Chicago Child Evangelism Fellowship

Hello and Greetings to you all! I just want to say a quick “Thank you” for being so kind and welcoming me into the CEF team of Chicago!!! You all are a great and wonderful team and I am privileged to be a part!!! The meetings have been so helpful lately and I really appreciate all you do for the children’s souls of Chicago!

I am looking forward to all the TCE classes, 5-Day Clubs, GNCs, workshops, etc…with ya’ll !!!!! God bless everyone!!!and GO TEAM!!!!! YEAH!!!!

Blessings in the Lord,

Kara Lancaster

Two days ago I got the privilege of teaching adults how to conduct a party club, a Good News Club program designed to help the kids celebrate Valentine’s Day.  I had a blast teaching adults (to teach kids) a synced-up version of “Jesus Loves Me,” and teaching the “Valentine’s Day verse” (Mark 12:30:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”)  The theme of the workshop was teaching children how to love God with “all your heart;” to illustrate this phrase, I showed a picture of a runner whose expression denoted concentration and struggle; then I advised the teachers to imitate the runner as if he were only putting part of his heart into the race–by “running” around the room like a lame duck!  The teachers were incredible learners and it was exciting to see how gifted they are.  It was a privilege to introduce them to a new Bible lesson they can teach about three Bible characters who loved with all THEIR hearts (Hannah, who gave God Samuel; Abraham, who gave God Isaac; and GOD, Who gave US Jesus).  This Bible lesson explained the reason behind Jesus’ death and resurrection (to take the punishment for our sin so we can be adopted into God’s family).  The lesson ends with Jesus’ resurrection and breakfast conversation with Peter beside the Sea of Galilee: “Do you love Me, Peter?”  At this point, the teachers will ask the kids, “Do YOU love Him?”  The teachers will challenge saved and unsaved kids to find specific ways to love God with all THEIR hearts.  And all this is done in an easy-to-understand, captivating way!

I sit in awe today as I reminise on our All Mighty Lord and Savior. He is incredible beyond all we could imagine. His will be done!!!! Thank you Prayer Partners, Thank you Donors, Thank you Team workers, Thank you Crossroads family, Thank you CEF family, Thank you friends and family, and Thank you God!

This week at Good News Club, we had 15 students as we began our 5-week lesson about Patriarch’s. Hebrews 11:8 “By faith Abraham, when called…obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” That is the memory verse we taught this week. The teaching goal is “tust God to keep His promises.” We know that he will because His word says so, go ahead and read it for yourself. Try Romans 8:28, and should you need anymore assistance, please call on me I welcome the opportunity to share God’s wonderful message. We encouraged the children to stay in God’s word everyday and speak to him everyday, that is how you form an intimate relationship with Him. It is great to see that the children were receiving the message and understanding it. As we asked our review questions, they were able to answer correctly. Here is one of the questions. “What does it mean to trust God’s promises? They answered “depend on God to do what he says.”

It just brought joy to the Leader’s hearts. God is working and each day, we can see His loving grace pouring down on us.

Thank each of you for your prayers and for partnering with me. Your Love gifts provided me an opportunity to attend the Children’s Ministry Institute in Warrenton, MO. January 20, will be the first day of a three month series of courses. I will keep you posted on this spectacular Biblical growth opportunity.

Ok my friends, I’m going to lay down and have pleasant dreams about our Savior, and the wonderful life he allows for. Please continue to pray for the children that as we continue to teach them, they begin to look even futher into God’s word so that they may be more Christ like.

Love ya, and as always check back for more updates.

Angela

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you!

These thanks come from the depths of my heart. I want to say Thank you for your PRAYERS, thank you for your SUPPORT, thank you for your FAITH, thank you for your WORK, and thank you for your LOVE.

God’s word says “Love each other as I have loved you”.
May our love continue to flourish in 2010.

In case you ever wondered, insanity + pillow fights = “We Three Kings.”  At least, it did during the Bible Club/Christmas Party I got to help teach last week.  After the screaming had died down and the pillows had stopped flying, but before club officially began, several of the kids and I gathered on the stairs and sang songs like “Country roads, take me home,” and “You belong with me,” and ending with “Twelve Days of Christmas,” and “We Three Kings.”  About fifteen minutes later, I was teaching them the story of the Three Kings.  When I asked for volunteers to act out the story, they all raised their hands and jumped up and down.  I picked three–who, to their chagrin, were assigned to act as camels.

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!

Well we are on our way to another year “2010″. Another opportunity to reach children for Christ. Over the Christmas and New Years holiday, I spent time with my family. We prayed and gave thanks for the past year and the year ahead. I am looking forward to the new challenges of sharing the gospel with many, many more children this year. Please PRAY with me that lives are changed for God’s glory. Please also PRAY that our world which we live in recognizes that all things can only be done through Christ who strengthens us. And that he is the light and the way!

PRAISE REPORT!! I’ve been asked to take on the responsibility of Youth Director at my church “Crossroads Church of Hillside”, of which I humbly accepted. To be considered for such an important duty is an honor. It is a blessing to have God work through me in such a way that my Pastor, his Wife the Deacons and other Church Members have witnessed the growth and have faith that I can be a valuable part of the Church team. It is incredible to be used in this way.

May God continue to richly bless and keep you as he is doing in me. He is an awesome God!

Closing Thought: Matthew 18:6
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

This is one example of how God feels about his children, and why we are to let them come to him and teach them the way to go.

Love Angela

Good News Club workshops are coming up in January. Be sure to get your team registered and ready for a new semester of Good News Clubs! We are offering three workshops to best meet the needs of your team. All the information you need is contained in the link below. Please click to download!

January Workshops

he shall teach you all things,: and “he will show you things to come”

”

We had 17 children today for our Christmas Party Lesson, “The Message of a Star”. An incredible lesson about how God would use stars to get new messages to people, particularly the wise men of the Bible. And how today God no longer gives us a new message through a star. The secret to understanding more about God is to obey what He tells you in the Bible, and His Holy Spirit will help you understand new things from God’s word. How amazing.

Today, one young girl said to me, I took a permission slip to give to one of my friends, and she said no thank you, because my Mom will say no, she always says no. The young girl, a child of Christ said please take it and believe! Because God can change anything, they might change their minds and say yes. Her friend said ok and took the permission slip. God is working in the lives of these young children. Stay tuned for more updates.

Today’s memory verse: Jeremiah 29:10 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart”.

I am looking forward to keeping you posted with all the latest things happening with the ministry!

Teaching Children Effectively starts January 11th at Moody Bible Institute.