It's no secret to anyone who has children in school that the risks students can encounter are far greater now than ever before. Drugs, violence and gang activity are no longer strangers to students and teachers. There is an area organization, however, that is working through churches and volunteers to combat those issues by evangelizing elementary-age boys and girls.

Child Evangelism Fellowship, a 71-year-old national, nonprofit organization, is the largest missions organization ministering to children in the world.

The Orangeburg office of CEF, located on Broughton Street, was established 13 years ago and oversees the Lower Savannah District encompassing five counties: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun and Orangeburg.

Judy Boyleston, CEF of Orangeburg area director, says the organization's primary goal is to evangelize boys and girls by telling them about Jesus Christ and the word of God and to establish them in a local church.

"The primary way we do that is through the after-school Good News Club," Boyleston said. "It's really like a high-powered Sunday school class that we are able to hold on school property one hour a week. These clubs usually run from October through April during the school year."

Orangeburg attorney Bill Connor, who is a current member of the CEF state board of directors and sat on the Orangeburg board for a year, says CEF is able to utilize school grounds for its work thanks to a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows after-hours religious ceremonies and activities.

"The state CEF is now getting into many of the elementary schools in South Carolina due to the ruling that public school districts cannot discriminate with regards to after-hours student organizations and can open up their campuses," Connor said. "Since that time, the Good News Clubs have taken advantage of this."

Boyleston says there are 27 elementary schools in the Lower Savannah District's five counties. Currently, Good News Clubs are being held in 13 of those schools. Boyleston is cautiously optimistic that number could grow to 17 this fall.

"The process by which Good News Clubs are started involves the area churches, who we are seeking to partner with CEF," Boyleston said. "I approach a pastor and share the vision of the Good News Club as a mission for his or her church. Sponsoring churches provide six to eight volunteers who agree to run a Good News Club. CEF provides access to the schools, which we arrange through the school districts, and all the materials, the training and ongoing support."

"Locally, we've had the full support of the superintendents in Orangeburg Consolidated School Districts Four and Five, but we've never been told by anyone that we can't come," she added. "Statistics show that 80 percent of the children in our region do not regularly attend church or Sunday school. We're trying to reach these children and make every moment count. Our goal is to be in all 27 elementary schools in our five-county region by 2010."

The activities at a Good News Club run the gamut from Bible lessons to memory verses and mission story-time, singing and a review game. Boyleston says the children have fun and fellowship, not even realizing they are learning God's word in their hearts.

"I really think that, in the Bible less

ons, CEF has the best material because in every lesson the Gospel is shared and an invitation is given," she said. "In most other curriculums and churches, evangelism is usually hit upon only once a quarter or once a month. Even in vacation Bible schools, there's only one day where they talk about that. We believe that you should do this every time you interact with children."

CEF also has a program for ages 14 to 22 called Christian Youth in Action. The teens and young adults do basically the same thing as the Good News Clubs, only during the summer. CYIA participants hold Five Day Clubs in day-care facilities, apartment complexes and anywhere where elementary-age children can be found.

"Even parents who don't go to church a lot of times want their kids to attend Good News Clubs because they want that influence," Boyleston said. "We've had principals, parents and teachers call us and say they have seen a positive change in the kids' behavior, and they want us back. Good News Clubs underscore the character building schools are now trying to impart."

She said the toughest part about placing Good News Clubs at every elementary school in the Lower Savannah District is finding churches to sponsor the program.

Connor said CEF is the perfect organization for churches with limited resources to make a positive impact on children.

"One interesting statistic is that, typically, those that come to Christ do so by their 15th birthday," he said. "Most people who are born again do so early in life, which makes getting God's word to the children important. For a number of churches, evangelism to children seems more challenging than to adults. Perhaps it's because they don't really understand the crisis going on now in the family.

"CEF offers a viable alternative for parents who are trying to teach morality at home."

Boyleston said there is always room for more volunteers in many different capacities with the Orangeburg CEF.

"We always need volunteers to be board members, help in the office or with fund-raising," she said.

CEF will hold one-day training conferences for anyone who works with children -- day-care staff, parents and teachers, Boyleston said.

The two trainings will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at Hagood Avenue Baptist Church in Barnwell and Saturday, Sept. 27, at Rivelon Baptist Church in Orangeburg.

For more information about the CEF training sessions or to find out how to volunteer, call 803-535-0061 or visit www.cef-sc.org.

T&D Staff Writer Phil Sarata can be reached by e-mail at psarata@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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