Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern Nevada, Inc

We believe that all people are created in the image of an all knowing, loving God. As such, every individual matters to Him. He has a reason for people being here and has provided guidelines to help navigate this world. All of this can be found in the Bible. By introducing children to the Bible, we are able to help them recognize that they are loved, they are known, and they do have a purpose in this world.

Our primary goal is to reach as many children as possible with the life-affirming message of God's love. When children have a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose, they are much more likely to succeed in life. They also come to know that while we all sin, God's love provided a means to be forgiven, and His power provides a way to make good choices and to avoid the things that are destructive in life. And as God starts making these positive changes in a child's life, families and friends see the result. Many times whole families have turned their lives around because of the difference in their son or daughter's behavior.

The main strategy of Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern Nevada is to provide Good News Clubs. These after-school clubs emphasize character development including: kindness, honesty, and respect. This character building also strengthens schools' existing anti-bullying programs. The teaching provided during the clubs is from a Biblical basis because we have seen how God makes a difference in the lives of children and their families.

These clubs and other related events are open to all children between ages 6-12 with signed consent from a parent. The club hour includes singing, scripture memorization, a Bible lesson and games. Most clubs are held at public and charter schools in accordance with the Equal Access decision from the U.S. Supreme Court: Good News Club vs. Milford Central School District.

In order to establish a Good News Club, we partner with local churches who identify a school or schools in their neighborhood. Churches provide volunteers and a portion of the funding needed to support the club. This provide the church an opportunity to reach into their communities and connect with other families. Many times the church also establishes a relationship with the school's administration and provides services or goods needed by that particular school.

We are part of an International Organization that has been in existence since 1937. Our parent organization provides structure, guidelines and curriculum to meet the needs of the local chapters. We also have access to strong legal counsel and intervention if needed through an ongoing relationship with Liberty Counsel. The programs and curriculum have been developed and tested over these many years.

This local chapter, Child Evangelism of Southern Nevada is governed by a 10 member Board of Directors that works with several sub committees. The Board is directly responsible for setting objectives, goals and strategies for the organization, and securing sufficient funds to meet those objectives.

Staff members include a Director, Office Manager and several Ministry Coaches. The program is executed by screened and trained volunteers. Each club has a minimum of four volunteers, with oversight done by the Ministry Coach. As of January 2020, we have a volunteer base of 265 individuals.

Our organization has seen significant growth over the past several years. As mentioned previously, we've almost double the number of Good News Clubs throughout our region. We've developed a separate entity that is focused on reaching the Hispanic community by holding Clubs and outreach events in parks, community centers and churches. This is a similar strategy used by the Chapter in Los Angles. They are reaching 10,000+ children and families every year with their programs.

We have grown our donor and volunteer base, increasing our capacity to open more Clubs in the coming years. We have implemented policies and procedures to better equip our volunteer base to carry out our mission. We have diversified our donor base to include foundations and corporate donations. Our primary school district is the Clark County School District, which is the 5th largest in the country. While we are not endorsed by the District, we have made efforts to strengthen our relationship with them. We have received many positive responses from Principals and other school administrators about the value of having a Good News Club at their school. We have even received requests from our Metropolitan Police Department to open a Club in areas with higher crime rates.

With more than 230 elementary schools and approximately 150 middle schools, we anticipate exponential growth in the years ahead. We firmly believe the impact that a Good News Club has on a child, extends out to the community as a whole, as these children become responsible citizens and loving examples of the person God created them to be.