Starting a Home-Based Outreach to Children
Ministering to boys and girls and their families through a CEF club or party can be extremely rewarding and help fulfill the Great Commission. CEF has a proven simple-to-follow plan for starting a home-based ministry to children and will walk you through each step.
You’ll find a general overview below. These general guidelines apply to beginning a weekly Good News Club during the school year, a 5-Day Club during the summer, or a Party outreach anytime.
Prayer team: One of the first things you’ll want to do is enlist some friends to pray with you as you consider beginning an outreach to boys and girls. These can be Christian friends from church or your neighborhood. Include your pastor. You’ll want prayer during the planning phase, ministry time, and follow-up.
Contact CEF: When you’re reasonably sure you’d like to have a club or party, contact the CEF office. We’ll pray with you and guide you through the rest of the process.
Choose: Choose the type of ministry that will work best for you, your volunteers, and the families in your neighborhood.
• An outreach party is a one-time event that lasts about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. (Some volunteers hold several parties each year.)
• A 5-Day Club meets for 90 minutes each day for five consecutive days in the summer, much like a VBS. Clubs can meet any time of day.
• A Good News Club meets for 90 minutes every week during the school year. A full club year is generally about 26 weeks. Some volunteers opt to host an abbreviated club, such as one six-week lesson series.
Workers: You’ll also need people to help you conduct the club or party. Perhaps this will include your family, neighbors, or other Christian friends. Remember that you will need to have at least two adults present with the children for the entire party. CEF can sometimes provide an experienced teacher to help you get started. All your workers will need to apply as CEF volunteers and comply with CEF’s Child Protection Policy, including a criminal background check for anyone aged 18 or older.
Training: CEF provides specialized training for all children’s workers—most of it at no cost to volunteers. The CEF office can provide information about what type of training is available for the type of ministry you’re planning.
Materials: CEF has specialized materials for each ministry. We follow a 4-year curriculum cycle. Depending on the kind of ministry, CEF sometimes provides curricula free with participation in training; you may need to purchase items. CEF will work with you to ensure cost is not a barrier to conducting ministry.
Plan the Outreach: Once you have decided what type of ministry you want to conduct, you and your team have been screened and trained, and you have your materials, you’ll want to plan your event. CEF can provide guidance.
Invite: Determine whom you will invite and how to ask them. CEF provides invitation templates you can customize for your outreach.
Engage: Conduct the club or party, trusting God to work through you and your team! Interact with the children from the time they arrive until the moment they leave. Engage with parents if they drop off, pick up, or even stay with their children.
Report: Let the CEF office know how the ministry went and how many children were involved. You’ll also provide the office with a copy of your attendance record.
Follow-up: Have a plan for following up with the kids/families who attend. You may want to invite them to another event or encourage them to attend your church.
We’d love to help you get started sharing God’s love and the good news of Jesus with boys and girls in your neighborhood. Contact us to get started!