May 19, 2026
Honoring their sacrifice: How Child Evangelism Fellowship® supports children in military families
Currently serving on 34 U.S. military bases nationwide, CEF® Military Children’s MinistrySM reaches across every branch of the armed forces
ST. LOUIS — For children of military parents, frequent moves, extended separations and the underlying uncertainty of deployment are a way of life. As the largest demographic within the United States military community, these 1.6 million children grow up navigating constant change, with each new duty station requiring a reset of friendships and familiar routines. These ongoing transitions can make it difficult to establish a steady sense of belonging.
As a global leader in youth ministry for 89 years, Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®) is reaching these children with connection, consistency and care grounded in biblically based support through its Military Children’s MinistrySM, an initiative that focuses on supporting the often-overlooked family members on the home front: military kids.
Dr. Andy Bunn, CEF Military Children’s Ministry Director, remarked, “As the nation pauses this Memorial Day to honor those who gave their lives in service, CEF invites communities to also remember the children who serve in their own way, through resilience and sacrifice.”
One primary avenue for ministering to these children is the CEF Good News Club®, a weekly program for children ages 5–12 featuring Bible lessons, songs, memory verses and games. Held in homes, schools and other facilities within military neighborhoods, these clubs provide a consistent space where young people can build friendships, grow spiritually and find encouragement, all while connecting families and fostering community.
Currently serving on 34 U.S. military bases nationwide, the Military Children’s Ministry reaches across every branch of the armed forces. Ministry teams are comprised of dedicated local staff, church volunteers, as well as active-duty service members and veterans who understand the unique dynamics and sacrifices of military family life.
The ministry continues to expand its outreach and impact. In 2025, ministry began at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, and Coast Guard Station Cape May in New Jersey. CEF also serves at joint bases, where multiple branches are represented, further broadening its impact across the military community.
Internationally, CEF recently launched ministry at Aviano Air Force Base in Italy, where a Good News Club is hosted in a home for children to gather for fellowship and teaching, while an adult Bible study extends support to parents.
Throughout these efforts, stories of life change are constant. Rachel Lieberman, spouse of an active-duty Marine and former CEF director, leads the CEF Military Children’s Ministry team that began serving Twentynine Palms Marine Base, CA, in the summer of 2025. The effort is a joint partnership with the chaplain’s wife, who leads a women’s Bible study while the team ministers to children through a Good News Club. At the club’s first meeting, 14 children heard the Gospel and six professed faith in Jesus.
Bunn commented, “By meeting these children where they are and walking alongside them through life’s transitions, Military Children’s Ministry helps children and their families know they are not alone.”
To learn more about how CEF is reaching children on military bases, click here.
Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), founded in 1937, has been establishing the Good News Club® in countries around the world for decades.
In 2025, more than 34 million children worldwide were impacted by the Good News through CEF ministries.
For more CEF news, see the ministry’s latest edition of the online magazine Impact.
CEF is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled and established in a local church since 1937. CEF is located in all 50 American states and in most countries around the world, with over 3,500 paid staff and tens of thousands of volunteers around the world.
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To interview a representative from Child Evangelism Fellowship, contact Hamilton Strategies Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
