Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern California

What Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern California does

Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern California (CEF of Southern California, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization and the Southern California state chapter of Child Evangelism Fellowship International, founded in 1937 by Rev. J. Irvin Overholtzer. The organization conducts Bible-centered children's ministry across 23 regional chapters covering every major Southern California population center from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, including multilingual programs in English, Spanish, and Korean. Its core ministry portfolio includes Good News Club (weekly after-school Bible teaching in schools, homes, community centers, and churches), 5-Day Club (intensive summer programs), JYou Connection (pre-teen discipleship), Camp Good News (residential summer camp), Fair Ministry, Party Clubs, and Mailbox Club (correspondence courses). Supporting programs include Christian Youth In Action (CYIA) for teenage missionaries and Teaching Children Effectively (TCE), a 30-hour credentialed training course, both delivered through the Children's Ministries Institute (CMI) extension network. U-Nite TV is a digital streaming platform extending content reach to children online.

The organization operates as a volunteer-driven ministry with a small staff of 8 employees led by State Director Scott Julian (since 2017). All children's programs are offered free of charge, and the ministry has no product revenue. Funding comes entirely from tax-deductible donations collected online through Donorbox and by mail, supplemented by mandatory participant fundraising for CYIA trainees ($50 application fee plus $550 raised per student). Legal access to public school facilities after hours is grounded in the 2001 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Good News Clubs v. Milford Central School. The organization's primary "customers" are children ages 4–14 (the demographic in which CEF cites that 84% of Christian conversions occur), with secondary stakeholders being Christian volunteers, local churches as co-sponsors, and donor families. The underlying technology stack is minimal — a CMS-based website and third-party donation / correspondence platforms — with no proprietary software products.

Name

Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern California

Legal name

CEF of Southern California, Inc.

Website

https://cefsoca.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts Bible-centered children's ministry through 23 regional chapters, offering free Good News Clubs, 5-Day Clubs, camps, and training programs for children ages 4-14 across Southern California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Children's Ministry Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI), Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Children's ministry programs
• Religious education services
• Evangelism training
• Church partnership outreach
• Discipleship curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

West Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CEF of Southern California relies on prayerful giving from supporters. Donations are accepted online through Donorbox (one-time or recurring) and by mail (check or money order). All contributions are tax-deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern California is a faith-based nonprofit ministry that evangelizes and disciples children primarily ages 4–14 through weekly Bible clubs, summer programs, camps, and correspondence courses, and trains volunteers and youth workers to lead them. All children's programs are provided free of charge, with operations funded by tax-deductible donations, and the ministry is delivered through 23 regional chapters across Southern California staffed by trained volunteer teachers and local directors.

Product overview

Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern California operates as a Bible-centered nonprofit ministry offering a portfolio of interconnected programs designed to evangelize and disciple children. The core programs include Good News Club (weekly Bible clubs meeting in schools and community locations), 5-Day Club (intensive five-day summer programs), JYou Connection (pre-teen discipleship), Camp Good News (residential summer camp), Fair Ministry (community event outreach), Mailbox Club (correspondence Bible courses), and Party Clubs (party-themed gatherings). Supporting these ministries are training programs including CYIA (Christian Youth in Action) for teen volunteers and Teaching Children Effectively (TCE) courses for adult leaders. The organization also provides digital resources through U-Nite TV for children's content and Super Seminars for ongoing teacher development. Together, these programs form a comprehensive ecosystem from initial evangelism through long-term discipleship, all aligned with CEF's Statement of Faith and child protection policies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Good News Club: Ministry where trained teachers meet with groups of children in schools, homes, community centers, churches, and apartment complexes to evangelize and disciple children with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
• 5-Day Club
• JYou Connection
• Camp Good News
• Fair Ministry
• Mailbox Club
• Party Clubs
• Christian Youth in Action (CYIA)
• Teaching Children Effectively (TCE)

Products and services

• Good News Club A weekly club program where trained teachers meet with groups of children in schools, homes, community centers, churches, or apartment complexes to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and disciple them in God's Word.
• 5-Day Club An exciting, fun-filled one-and-a-half-hour program held each day for five consecutive days, including dynamic Bible lessons, creative learning activities, inspiring missionary stories, songs, and Scripture memorization.
• JYou Connection A discipleship program for pre-teens who age out of Good News Club, meeting weekly to teach youth Biblical truth and help them grow in their faith while developing missionary vision.
• Camp Good News A residential summer camp program for children featuring dorm-style cabins, daily rotating classes (mission, crafts, Bible), and recreational activities such as capture the flag, swimming, and creek hikes.
• Fair Ministry Short-term event ministry reaching children and families at fairs, festivals, and community events with the Gospel message through interactive activities.
• Mailbox Club Bible correspondence course ministry allowing children to receive Bible lessons through the mail or directly with partner ministry the Mailbox Club in Valdosta, Georgia.
• Party Clubs A party-style version of Good News Club held monthly or several times per year, combining club elements with festive themes such as Christmas, Easter, or travel topics.
• Christian Youth in Action (CYIA) A youth training program where young people are trained to share the Gospel with children through Bible lessons, songs, memory verses, and more, then serve in summer 5-Day Club ministries.
• Teaching Children Effectively (TCE) A 30-hour innovative course designed to equip local church members with methods and procedures to lead children to Christ and sustain a children's ministry. Level 1 covers evangelism; Level 2 focuses on discipleship.
• Super Seminars Dynamic training sessions for children's workers presented by local CEF staff or trained volunteers, covering topics ranging from discipleship to prayer to preschool ministry.
• U-Nite TV A Christian streaming platform for children offering animated Bible adventures, music videos, stories that teach the Gospel, and testimonies designed to help kids apply biblical truth to life.

Quantifiable outcome

• CEF shares the Gospel with more than 25.4 million children each year globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Public SchoolscoreOthers · 1 January 2001Following the 2001 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Good News Clubs v. Milford Central School, public schools allow Good News Clubs to meet after school hours on the same terms as other community groups, enabling CEF to reach children in educational settings.
• Mailbox ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEF has partnered with the Mailbox Club in Valdosta, Georgia for 50 years for Bible correspondence course ministry. After decentralizing Truth Chasers Club in 2016, local CEF offices were given the option to enroll children directly with Mailbox Club as a partner ministry.
• Whisper Canyon Christian CampminorOthersWhisper Canyon Christian Camp serves as the venue for CYIA training programs held June 19-25, 2027. This camp provides facilities for the week-long intensive training for young people.
• Local Churches (Co-Sponsoring)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal churches co-sponsor 5-Day Club and Good News Club programs as an effective outreach ministry. Churches provide facilities, volunteer teachers, and support for children's evangelism programs.
• CEF International Headquarters (Warrenton, Missouri)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEF of Southern California is part of the international CEF organization founded in 1937. CEF International provides training curriculum, materials (CEF Press), Children's Ministries Institute, and organizational support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Young Life: Major evangelical youth ministry with a paid-staff + volunteer hybrid model serving middle and high school students. Comparable in mission and California presence, though it serves an older age band than CEF and uses a different club/leader model.
• Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: Major evangelical organization with a child-focused ministry arm (Samaritan's Purse / Operation Christmas Child) and evangelistic outreach programs. Comparable as a faith-based nonprofit with child-focused programs and school/community engagement.
• Child Evangelism Fellowship International: The global parent organization of CEF of Southern California, operating in every region of the world and reaching 25.4 million children annually. Comparable as the umbrella brand under which the Southern California chapter operates, with shared curriculum, trademarks, and training infrastructure.
• Scripture Union: International interdenominational Christian organization running children's Bible ministry programs (including school-based outreach). Comparable in providing child evangelism resources and school engagement in multiple regions.

Direct peers

• Pioneer Clubs: Nonprofit providing Bible-based weekly club programming and curriculum for children in churches and communities. Directly comparable to CEF's Good News Club model as a faith-based children's discipleship program with volunteer-led delivery.
• Youth for Christ: Faith-based nonprofit focused on reaching young people with the Gospel through local chapters, school engagement, and volunteer-led programs. Comparable in its reliance on volunteer staff, local chapters, and church/school partnerships.
• Awana: International nonprofit offering Bible-based children's ministry programs through local church partnerships, with curriculum, volunteer training, and weekly club models highly comparable to CEF's Good News Club. Closest direct competitor in the child evangelism and discipleship space.

Emerging players

• Kids Hope USA: Faith-based nonprofit pairing churches with public schools for one-on-one mentoring of at-risk children. Comparable in its school-access-based model and church-to-school volunteer pipeline, though focused on mentoring rather than evangelism.
• K-Life: Faith-based youth ministry with local chapters using weekly club programming and volunteer-led outreach to middle and high school students. Comparable in its club-and-chapter ministry model with strong volunteer reliance.

Others

• Sonlight Curriculum: Faith-based homeschool curriculum provider. While not a direct ministry competitor, it is thematically adjacent as a Christian education provider serving families seeking Bible-based content for children, an audience that overlaps with CEF's family outreach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Child-Evangelism-Fellowship-of-Southern-California-735774843256357
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/child-evangelism-fellowship-of-southern-california-inc.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Child Evangelism Fellowship of Southern California