Child Evamgelism Fellowship

Child Evangelism Fellowship was a big part of our lives

About the time my oldest son started kindergarten I heard that Child Evangelism Fellowship was starting Bible classes in Thompson. I thought that if they could do it why couldn't we?

I prayed about it and then contacted CEF to find out what was involved. They told me that the school act allows the ministers or their representatives to go into the school and teach if they have the signature of a certain number of parents. I called a meeting with the area ministerial and invited the CEF director in 1972 in the fall. When they heard what we could do they wanted to get it started here. They wanted the lay people to go in and they would be the resource people.

At the time I was thinking that we will get this going and then I`d be done. I have since learnt that when you pray for something you must be ready to be part of the answer.

In January of the next year we started with one class and had like a rally type of class with two teacher from Portage. The next year the children were divided into classes and teachers from the community began teaching. We had classes for all the grades up to grade 8. For quite a few years I taught the grade 7 &8`s and then when Austin and Rossendale started I was the coordinator for the three schools. What a blessing to be able to serve in this way.

It worked so well but it got a lot harder to get teachers when people started pulling their children out of the school and homeschooling or started private schools. We were so sad

to see this happening but the work has continued with less children and it is working.

It has been such a wonderful way for the kids in our churches to see that being a Christian is not only for church but a part of every day life. Also numerous children who didn`t go to Sunday school came and learnt about Jesus.

We are so blessed in this country to have this freedom and we have been blessed to be part of this ministry. I want to encourage those who are teaching now. CEF is in many schools in Manitoba and is truly blessed.