It started with a simple conviction: that children are not just the church of tomorrow, but a vital part of the church today. In the mid-1950s, the spiritual landscape of Saskatchewan was vast and often isolating. Families were spread across thousands of acres of farmland, and many children had little to no access to consistent Gospel teaching.
The founders of our provincial chapter saw this need not as a burden, but as a field ready for harvest. They believed that if you could reach a child with the truth of God's love, you could change the trajectory of an entire life—and often, an entire family.
CEF Saskatchewan was officially incorporated. The early team traveled in station wagons loaded with flannelgraph boards, visiting rural schoolhouses and holding rallies in town halls.
Recognizing that summer was a key opportunity, the ministry formalized the "5-Day Club" program. This allowed us to take the message out of the church building and into the parks, backyards, and living rooms where children actually played.
As the decades turned, the culture around us began to shift. The "Digital Age" arrived, bringing with it new challenges for the attention span of children, but also new tools for ministry.
While we embraced new technologies—moving from flannelgraph to PowerPoint, and then to digital interactive media—our core commitment never wavered. We found that despite the noise of the modern world, the simple, clear presentation of the Gospel still resonated deeply with the heart of a child.
We launched intensive training weeks (CYIA) for teenagers. This was a pivotal shift: we weren't just teaching children anymore; we were equipping teenagers to become the teachers.
Today, we are launching our "Child of God" tour, visiting 19 locations across the prairies. We stand ready for the next 60 years.
