Telling Future Generations

Emmanuel Mukasa, the CEF National Director of Uganda in East Central Africa, shares about the wide-open door to reach children for Christ year-round in his country, but especially during the Christmas season by conducting Christmas Party Clubs and also Camp Good News Christmas Camps.

This year, CEF of Illinois is partnering together with CEF of Uganda in raising $10,000 to send 500 children to a Christmas Camp at $20 per child. Our goal is to help send as many children in Uganda to camp to hear the true meaning of Christmas, which is all about the Lord Jesus Christ!

Thanks so much!

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.

Recently, Emmanuel Mukasa, the National Director of CEF of Uganda came for a visit here in the USA. Emmanuel came not only for a visit to the state of Illinois, but also to attend the CEF International Conference that was attended by 1,500 CEF staff and volunteers from across the world. Emmanuel Mukasa shares a picture that he gained from the conference of the CEF ministry worldwide which motivated him all the more in reaching children for Christ!

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.

At the CEF of IL Spring Concert, the CEF staff shared a ministry update of not only our school year ministry, but also our upcoming summer ministry that launches June through August as an evangelistic outreach to children across Illinois!

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.

Jesus made it clear in Mark 10:14 that children are not a peripheral to the kingdom of God, but are to be included in hearing the message about Jesus because the kingdom of God includes children too!

Jesus said, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."

There are only two ways to respond to children's need to come to Jesus.  Either we are on the HELPING SIDE of bringing children to Jesus or on the HINDERING SIDE of preventing children from coming to Jesus.  By God's grace, God is calling each of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior to be on the HELPING SIDE in pointing children to Jesus and intentionally help to bring the children to Jesus by our words, our actions, and even through our prayers!

Listen to the true story how through the persistent prayers of a mother made all the difference in her sons life for all eternity!

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.

Chuck Coleson of Prison Fellowship once gave a humorous observation about the state of the church saying,  "The church is a lot like Noah's Ark. The stench on the inside would be unbearable, if it weren't for the storms on the outside."

Is this true? Is this the point of the church to just hunker down together and hang on tight?

Acts Chapter 2 in the birth of the church, lays out for us the biblical foundation for ministry in the life of the church which includes the evangelizing ministry, the enfolding ministry, the establishing ministry, and the extending ministry of the church.

However, what does it mean for the church to engage in the ESTABLISHING MINISTRY?

This is not about the modern-day view of church growth based on the '3 B's' of BODIES, BUCKS, and BUILDINGS. 

Rather, the ESTABLISHING MINISTRY of the church is the focus of WHY GOD's PEOPLE come together based on four specific ways the early church 'built up' their people spiritually that flow out of Acts 2:42 which says, "And they continued steadfastly, in the apostle's doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.

The mission of the church that is described for us here in Acts Chapter 2, includes not only the evangelizing ministry of the church, but also the enfolding ministry of the church.

The church's enfolding ministry, has two components: 1) 'Next Steps,' leading to a public profession of repentance toward sin and believing/saving faith towards Christ; and then 2) 'Baptism.'

The doctrine of baptism can be a 'spiritual hot potato' which divides believers and churches into different denominational camps. However, it is important to understand even here in Acts 2, that baptism is described as that which takes place after salvation (i.e., faith towards Christ). Baptism is a beautiful picture of an outward sign which points to an internal reality of what God has done for us in salvation!

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.

Acts Chapter 2, with the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost, reminds us in descriptive detail what is the point of the church that can be categorized into a four-fold ministry of the church: the evangelizing ministry of the church, the enfolding ministry of the church, the establishing ministry of the church, and the extending ministry of the church.

Today on our radio program, we will focus on the evangelizing and the enfolding ministry of the church and look at specifically, our job and God's job when it comes to the proclamation of the Gospel and salvation in Christ.

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.

Acts Chapter 2 is a wonderful example of the essential truths of the Gospel message which focuses on the life of Christ, the death and resurrection of Christ, and also the exaltation of Christ.

The message on the Day of Pentecost all worked together to point to the ultimate question of who Jesus is, whom the Apostle Peter declares emphatically that JESUS is both LORD and CHRIST!

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.

Acts 2 includes the first recorded sermon in the New Testament after Christ's death and resurrection.

This message proclamation is given in the midst of both wonder and mocking, reminding us that every time the Gospel message is given, we should expect different and even opposing responses.

The Apostle Peter, who was the messenger on the day of Pentecost, pointed to his bottom-line message that we are right now living in, 'the last days' before the great day of the Lord's coming and that our only response is to, '... call upon the name of the Lord, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!' 

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.

Acts Chapter 2 is pivotal in understanding the purpose, the mission of the church.

It can also be confusing and filled with doctrinal tensions that separates churches and various theological camps.

We could skip Acts Chapter 2 and ignore the controversy altogether of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the speaking in tongues divergent views.

Instead, let's dig in and discern what Acts Chapter 2 is teaching us through three distinct pictures of the Holy Spirit, which ultimately points us to the overarching purpose of the Day of Pentecost all found in the same chapter in Acts Chapter 2.

Go to our website to learn more information about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Illinois.