September 29, 2026
Brazil’s youth are turning to faith — what it means for Gen Z worldwide
From indigenous villages to remote communities, local believers are being equipped to carry the Gospel forward
ST. LOUIS — Evangelical Christianity is surging across Brazil, with a particularly strong presence among the country’s young people. New details from the 2022 census show evangelicals grew from 21.6% of the population in 2010 to 26.9% in 2022. Among children ages 10–14, that share reaches 31.6%.
For Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®), that trend underscores the results they see and the opportunity to reach and disciple more children. Throughout Brazil, CEF is equipping local Christians to share the Gospel with young people, including those in indigenous communities where trained leaders carry out the local ministry
“Reaching the next generation means more than bringing the Gospel to children ourselves,” said CEF Vice President of Administration Fred Pry. “We equip local believers who know their communities and can continue reaching and discipling children long after training ends. That is how ministry takes root and continues to expand.”
The work builds on the ministry’s decades-long presence in Brazil, established in 1941. Today, CEF reaches children across the country through ongoing evangelism, discipleship and leadership training.
At the local level, CEF workers are training teachers to evangelize children and disciple them in the Word of God, and connecting them with a local church for further growth. The goal is to establish ministry that can continue through teachers and church leaders within each community.
According to one local CEF worker, “Our strategic plan is to train teachers so that indigenous children in the community are evangelized and integrated into an indigenous Bible-believing church, where teachers can continue discipling them. We have also launched ‘Go and Tell’ training and prepared leaders to conduct Vacation Bible School and other outreach for children during school breaks.”
In Mato Grosso do Sul, CEF training has created new opportunities to reach churches and villages throughout the region.
“I had been asking the Lord for open doors between churches and indigenous peoples in this region, and the Lord has done more than I could imagine,” said a CEF worker. “I was able to teach the Super Champion Soccer Club to indigenous leaders and carry out other activities with children as well.”
Elsewhere, CEF workers are bringing the ministry directly to remote communities. In June, a team traveled 60 kilometers to the Igarapé Lourdes Gavião Village, where workers stayed for a month to provide biblical teaching and evangelism for children and families.
“One of the most remarkable moments of this trip was the privilege of participating in the baptism of two Gavião children, who publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ,” said a CEF worker. “We praise the Lord for this great joy.”
Another CEF worker described the challenges of reaching children in remote communities.
“The work has advanced despite many challenges, especially during the rainy season, when access to communities becomes more difficult,” said the worker. “Our purpose is to continue bringing the Gospel to indigenous children and helping them grow in the knowledge of Christ. This year, our main goal is to visit other indigenous communities that have yet to hear the message of salvation.”
“Reaching new unreached communities is at the heart of the mission of CEF,” said Pry. “We are grateful to see doors opening across Brazil and believers stepping forward to serve. We want every child to hear about Jesus Christ and have devoted leaders alongside them as they grow in their faith.”
Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®), founded in 1937, has been establishing Good News Club® ministries 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 3,800 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.
