June 2024 North Valley News

May 24, 2024

North Valley News

Ministry Newsletter of Joel Cripe,

Child Evangelism Fellowship

June 2024

God at Work in Parents, Too.

Mark Carson teaching at a Modesto Good News Club(R)

A question I am sometimes asked is, “Well, what is the Good News Club doing for the parents of these kids?” is the first. It should be noted that children are worth reaching, whether their parents ever hear the Gospel, but it is a question that is posed.

And then periodically I run into church leadership who feel somewhat threatened by the ministry of CEF, expressing their concern that we are competing with their church’s children’s ministry. They, like us, are dependent on volunteers, and they don’t want to commit to an outside program that may or may not benefit their church directly.

Last month I sat down with Mark Carson, one of the pastors at Calvary Chapel Modesto, who is also a Good News Club leader in Modesto and Salida. He was excited to share with me two stories that address the parent question (What is GNC doing for the parents?) and gave insight on how the Good News Club is directly helping

his church to grow. The rest of this article and the one below are transcripts of those stories shared during our conversation.

“The other day I was coming out of church and saw a new family. I couldn’t help but recognize him and walked up and introduced myself. As I talked to him, I asked him, ‘what brings you to church?’ and they said that their son from the Good News Club was actually talking to them and hounding them for months, to go to church! They had been invited to church, and so they had taken him. They really enjoyed the service, and they were looking forward to getting plugged in. It’s exciting to see how Good News Club not only reaches the children, but also touch the hearts of parents and families.”

Spurgeon once shared that reaching children is the best way to get to the fathers, since they go directly back into the home. Mark’s story is proof of that. God is using GNC to reach parents and build His Church.

Touching Entire Families

Some of our volunteers who are touching the hearts of kids and families in GNC(R).

And here is Mark’s other story about how the Good News Club is touching the hearts of families of the kids who attend one of the clubs that he teaches at.

“One day right after a Good News Club session a dad came up to me and as we talked I asked him if he attended any local churches. He said that he didn’t, and so I invited him to come to our church (Calvary Chapel Modesto). It was exciting to see him actually came that week and brought his daughter with him as well. Not only that, but he also asked that night if we had anything else going on for the parents?

that night if we had anything else going on for the parents?I was glad to show him the men’s group, he got plugged in, and after a few weeks he would up not only attending the church but deciding to turn his life over to Christ and be baptized. It’s so exciting to see God actually work in the lives of the parents as well as the children through the Good News Club.”

From church to Good News Club, from children to parents and back to the church, God is touching the hearts of entire families.

Did That Last Year

Valley Springs Good News Club

Do you ever wonder if kids really understand? Listen to this testimony from one of our Modesto GNC teachers.

“I was really struggling to know if the kids really understand what they’re doing. I called and told Veronica in the office that sometimes the same kids come back every week and you’re trying to weed through why they are there. So, one week I was with a group of little girls, one of whom had come back several times. I finally just asked her if she had ever decided to believe in Jesus

and asked Him to be her Savio, and she said ‘Yeah I did that last year the very first time!’ She just had questions, and it was a good reminder that these kids do remember, and it really is genuine.”

I (Joel) personally received Christ young, but then doubted my own sincerity up until the age of eleven. I had questions and needed assurance from God’s Word, which I received. Children really are sincere and genuinely do believe in Christ. What a great reminder!

406 Reached at the 131st

Frog Jump Jubilee

Fair season kicked off last month in Angels Camp at the 131st Frog Jump Jubilee (Calaveras County Fair). 406 children made “Wordless Book” bracelets while hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ. 70 of those children made professions of faith.

One little girl who received Christ on Thursday brought two friends back to the booth on Saturday, and told us to tell them the story. A mom with three children from Valley Springs brought her children to hear the Gospel and then was thrilled to learn that there was a Good News Club at Valley Springs Elementary

that her children could attend next school year.

But not only children heard the Gospel. Moms, dads, and teenagers were also shared with, as well as one of the carnival workers. On Saturday I (Joel) went to West Point (on Hwy 26 north and east of Hwy 49), and shared with 7 children and one adult. Janice, the 69 year old adult, received Christ as her Savior. Enjoy the pictures below, and rejoice with us at what God did through our many volunteers at the fair!

The next fair event takes place June27-30 at the Gold Rush Fair in Sonora. Please be praying!

Sheree Renard (Sonora) leading two girls to Christ on the first day of the fair.

Alice Yothers (Valley Springs) shares with a little girl.

Linda Hollis (Modesto) opening her Bible with three girls.

Left to right: Gloria Paredes (Modesto), Cindy Fulton (Modesto), Teri Sepulveda (Murphys), and Christy Lundquist (Turlock)

Alice Yothers (Valley Springs) was up late every

night at the fair sharing the Good News

I made a side trip to West Point and Janice (69) wanted to make a bracelet. She confessed her sins and came to Christ. The Gospel is powerful for all ages, they just have to be willing to come like a little child.