About Us
About CEF Hawaii
Child Evangelism Fellowship®, also known as CEF®, is a Bible-centered, worldwide organization composed of born-again believers whose purpose is to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to establish (disciple) them in the local church for Christian living. The ministry has grown into the largest evangelistic outreach to children in the world. CEF is currently ministering in over 207 countries and in every state in the U.S.
Our Vision
CEF of Hawaii's vision is that every child on every island can hear the Gospel by the age of twelve.
Our Mission
CEF of Hawaii's mission is to inspire, train and equip students and adults from local churches to effectively share the Gospel with the children of Hawaii.
INSPIRE
TRAIN
EQUIP
Our Board of Directors
Jim Playter
Enoch Lum
Josh Biggers
Karen Lee
Kyle Murai
CEF of Hawaii is co-led by a group of dedicated lay leaders who have volunteered to serve on our Board of Directors. These people offer guidance and direction to the ministry of CEF of Hawaii. We are thankful for their faithful service and commitment to ensuring that every child on every island can hear the Gospel by the age of twelve.
CEF of Hawaii is looking to expand it's board, if you are interested in using your time, talent and treasure to help grow the impact of CEF of Hawaii, please contact Enoch Lum, our board chairman for more details.
Our Staff
Matt Walton
State Director
Matt Walton is a husband, father, and grandfather with thirty years of ministry experience. He is passionate about inspiring students and adults to serve God with their whole heart as equipping them to effectively reach the lost with the Gospel. Matt served for eighteen years in local church ministry in the areas of youth, children, and family ministry. In 2012, Matt and his wife Stacey surrendered to God’s calling to serve with CEF in Hawaii. For the past eleven years he has helped reignite the ministry and with a vision of reaching every child on every island with the Gospel by the age of twelve. The impact of CEF has consistently grown across the islands under Matt’s leadership.
What Does CEF Believe?
The information on this page is taken from the official CEF of USA operations manual.
We believe:
1. That "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," by which we understand the whole book called THE BIBLE; that it is inerrant in the original writing and that its teaching and authority are absolute, supreme and final. That the Holy Spirit guided the holy men of old in all that they wrote.
2 Timothy 3:16; Deuteronomy 4:2; 2 Peter 1:21.
2. The Godhead eternally exists in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, having the same nature, attributes and perfection.
Romans 1:20; Matthew 28:19; Deuteronomy 4:35; John 17:5.
3. In the Personality and Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, begotten of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, truly God and truly man.
John 1:1,14; John 10:30; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:30-31; Philippians 2:5-7; 1 Timothy 3:16; Colossians 1:19.
4. In the Personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit, the source and power of all acceptable worship and service, the infallible interpreter of the infallible Word, who indwells every true believer, and is ever present to testify of Christ, seeking to occupy us with Him and not with ourselves or our experiences.
John 15:26; Acts 5:3, 4; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:26, 27; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16;
1 Corinthians 12:13; John 16:13, 14.
5. That man was created in the image of God, after His likeness, as stated in the Word of God, but the whole human race fell in the fall of the first Adam. Not only was his moral nature grievously injured by the fall but he totally lost all spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and subject to the power of the devil. "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:7, 8). Therefore, he cannot see nor enter the kingdom of God until he is born again by the Holy Spirit. That no degree of reformation however great, no attainment in morality however high, no culture however attractive, no humanitarian and philanthropic schemes and societies however useful, no baptism or other ordinance however administered, can help the sinner take even one step toward Heaven; but a new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word is absolutely essential to salvation.
Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3; John 3:3, 6, 7; Titus 3:5.
6. That Jesus Christ became the sinner's substitute before God, and died as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. That He was made a curse for the sinner, dying for his sins according to the Scriptures, that no repentance, no feeling, no faith, no good resolutions, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules and regulations of any church can add in the very least to the value of the precious blood or to the merit of that finished work wrought for us by Him, who tasted death for every man.
1 John 2:2; Hebrews 2:9; Galatians 3:13; Romans 3:25; Romans 4:4-5; Romans 5:8; Colossians 1:13, 14, 20, 21.
7. In the resurrection of the crucified body of Jesus Christ; that His body was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God as the believer's high priest and advocate.
Luke 24:39; Acts 1:10-11; Ephesians 4:10; Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 2:1.
8. That Christ in the fullness of the blessings He has secured by His death and resurrection is received by faith alone and that the moment we trust Him as our Savior we pass out of death into everlasting life, justified from all things, accepted before the Father according to the measure of His acceptance, loved as He is loved and made one with Him. At the time of acceptance of Christ as Savior, He comes to dwell within the believer and to live out His life of holiness and power through him.
Hebrews 9:15; John 5:24; Romans 3:28; Romans 4:3, 23-25; Ephesians 1:3; John 17:23; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 4:6-7; Galatians 5:16; Acts 1:8.
9. That the Church is composed of all those who truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. It is the body and the bride of Christ. That every believer, whether Jew or Gentile, is baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, and having thus become members of one another we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above all sectarian prejudices and denominational bigotry and loving one another with a pure heart fervently.
Ephesians 1:22, 23; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 12:22-27; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Romans 12:4, 5; Ephesians 4:3-6; Ephesians 5:32; Philippians 2:1-5; Galatians 5:13-15.
10. That all believers in our Lord Jesus are called into a life of separation from worldly and sinful practices and should abstain from such amusements and habits as will cause others to stumble, or bring reproach upon the cross of Christ. Believers are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10).
1 John 2:15, 16; Romans 13:14; Romans 14:13; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 2:10.
11. In the evangelization of the world; that the supreme mission of the people of God in this age is to preach the Gospel to every creature. That special emphasis should be placed upon the evangelization of children.
Mark 16:15; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19; Matthew 18:14.
12. In the personal return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; that the coming again of Jesus Christ is the "Blessed Hope" set before us, for which we should be constantly looking. Our citizenship is in Heaven from whence we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).
Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; John 14:1-3; Titus 2:13; Philippians 3:20, 21.
13. That the souls of those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming, when soul and body re-united shall be with Him forever in glory.
Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Luke 16:22, 25; Philippians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18.
14. That the souls of the lost remain after death in misery until the final judgment of the great white throne, when soul and body reunited at the resurrection shall be cast "Into the lake of fire" which is "the second death," to be "punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power" (2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9).
Luke 16:22-23, 27-28; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:5, 11-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.
15. In the reality and personality of Satan, "that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world" (Revelation 12:9)
Ephesians 6:11, 12; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:10.
Sharing the Gospel since 1936...
Our History
Child Evangelism Fellowship®, also known as CEF®, is a Bible-centered, worldwide organization composed of born-again believers whose purpose is to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to establish (disciple) them in the local church for Christian living.
CEF has over 2,900 missionaries overseas, approximately 2,200 of whom are nationals. In the USA and Canada 700 full-time workers and an estimated 40,000 volunteers serve the ministry. CEF was founded by Jesse Irvin Overholtzer in 1937.
Growing up in a religious family, Jesse at the age of 12 was convicted of his own sin and sought counsel from his mother. He was told, “Son, you are too young.” It wasn’t until Overholtzer was in college that he heard the Gospel and trusted Christ as his Savior.
Later as a pastor Mr. Overholtzer read one of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons which stated, “A child of five, if properly instructed can as truly believe and be regenerated as an adult.”
The Lord used this statement in Mr. O’s life to lead him to begin the ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship when he was 60 years old. The ministry has grown into the largest evangelistic outreach to children in the world. CEF is currently ministering in countries around the world and in every state in the U.S.
The ministry has grown into the largest evangelistic outreach to children in the world. CEF is currently ministering in over 207 countries and in every state in the U.S.
To learn even more details about our long history, please click the link below and visit our CEF's international ministry website.
Get Involved
Adopt a School
Volunteer Screening
Imagine how different Hawaii would be if in ten years, every child on every island could hear the Gospel by the age of twelve. It's pretty exciting just thinking about it right? What if you and your church could help make that vision a reality by sharing the Gospel, after school, on the campus of an elementary school?? Want to know more? Just click the "Adopt A School" words above to find out more details.
Volunteer
Do you have a burden for sharing the Gospel with the children in your community? Do you have time to with children during the after school hours? Would you like to know how you can become a part of reaching every child on every island with the Gospel by the age of twelve? Then click the word "Volunteer" above to learn more today.
Do you have a burden for sharing the Gospel with the children in your community? Do you have time to with children during the after school hours? Would you like to know how you can become a part of reaching every child on every island with the Gospel by the age of twelve? Then click the word "Volunteer" above to learn more today.
Teacher Training
Are you a Sunday school teacher, AWANA teacher or children's church volunteer? Would you like to have more confidence when you teach children? Would you like to learn how to share the basics of the Gospel every time you teach? Would you like to know how to maintain discipline in your classroom with out loosing your cool?
Are you a Sunday school teacher, AWANA teacher or children's church volunteer? Would you like to have more confidence when you teach children? Would you like to learn how to share the basics of the Gospel every time you teach? Would you like to know how to maintain discipline in your classroom with out loosing your cool?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, than we can help! We offer training in all of these areas and more. Click the "Teacher Training" text above to learn more today.
Financial Support
Would you like to financially support the ministry of CEF of Hawaii? Do you believe every child on every island should be able to hear the Gospel by the age of twelve? Has God blessed you with resources and a burden for the children of Hawaii? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please click the link below to learn more.
Would you like to financially support the ministry of CEF of Hawaii? Do you believe every child on every island should be able to hear the Gospel by the age of twelve? Has God blessed you with resources and a burden for the children of Hawaii? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please click the link below to learn more.
Corporate Support
Would you like to financially support the ministry of CEF of Hawaii? Do you believe every child on every island should be able to hear the Gospel by the age of twelve? Has God blessed you with resources and a burden for the children of Hawaii? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please contact us today to learn more.
Would you like to financially support the ministry of CEF of Hawaii? Do you believe every child on every island should be able to hear the Gospel by the age of twelve? Has God blessed you with resources and a burden for the children of Hawaii? If you answered yes to any of these questions, please contact us today to learn more.
