From the GOD CAN at Good News Clubs in
schools... “We
prayed for all our benchmark test scores and guess what... I got a 3.5.”
"I need Him to help me... really!" “Pray
because my grandma died on Saturday.” "...and I love going to Good News Club. Help other kids come
too." “Please make
my Mom and Dad stop fighting…"
From
Pastors and Community
Leaders
“I wish our entire
church could see what happened in our building today… (speaking of the CEF
Extra Good News Christmas Party attended by apprx. 200 kids and families)
...hopefully we can host several more of these events.”
“You guys are doing an
amazing job in Durham.
I never believed churches and ministries could come together like this... totally
for you.”
“Why I Love
Durham: 10 Signs of Hope” mentioned, John Blakeof Child Evangelism
Fellowship who is rallying churches around neglected communities in the
name of Christ…
What’s good with you? Encouraging words and video segments found at Brand
Newz
with Christopher Martin.
Are
They Worth Reaching?
"John Blake Shares His Heart for City Kids" blog for revolutionary
Christians
Christian
Youth in Action NC
CYiA® Training at CampGood News Asheville
from June 15-25, 2010 and two sessions of the Urban Missions Breakout! in Durham June 27-July 3 and July 11-17. More details on the
Education page
Boston '10 this summer!
Good News Across America will be held in Boston
July
19-31, 2010
to reach kids and develop CEF/Church partnerships.
HiSStory
booklet & guide
Click
Here
The
HiSStory booklet contains biblical teachings from Creation through the life of Jesus
Christ + the 7 Most Important Things* are integrated. A free teacher's guide
is included for classroom helps and ideas.
MLK Day of
Service 2010
On Jan. 18th staff and volunteers led city kids and residents in a day of
service to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Cornwallis Rd Apt
community. Clean up of playgrounds and the Youth Life Center were done.
Pizza and hang out time followed an afternoon of work.
Growing the Ministry
The DURHAM AREA CHAPTER covers eight counties - Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Durham, Granville, Orange, Person, and Vance. We have
significant ministry in Durham and Orange counties, and are focusing on developing partnerships with churches in the other six
counties. Currently, Dr. David Johnson, staff coordinating ministry development
and technology, has established CEF summer ministry with churches in three new
counties. A key ministry tactic is to conduct Good
News Clubs, fun-filled sessions where the Gospel is clearly presented
through stories, verses, songs, and games. Good News Clubs are scheduled as weekly events at a given location. In the summer, we typically
conduct daily Bible clubs over a period of five days at a location, and
these are called 5-Day Clubs. Adopt-a-school Good News Clubs®
Orange County Schools have clubs meeting at Cameron Park, Efland-Cheeks,
Hillsborough, and Pathways elementary schools. A church team is being developed for adopting
Central Elementary School. Other school systems surrounding Durham and Orange counties are open for CEF clubs as well, but mission teams need to be developed to adopt these schools.
Diversity:
Good News Clubs meeting in Durham communities
Bible clubs, tutoring, community projects, sports activities, health & nutrition, and other types of activities round out the diversity of
84 Good News Clubs, which are meeting in Durham. Many are in the inner city. Some in the suburbs as others meet in church after school programs.
Over 2,000 kids are taught
weekly lessons from the Bible, the 7 Most Important Things in the World, missions, and how to apply all this to their own lives. Led by CEF-trained volunteers, kids 5-14 years of age meet weekly throughout the traditional school year.
What if for 10 years...?
Durham Urban Missions Network has an answer. Is God powerful enough to prevent kids
from joining gangs? Does the Word of God still have
answers for today's problems? What if the young men charged
with the murders of a Duke and UNC student in 2008 had attended a Good
News Club® as a child? Would it have made any difference
in their lives?
What if the Church of Durham took
seriously its responsibility for taking the Gospel to city kids and youth? What if for 10
years a collaboration of churches and ministries
comprehensively served the 10 most physically and spiritually
needy communities in Durham? These are the communities where crime and evil
have dominated life for way too long; where
kids are not expected to succeed.
These are the communities where
the words: at-risk, under-resourced, and marginalized are
experienced everyday in the lives of kids and families.
These are the communities where God has been rejected, yet
screams out to be glorified! Where He desires that the
residents welcome Him back into their homes and into their
communities.
CEF along with
several partnering ministries, a few churches, and a growing
number of local Christians are focusing there efforts for 10
years upon 10 under resourced communities in Durham.
This collaborative group, while maintaining the identity of
each ministry, calls itself the Durham Urban Missions
Network. A simple strategy of discipleship will be used.
CEF will offer weekly Good News Clubs, educational resources,
church partnership training, and special events for each
community. Others will provide after school tutoring,
creative arts, community service, development, and prayer.
Our vision is to see city kids and families transformed by the
Gospel. As disciples of Christ, they will take
responsibility for the transformation of their own
communities.
Cassies Garden
Durham Urban Missions Network has an answer.
