-in date on May 17th is quickly approaching.

We have just received our keys and our suite number! We will be located in suite 152 on 918 S. Pleasantburg Drive. 

The ministry does need your help as we make this move:

Pray as we pack up our office and move across town, while we continue to labor in each of our ministries and serve our ministry partners. 

Give towards the cost of a new office space and move. Our annual rent will be $37,000, which will be an added line item on our budget—one we know the Lord will provide for through His people. The link in our recent email may have expired, please follow this new link if you wish to give online specifically to the “2023 Relocation Fund”:

Give to our move here!

We are grateful for the involvement each of you continue to have in our reaching children for Christ—together. You have a part in every spiritual decision and advance made by the children we serve. 

Thank you for your prayers & giving heart,

Lisa Yerrick, Local Director

Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency

We’re excited to share that our organization has earned a 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency with Candid!

Now, you can support our work with trust and confidence by viewing our #NonprofitProfile: CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP of South Carolina, INC. - GuideStar Profile

February Prayer Newsletter

February Prayer Newsletter | CEF of SC Inc., Greenville/Piedmont Chapter 

LOVE

John 13:34-35 (ESV) – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in February, designated by many as the month of LOVE. We see love represented in countless ways in our world. I recently read a historical account that to me is a beautiful example of love for mankind.

As a member of a book-club my favorite genre is historical fiction. We recently read a book about the German occupation of Denmark during WWII. I have enjoyed reading various stories about this widespread war. I’m fascinated with the many and diverse stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to preserve life, to protect, to provide, and to survive in the face of hate and evil.

Denmark was no exception and has a quite unique story. While especially small, the country took action to protect their citizens so that 90 percent of the Jewish Danes survived the Holocaust. It is an incredible story because it all happened very organically. There was no pre-determined course of action. Word was leaked that Nazis were going to capture all the Danish Jews (about 7,000) within a fast-approaching window of time. Within hours of that news, the Jewish and non-Jewish citizens sprang into spontaneous activity. The non-Jewish citizens began moving people into hiding, providing food, shelter, and encouragement at great risk for their own lives.

I am taken aback by what regular people will do for others in the face of tragedy or impending danger. There are many examples throughout history of great sacrifices made from love for others. Love is the only thing that can provide that kind of motivation.

Jesus was once asked, what the greatest commandment was. He was being asked by people who were experts in the law trying to trap him. His response was surprising–– he said, “Love.” To summarize what Jesus said in Matthew 22, most importantly is to love God with all that you are, and secondly is to love people the same way you love yourself. In John 13 (above) Jesus is telling his disciples about love. He did not suggest to his followers that we love –– he commanded it. He said that is what would make his followers stand out . . . not great sermons, not outstanding achievements, not deep wisdom of scripture, not impeccable discipline, and rule-keeping, but one simple thing. Love.

It is harder to find examples of sacrificial love in everyday life. I wonder why it takes tragedy, destruction, and disaster for people to spring into action for their fellow man? Such circumstances certainly have a way of uniting people, but tragic circumstances surround us all the time. Do we show love for the homeless person in the cold? Or the elderly in isolation? Or those who do not have enough to eat? Or the irritating and opinionated neighbor? Or children who are loud, and messy? Or the poor? Notice that Jesus’ commandment to love did not include any parameters around who to love. He didn’t say to love just those who look like we do. Or those who don’t pose a threat to us. Or those who agree with our religious or political bent. Or those who do not need anything from us. Or those who speak the same language. He said to love everyone because then people will know we belong to him.

When Jesus faced impending death, no one, not even his closest friends defended him – they ran away and hid in fear. They denied that they knew him. Knowing that he was going to suffer terrible physical pain, abandonment, public humiliation, and a tortured death ––Jesus said nothing to his accusers. He did not argue or defend himself in any way. He faced his fate aloneand willingly. He laid down his life for the very people who left him, lied about him, spit on him and blamed him. THAT, my friend is the example of love to which we are called!

Those who displayed love by hiding Jews from the Nazis, if caught, would have met certain death. I wonder if you and I as believers would be evidenced guilty of love for God and for man. When others think about who loves them well, does your name come to mind? Will we one day be missed because of our generous love? Let us make every day Valentine’s Day because we live defined by our love.

For HIS glory,

Praises:

·     For God’s LOVE for all mankind

·     For 1,188 volunteers currently spreading to Gospel to children

·     For over 5,000 children currently enrolled in Good News Club©

Requests:

·     For God’s direction and provision for a new location for ministry offices

·     For new church partnerships to sponsor schools – churches who will say YES and rise to the opportunity to minister to children

·     For God to provide for staff vacancies

·     For unity in the body of Christ

Amazon Smile Coming to an End

For the past several years, we have participated in AmazonSmile, which allows you to make purchases as normal on Amazon and .5% of your eligible purchases will be donated directly to our ministry.

We have recently learned the news that Amazon has decided to end AmazonSmile, effective on February 20. If this is one way that you have participated in giving to our ministry, we would like to provide you with other giving opportunities to look into instead.

Give using AmazonSmile until February 20

Become a part of our Advocate’s Club!

Becoming a member of the Advocate’s Club means you will commit to giving monthly to Child Evangelism Fellowship--making a present and eternal difference.

The Legacy Society

The purpose of the Legacy Society is to recognize those individuals and families who have remembered Child Evangelism Fellowship, Greenville/Piedmont in their estate plans through some form of planned giving, making secure its ministries for generations to come.

Sponsor a CYIA Summer Missionary

Our summer missionaries all support raise to be able to serve full-time for six weeks every summer! You can make a difference this summer by supporting one of our summer missionaries.

General Giving

We can't do our work alone. We are so thankful for those who faithfully give and join us in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ!

January Prayer Newsletter

Happy New Year! It has been a few months since I have produced a prayer newsletter. I am happy to be writing again about life and the Lord.

Discomfort

John 3:4 - “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

John 4:7-9 – “When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)”

John 11:6, 21 - “So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.”  “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

In reflecting on the previous year, the Christmas season always seems to hold lessons for me and 2022 was no exception. Our family was excited about all the plans we made. The grandchildren were going to be at our house on Christmas morning, for the first time in a number of years. Both grown children and their spouses would be with us Christmas Day. One of our parents was visiting from New York and so dinner was planned at our house for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So many things to look forward to following the busy and stressful months of fall.

The holiday decorating was complete, and I was caught up in my daily Advent devotionals. I set my sights on achieving my long task list the week before Christmas. There were church services and other gatherings to attend. There were gifts to wrap, cookies to bake, friends to contact, and so much meal preparation to do. Relatives arrived and excitement grew! The house was abuzz with children, games, music, Christmas movies, whispers of secrets and wonder at what the Elf would next get into.

And, in the blink of an eye, everything changed.

The 2022 Christmas cold snap descended upon us and froze our warm hearts. A 50-degree house and no available technician to help for days, drove us from our home on Christmas Eve. We searched for space heaters, but there were none to be found. Instead of preparing Christmas Eve dinner, we prepared to leave the house. We longed to pack people around the table, instead we packed bags, and gifts, and food. We had hoped to carry on spirited conversation with our loved ones, instead, we carried disappointment and distress. Phone calls made, tempers flared, tears flowed and by day’s end, exhaustion set in. It would be days before we returned to our house (thanks to warming temperatures) and a week before a technician was able to come assess the problem.

Have you experienced disappointment, regret or stress when things don’t go as planned? There are many more details that I could share about all that went wrong with our holiday. As we got in the car to leave the house that evening, my sadness was evident on my wet cheeks, and my sweet husband said, “Lisa, God says all we need today is Him.” Even in this “first-world” kind of challenge, such a truth is easy to miss when our hearts are spun so tightly around the wrong hopes. So, amid all the mess, we chose to start seeing God in it.

In our unplanned circumstances, God showed up in numerous unplanned ways. In our search of stores for space heaters to prevent pipes from bursting, we ran into a friend from church. (You may think that isn’t odd, but I’m talking Tractor Supply on Christmas Eve!) Upon sharing what was going on with us, the friend drove to his home and retrieved a couple of space heaters and returned for our use. Our daughter’s in-laws invited us to stay with them for as long as we needed, we were with our children and grandchildren there, we had a warm bedroom in which to sleep, and we were welcomed with the love of God as if it were all planned. Relatives helped, meals were prepared elsewhere, and all the family was, in fact, together on Christmas – such blessings!

Those blessings just didn’t come packaged the way we expected, and the circumstances and timing made us very uncomfortable. Don’t you hate to be uncomfortable? I do. Granted, you and I may find comfort in very different ways, but it is something to which we cling tightly. My Christmas lesson for 2022? Hold loosely to the tidy and neatly bound packages of my expectations, and look for God in the mess because He is there as well.

Isn’t this lesson what Christ Himself was all about? From His birth to His ministry, from His lineage to His disciples, from His death to His resurrection, He was and is nothing if not unexpected. Most encounters with Christ that we read about in the Bible, were anything but comfortable. Those who clung to their rigid, self-importance, didn’t recognize the Messiah they were waiting for, and they deliberately destroyed Him.

How do you handle discomfort? It is often what it takes to dislodge attitudes, habits or comfort that begin to pull us from the true source of life. Remember this year that God is present in every circumstance, good or bad, comfortable or uncomfortable, planned or unexpected. I’ve determined to find Him because He is waiting for me there. How about you?

For HIS Glory,

Praises

• God’s sovereignty

• For God’s presence in all circumstance

• For 130 volunteers in attendance of January workshops- becoming better equipped to serve God by ministering to children

• For over 5,000 children currently enrolled in Good News Club©

Prayer Requests

• For new church partnerships to sponsor schools – churches who will say YES and rise to the opportunity to minister to children

• For God to provide for staff vacancies

• For unity in the body of Christ

• For boldness in sharing the Gospel

Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency

We’re excited to share that our organization has earned a 2022 Platinum Seal of Transparency with Candid!

Now, you can support our work with trust and confidence by viewing our #NonprofitProfile: CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP of South Carolina, INC. - GuideStar Profile

When God Grows Something Greater

There once was a woman who had beautiful, tall shade trees in her back yard. The shade provided such comfort and security for her and she relished her time in there. She arranged her landscaping, porch and patio area to take advantage of the shade. A variety of birds occupied the trees and she loved watching them and hearing their song. Her backyard was a place where she found rest and refuge.

After many years the trees needed to be trimmed so as not to threaten damage to the house. So she sought help to get the trees trimmed.  Through a series of miscommunications and unfortunate events, the woman came home one day to find that all the trees had been clear-cut from her back yard – chopped completely to the ground! She was devastated!

Garden Party!

The absence of the trees changed everything! Without warning, the birds were gone. The scorching westerly sun made it nearly impossible to sit in the backyard at all and it changed the climate of her home. The road and other eye sores beyond the yard were now exposed and ugly—nothing was like it had been. The situation caused everything to look and feel foreign and there was no remedy; she couldn’t replace 20-year-old trees.

The woman had lost all she had worked to create for years – her place of comfort, rest and relaxation. She was sad, embarrassed at the mess and angry! She wanted to blame someone, she wanted them to pay, she wanted to move! But there was nothing to do in the short term but to just live with and adjust to her circumstances.

Several months went by and it was time to plant her vegetable garden. Within a few short weeks the garden was flourishing and strong and the woman realized that it was due to the greater sunlight and warmth.

One evening as she sat out on the porch in the heat, she noticed a brilliant sunset behind her house. She was taken with its beauty -It was golden and pink, orange and lavender, as if hand-painted by the Creator. She remembered how she had enjoyed those sunsets many years before, when the trees were not so tall that they blocked the view. Even in the midst of her loss, she knew that God was delighting her heart.

This story is a true one and describes my own experience of August 2019 – just a year ago. Where once there were beautiful, tall trees, there is now a fence. We lost about 10 feet of yard, due to property lines.

You can see now our fence and our neighbor’s tall trees that are the size ours were. But I haven’t shared my favorite result of the exposure we now live in. I walked behind the fence one afternoon and discovered this giant swath of black-eyed-susans. I planted a few of these about 15 years ago, but they had stopped coming up in the shade of the trees. I had long forgotten them. They had lain dormant in the ground for years – but once exposed to the heat and light – they burst forth in unexpected splendor! I decided to call this my secret garden. My 4-year old granddaughter loves secrets, but she can’t pronounce the word – she says “sweecret.” So now we have a Sweecret Garden that we check-out when she comes to visit. She has to pick blossoms to bring in the house for the table. What a delight to my heart!!

Granddaughter with Hydrangeas

I share this story with you because it is so similar to what we have all experienced in the past year and a half. I’ll bet that you find comfort, pleasure or security in some things that you have or have built or worked for. Unexpected things have happened that have changed everything. Nothing is like what it used to be – and you are sad, tired, want to quit, want to blame or are angry. And there is nothing you can do about the situation but live with it and adjust to the current discomfort.

Friends, I believe that as followers of Christ, we have been prepared for a time such as this!  I believe that God has lovingly stripped away our shade – that place where you’ve found comfort – because there is something you can’t see beyond that. There’s something brilliantly created by HIS hand that he wants you to see.

I believe the growth of your soul is set to flourish, better and stronger – if you step into the heat and the light that couldn’t reach you in the shade.

For the children of our communities, I believe there are seeds waiting to burst forth in splendor from exposure to the light of Jesus. That there are children and families who are just waiting for something that will offer hope beyond our ugly circumstances. God wants HIS little ones to flourish in his love!

And God wants to delight your heart. I pray that you will step out of the shade into the heat that is our current reality. Will you will trade your comfort, competence, protection, predictability for a chance to see a Sweecret Garden grow in the heart of a child?  They need the light you carry and they need it now.

Lisa Yerrick

Local Director

70th Anniversary: Fountain Inn Elementary

Celebrating the Platinum Anniversary of CEF of SC!

As we continue to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of CEF of South Carolina, we look back at our first school club that was started almost 19 years ago at Fountain Inn Elementary, shortly followed by Plain Elementary! Enjoy our virtual “scrapbook” of our early days, courtesy of Ginger Evans.

70th Anniversary Highlight: Taylor Vaughn

2021 is the Platinum Anniversary of CEF of South Carolina!

One way we’re celebrating is to highlight one of our staff members each week. (You can read more about our 70th Anniversary on our blog here.)

This week, meet Taylor Vaughn! Taylor is one of the media coordinators at CEF Greenville and has been at the office since October of 2013. Her favorite part of working with CEF Greenville is serving with a group of people who truly feel like a family. She remembers how it felt the first time she got to lead a child to Christ in Good News Club, and still prays for that child.

She was never a summer missionary with CYIA, but had friends that served several summers and loved it! Because of them and her sister attending Good News Club, she was familiar with the ministry before coming on staff but had no clue how much goes on behind the scenes!

“I was lucky to have so many supportive and believing adults who poured into me as I was growing up. Of course, I looked up to my parents tremendously. My father taught (through actions) the importance of selflessly serving others and commitment through meeting regularly with other believers. My mom always had a kind and compassionate heart for others and shared the gift of being able to worship through music. I’m so thankful God saw fit to make them my parents!”