Contact: Melody Bentley, 571-274-6058
WARRENTON, Mo., Dec. 12, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, a great milestone was reached by the Truth Chasers Club, the popular Bible club through the mail sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship, the largest Christian ministry to children in the world. The sixth millionth lesson was sent to a club member from CEF headquarters in Warrenton, Missouri. Established February 1, 1999, the Truth Chasers Club had almost 49,000 active members in the United States, this past year. CEF recently designed eight new series of Bible lessons for the club, each targeting a specific age group of children. The lessons are colorful, engaging and thoughtful and have been very well received by club members.
Mr. David Howe, the director of the Truth Chasers Club, is finding that there is a higher return rate for these new lessons. "They are enthusiastic about the lessons because they are brighter, more attractive and the pictures are of children they can identify with," he explained. "The lessons are also more engaging because they include more activities along with reading and studying."
With almost 49,000 active students, one might imagine that the lessons they complete and send back would be checked electronically for accuracy. In fact, the lessons are checked by an army of volunteers at the Discipleship Center at CEF Headquarters. Last year alone, approximately 600 volunteers came from all over the United States to assist; some for a week at a time, some for months. CEF has an RV Park on its grounds to accommodate the many retired couples who come for an extended period of time. Mrs. Ashley Alden, USA ministry manager for CEF, explained that the volunteers ensure each club member's lesson gets personalized attention. When they review a lesson they pray for the child and will write handwritten notes of encouragement on the lessons, called Huggie Notes. The checked lesson and the next new lesson are then sent out to the club member. Club members often include prayer requests with their returned lessons and these requests are faithfully prayed for by the volunteer when the lesson is reviewed. Birthday cards are sent to club members whose lessons are received around their birthday. Prizes and certificates are sent when milestones are reached, such as the completion of a series. When two different series are completed, children between the ages of seven and seventeen receive a Bible with their name engraved on the cover. "[The Truth Chasers Club] is a great tool for helping children get in the habit of studying the Bible daily," according to Mr. Howe.
Children interested in joining the Truth Chasers Club and receiving their first lesson sign up at www.truthchasersclub.com.
