FOCUS ON MINISTR Y Churches Make Ministry Possible


by BRANDON SHIPPY, MINISTRY COORDINATOR, CEF OF OMAHA Church is what makes ministry possible. That is


especially the case with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Omaha (CEF). We at CEF of Omaha are so incredibly thankful for our partnership with Community Bible Church (CBC) and Crosspoint Bible Church, two of the FEBC member churches in Omaha. Between both churches, they sponsor three Good News Clubs in local schools across the Omaha area. Through these partner- ships, we have been able to reach many kids every single school year with the Gospel. We just want to lift these things all up to the Lord and praise him for what he has done! Our partnership with these churches has been go- ing on for many years, and we are thankful for their con- tinued support and faithfulness. The purpose of these partnerships is to connect churches to more children and families in their communities, and that is exactly what has been done. Because of how God has worked, many children have come to know Christ as their Savior and been discipled in their faith. We give all the glory back to the Lord for what he has done, what he is doing, and what he will do.


It has also been encouraging for us to see many teens


and adults from these churches willing to volunteer, lead, and teach Good News Clubs at the schools. When children go to Good News Clubs, they hear a clear pre- sentation of the Gospel and are also able to connect with teens and adults from Crosspoint and CBC. This bridges the gap between these churches and the surrounding communities so that those families are more open to attending church. This is the heart behind our mission: to work with churches to establish children and families in those exact same churches. CEF is not here to replace the church, but to work alongside it. We praise God for these churches from the FEBC who have a vision and a passion for reaching children in their communities with the Gospel.


Good News Clubs are not the only way that CBC


and Crosspoint partner with CEF. Every summer these churches are so faithful in sending teens from their youth groups to be trained at Christian Youth In Action (CYIA), a week-long camp to share the Gospel in our summer 5-Day Clubs. The number of teens that are sent grows every single year and now many volunteer staff members that serve at CYIA are past CYIA students that were sent from CBC and Crosspoint. Once again, all the glory and praise go back to God for what he is doing through these churches in Omaha. We praise him for these people. Our ministry would not be the same without them.


In fact, three of our full-time staff members grew


up in Crosspoint and CBC and got their start attending CYIA with others from their churches. After years of


CYIA is a missions opportunity for students ages 12-20, who desire to be equipped to share the Gospel with children. Every student who attends CYIA makes a commitment to teach four 5-Day Clubs throughout the summer. This program has had an impact in the lives of hundreds of students who have grown in their relationship with Jesus, been given the training and had opportunities to reach children with the Gospel.


volunteering and being involved in the ministry, they now serve as full-time local missionaries. As such, much of their financial support and continuous encouragement comes from individuals from their home churches.


Community Bible Church and Crosspoint Bible


Church offer invaluable support in many different ways to the mission of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Omaha, for which we are forever grateful. It’s a bless- ing to partner with churches like these to reach the next generation for Christ.


Brandon Shippy was born and raised in Omaha, Ne-


braska. Growing up with four siblings was a real joy for him. He attended the Awana program at his church, Community Bible Church in Omaha, Nebraska, and it was there that he received Jesus as his Savior. Brandon states, “I didn’t fully real- ize what it meant to be a Christian until I attended Christian Youth in Action and was introduced to CEF. The people at camp challenged me to grow in my personal walk with God and gain a burden for the lost children of the world.” Brandon attended the Children’s Ministries Institute at CEF Head- quarters in the fall of 2020 and now serves at CEF Omaha as a full-time Ministry Coordinator.


FELLOWSHIP FOCUS, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 6


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