I’ve attended many CEF trainings throughout my 10 years of volunteering, but Teaching Children Effectively™ (TCE) gave me one of the deepest understandings I’ve had of a child’s greatest need, how to clearly share the Gospel with them, and how to prepare for every aspect of children’s ministry.

During the five Saturdays of TCE, I was surprised by how much I still had to learn despite being very familiar with CEF materials. Each instructor brought something unique to the classroom. Christina shared a treasure trove of practical resources from her years of ministry, Dia kept us engaged with countless creative teaching props, Nadya’s energetic teaching made every lesson come alive, Mei-Mei encouraged us with stories from her recent missions work overseas, and Joel’s passion and experience were evident as he confidently guided us through each training step. Their love for children’s ministry was both inspiring and contagious.

The classmates I learned alongside made the experience even more meaningful. Having church members, family, and Good News Club teachers in the same cohort strengthened many of those relationships while allowing us to encourage one another in ministry.

One of the greatest joys has been watching everyone immediately put what they learned into practice. The friends from my church who went through TCE, recognized the need for better training for Sunday school volunteers, from classroom management to counseling children with the Gospel. One began teaching these principles to teen helpers during a summer program, while another jumped into serving at a local 5-Day Club and has been applying what she learned.

Our Good News Club teachers also grew in confidence, especially during the invitation time after Bible lessons. It was exciting to see them more prepared to counsel children who responded to the Gospel.

Another classmate, who serves in Sunday school and leads a young families group, took what she learned back to her church. Her group even hosted a family outreach where they shared the made keychains while sharing the Gospel through the colors of each bead!

Serving alongside my sisters through TCE has been especially meaningful. Watching them grow in confidence while ministering to children has reminded me of God’s faithfulness. This ministry is close to our hearts because our mom began volunteering with CEF when my youngest sister was just a toddler. Seeing both the oldest and youngest siblings now serving together is a beautiful legacy of our mother’s investment and God’s continued work in our family.