Children's Bible Club Delivers 6th Millionth Lesson
The sixth millionth lesson from a popular Bible club for children was sent by Child Evangelism Fellowship recently to a member, marking a milestone for the largest Christian-based children's ministry in the world.
The Truth Chasers Club, which was established in 1999, had almost 49,000 active members in the United States this past year. CEF recently designed eight new series of Bible lessons for the club, each targeting a specific age group of children. The lessons are colorful, engaging and thoughtful, and have been very well received by club members, says the fellowship.
"They are enthusiastic about the lessons because they are brighter, more attractive and the pictures are of children they can identify with," said David Howe, the director of the Truth Chasers Club. "The lessons are also more engaging because they include more activities along with reading and studying."
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Even with 49,000 active students, the student's completed lessons are not checked electronically for accuracy. In fact, the lessons are checked by an army of volunteers at the Discipleship Center at CEF Headquarters.
Last year, approximately 600 volunteers came from all over the U.S. to assist, some for a week at a time, some for months. CEF has an RV Park on its grounds to accommodate the many retired couples who come for an extended period of time.
Ashley Alden, USA ministry manager for CEF, explained that the volunteers ensure each club member's lesson gets personalized attention. When they review a lesson they pray for the child and will write handwritten notes of encouragement on the lessons, called "Huggie Notes." The checked lesson and the next new lesson are then sent out to the club member.
Club members often include prayer requests with their returned lessons and these requests are faithfully prayed for by the volunteer when the lesson is reviewed. Birthday cards are sent to club members whose lessons are received around their birthday. Prizes and certificates are sent when milestones are reached, such as the completion of a series.
When two different series are completed, children between the ages of seven and 17 receive a Bible with their name engraved on the cover. "[The Truth Chasers Club] is a great tool for helping children get in the habit of studying the Bible daily," said Howe.
"One of the primary goals of CEF is to see that a newly converted child is established in a local church. We offer resources to aid in the discipleship process," states the ministry on its website. "Some of these resources include the Truth Chasers Club. This is an exciting Bible correspondence course designed to disciple children and adults. God has allowed us to reach over 387,000 people in 130 countries."
Children interested in joining the Truth Chasers Club and receiving their first lesson sign up at www.truthchasersclub.com.
