Serve

There are few things as exciting as summer 5-Day Club ministry.

Aimed at children of primary school age, clubs normally take place in the afternoon or evening during the summer months. Most 5-Day Clubs are held in housing developments, parks or gardens. Each club lasts for about an hour, and includes Bible lessons, Bible memory verses, singing, quizzes and games.

Taking part in a 5-Day Club is often challenging, but the following steps are in place to help you on your way:

• Training is offered to help you learn about every part of holding a club
• You are fully insured for all activities that happen in a properly run club
• Full vetting of all team members ensures you are allowed to work with children
• An experienced team leader will be there to show you the ropes and offer guidance
• Access to the latest materials will enable you to effectively teach children the gospel

Interested in being part of 5-Day Club ministry? Visit our bookings page to see what’s available at the moment, or get in touch using the form at the bottom of this page!

Residential weeks for children and teenagers happen during the summer holidays.

These are usually held in either of our beautiful camp centres (Seaview in Kilkeel and Oceanview in Donegal) but a variety of other venues are used as well.

Every camp is totally different, but most include Bible lessons, missionary stories, quizzes, games, sports days, outdoor pursuits, shopping trips, craft, dorm discussions, competitions and lots more! Leaders are what make a camp orderly and safe for the campers. If you want to be a leader you will usually (every camp differs slightly) need to meet the following requirements:

• Have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• Be over 18 (those 14+ can sometimes be a junior helper)
• Be willing to take part in all of the activities (except for medical reasons)
• Have a passion to see children saved and growing in their relationship with Jesus.

Interested in being part of our camp ministry? Visit our bookings page to see what’s available at the moment, or get in touch using the form at the bottom of this page!

Usually held in connection with a local church, Holiday Bible Clubs are non-residential weeks of children’s ministry.

Each HBC varies, but most follow a programme of Bible lessons, Bible memory verses, quizzes, games and other activities.

Since most HBCs are organised by local churches, they usually find their own leaders. However, contacting your nearest CEF worker would let you see where you might be able to get involved. It’s also worth knowing that a number of CYIA weeks (see the next section) hold HBCs as part of their programme.

Interested in being part of a Holiday Bible Club? Visit our bookings page to see what’s available at the moment, or get in touch using the form at the bottom of this page!

CYIA weeks are challenging but rewarding weeks of direct evangelism to children.

Each CYIA varies but many are residential, staying in a church hall or other venue. In the mornings the team usually meet together for prayer, Bible study and planning. In the afternoons and evenings the team will split into smaller groups to go out into the local community. These smaller teams will mostly hold 5-Day Clubs, but sometimes they will be involved in other forms of ministry such as Holiday Bible Clubs or daily sports camps. At the end of the day the teams will all meet together to debrief and pray with each other.

CYIA weeks are not only a great way to reach children with the gospel, but they provide opportunities for you to grow in your faith and meet other Christians who are passionate about mission.

Some CYIA weeks require that you have attended a Summer Outreach Training Course, but most will also offer training during or before the week.

Interested in serving on a CYIA week? Visit our bookings page to see what’s available at the moment, or get in touch using the form at the bottom of this page!

Momentum is a summer missions program, providing opportunities to serve both in Ireland and abroad.

Momentum teams go to:

• The Republic of Ireland—to areas where there is no established CEF work
• The rest of the world—to help with ongoing CEF ministry, or to pioneer outreach in areas where there is no established CEF work

The principle behind Momentum is Acts 1:8, which shows us that starting at home and then working abroad is the Biblical pattern for mission. Because of that, we encourage you to serve in your local area first, before enquiring about a Momentum team.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8, ESV).

Each Momentum team is totally different, usually because of the cultures they serve in. But all involve direct evangelism to children, whether through 5-Day Clubs, Holiday Bible Clubs or camps.

Momentum teams in Ireland and the UK are open to those aged 16+. For teams which go to the rest of the world you’ll need to be over 18. You’ll not only have to have a personal relationship with Jesus, but will have to be willing to take training and go through our application process to ensure that a Momentum team is the right fit for you at this time.

Interested in serving on a Momentum team? Visit our bookings page to see what’s available at the moment, or get in touch using the form at the bottom of this page!

Summer mission is great, but it can be nearly impossible (if not inappropriate) to maintain contact with children and young people throughout the rest of the year.

If you’re interested in the long term discipling of children, then Good News Club ministry might be just what you’re looking for. There are over 250 Good News Clubs running throughout the island of Ireland.

Good News Clubs meet once a week, from September to Easter, and include Bible lessons, missionary stories, Bible memory verses, quizzes and other activities.

As a Good News Club leader, you’ll have access to training, materials and spiritual support from the club leader and CEF. You’ll have the opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of children each week as they hear from God’s Word!

Interested in becoming a Good News Club leader? You’ll need to be a Christian, over 16 (junior helpers can sometimes be younger), and passionate about teaching God’s Word to children.

Fill out the form at the bottom of this page for more information.

When children leave primary school, they are too old for Good News Club.

That’s where JYC ministry comes in. Click here for information on what Junior Youth Challenge ministry is like.

Youth ministry is difficult but rewarding. Young teens are going through a potentially difficult transition in their lives, and God’s Word gives the stability they need. As a JYC leader, you would be involved twice a month in your local JYC, and also at some national events throughout the year.

Interested in becoming a JYC leader? You’ll need to be a Christian, over 18, willing to be trained and passionate about youth ministry.

Fill out the form at the bottom of this page for more information.

There are many Youth Challenge weekends throughout the year, usually held between November and March.

At these weekends there are Bible Studies, praise times, discussion groups, activities and more. These are a fantastic opportunity to meet the young people from your area and help them learn more about Jesus, the Bible and the Christian life.

You will need to be a Christian, over the age of 18 (junior leaders may be slightly younger) and willing to work with young teens.

Check our bookings page to see if there are any weekends coming up, or use the form at the bottom to get in touch.

Seasonal clubs are similar to Good News Clubs and 5-Day Clubs, except they run for usually 1 to 3 days at Christmas and Easter.

These allow leaders to teach the Christmas or Easter story to the children.

Seasonal clubs are usually held in schools or in areas which don’t normally have a regular Good News Club. If you can’t commit to helping at a Good News Club during the year, but still want to be involved, perhaps a seasonal club would be good for you?

You’ll need to be a Christian, willing to be trained and passionate about reaching children with the gospel.

We don’t just need people who are good at teaching and working with children and young people!

There are lots of opportunities for you to help in the kitchens of our two camp centres (and other outside venues that are used). Whether it’s a camp during the summer, or a JYC weekend, we can always find room for someone willing to help practically.

This is a perfect service opportunity for anyone who doesn’t feel able to teach in front of, or work with, children and young people, but still wants to serve. Requirements will differ depending on the camp. Use the form at the bottom of the page to get in touch for more details.

CEF doesn’t just exist during the summer, or at weekends, or during weekly clubs!

We have a national office in Belfast where all year round materials are designed and sold, safeguarding is administrated, finances are controlled, and many other tasks are completed! If you’d be interested in volunteering administratively, either in the national office, with Youth Challenge, or with your local worker, get in touch using the form at the bottom of the page.

Want to volunteer for a longer term? We have three options that may interest you:

Placement: Perhaps you’re taking a Uni course which requires a placement. Depending on your subject area, we may be able to help! Whether it’s graphic design or a foreign language course, we may be able to offer something to fulfil your placement requirements.

Intern Programme: Are you 18–25 and want a structured medium-term programme in children’s and youth ministry? Then this is for you. Our 4–month Intern Programme runs twice in the year (Sept–Dec / Jan–Apr) and you can read all about it here.

Gap Year: If a placement or the intern programme isn’t suitable for you, perhaps you’d be interested in spending a year serving as a volunteer in any area of the mission. This could be helping a local worker, providing support in the office or lending a hand at one of our camp centres. This is the most flexible option and can be tailored to suit you.