THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 4, 1996 TAG: 9610020210
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SANDRA J. BARKER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 64 lines
Since 1947, Child Evangelism Fellowship has been making a positive impact on Portsmouth children.
And now, the fall season for Child Evangelism Fellowship has begun. A kickoff teacher training workshop was held Monday at Bethany Baptist Church on Portsmouth Boulevard. The workshop was open to anyone who wants to learn more about teaching children about the Bible. Next up are regular teacher training classes.
For those interested in learning what Child Evangelism Fellowship is doing in the area, the annual CEF Banquet will be held Oct. 18. The banquet is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by Christian businessmen, churches and individuals from throughout Hampton Roads and will be held at Eastminster Presbyterian Church off Indian River Road in Virginia Beach. Reservations should be made by calling Carylon Buck at 465-2515.
Over the years, the group's Portsmouth work has expanded to include all of Hampton Roads and Northhampton County on the Eastern Shore. Buck has been CEF Missionary Director of Hampton Roads for 32 years.
Buck is a Cradock High School graduate who spent most of her life in Portsmouth. Nine years ago, she and her husband, Malone, moved to Chesapeake.
g1cef Buck
``Children are naturally teachable,'' Buck says. ``They are naturally humble, and they want to learn. . . . Our main purpose in CEF is to zero in on these kids and reach them for the Lord so that they can stay out of trouble and have a successful life.
``It costs very little to reach a child, but it costs a lot of money to take care of an adult in prison,'' she said. ``. . . CEF keeps kids off the street, and I think it really does help lower the crime rate.''
To accomplish that, CEF has 25 Good News Clubs in Hampton Roads, 10 of them in Portsmouth, with more than 850 boys and girls enrolled. Last summer, there were 5-Day Clubs in 154 locations, with an enrollment of 1,510.
Good News Clubs are taught one hour a week during the school year. The 5-Day Clubs are taught by trained teenage summer missionaries during July and August for one hour on five consecutive days.
Good News Clubs are held in many homes throughout the city, including Douglass Park, Cavalier Manor, Hunters Point and Churchland. A club in Swanson Homes is taught by two women in the recreation center.
``They have about 20 to 30 kids that come every week,'' Buck said. ``We have found that these inner-city kids look forward to the club, to seeing people who care about them. These teachers really love these kids and they want to help them. They want to point them in the right direction.''
Child Evangelism Fellowship is an international ministry based in Warrenton, Mo. The ministry was begun in Chicago in 1937 and has grown into a worldwide organization that reaches across the United States and Canada, and into 120 countries. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Buck
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AT A GLANCE
Teacher training classes:
Bethany Baptist Church, Tuesday, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Wednesday, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
CEF banquet:
Oct. 18, 7 p.m., Eastminster Presbyterian Church
Nursery provided. For information, call Carylon Buck, 465-2515. by CNB