Believing in Our Mission

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I hope each of you were able to read the report which came out from our Central Alabama chapter in September.  This has been a year of great blessing and activity for us.  We have been very encouraged to see the Lord moving in the lives of our staff, committee members, and the many volunteers who make this ministry happen!  Ultimately though, we know that we serve at the pleasure of our sovereign God.

It is the privilege of a lifetime to be used by the Lord to spread the good news of salvation to children and families who are otherwise unchurched and unreached.  Yes, here in Alabama there are many children who hear the Gospel for the first time through this ministry.  My daughter, Chloe, volunteered for the first time as a summer missionary this year.  After sharing the good news of Jesus with this little girl, she came up to Chloe and said “My mom forgot to tell me about Jesus!”  Jesus didn’t forget about her though.  That little girl prayed to accept Christ that very week.  Our mission is not just to evangelize, but to establish children in a local church.  If we are not an arm of the Church, the body of Christ, then our work is in vain.

In our previous 2019 letters, we sent you some very encouraging news about our staffing transitions, Good News Club success, and a very fruitful summer.  Looking back, I now realize that we made one particular mistake.  We didn’t inform you of our financial status or our ongoing needs.  This year was our most active year, and despite our best efforts to keep costs down, it was also one of our most expensive years.  We are grateful to still have some funds in our savings account, but our reserve is critically low.  We are actively planning our 2020 Spring fundraising banquet as well as looking into additional fundraisers. Our need is immediate though, and we wanted you to be aware of it now.  We are reaching out to you to humbly ask you to:

1.)          Pray about giving an end of the year gift to CEF of Central Alabama.

2.)          Pray about including us in your monthly giving for the coming year and beyond.

3.)          Help us to be included in your church’s monthly budget. 

We currently have five churches who participate in this way.  Our primary activity is supporting the churches we partner with.  We would ask that you advocate for our chapter to be included in your churches outreach budget; even if it is only in a small way.

Many of you know that we have a very small annual budget in comparison to other local non-profits.   We truly believe we are the most efficient and most effective gospel evangelism organization.  Every dollar counts. I have personally been involved in this ministry for over 10 years now, and this is the first time we have needed to appeal to you so earnestly.  If this ministry has taught me anything, it is reliance on the Lord.  Truly, “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.”  I am confident that His plan will be accomplished as I lay this need at your feet, His people.

Soli Deo Gloria, (To God Alone be the Glory!)

Chris Carver

Committee Chairman

CEF of Central Alabama