Make an Impact!
by Brandi Harper
Sarah Nogueras is a smart, outgoing, God-fearing 20-year-old, but she hasn’t always been that way. Born in New York, sara is the oldest of six siblings, raised in a vibrant Christian home, and always there to help her mother take care of the family. she was homeschooled during her elementary years and always loved children.
As a young child, sarah was shy and lacked confidence in her ability to share the Gospel with others. But that changed when her mother took the family to a five Day Club (Backyard Bible Club), one of the foundational ministries of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). The Bible Club changed the course of sarah’s life, providing her with the opportunity to immerse herself in children’s ministry.
At nine, sarah’s family moved from New York to Louisiana, and sarah learned about another CEF ministry called CYiA (Christian Youth in Action). CYiA is a missionary training program held each summer to teach young people to lead five Day Bible Clubs. Participants present the Gospel to children in their own state and neighborhoods, and experience the joy of leading others to the Lord. it was a perfect fit for sarah, not just because of her love for children but because she lacked the confidence she needed to clearly present the Gospel. At 14, she attended her first CYiA training and felt the calling of God. she attended every summer throughout her high school years and has brought someone new to the program every year.
“The intensity of the program strengthened me intellectually and spiritually,” she said. “CYiA totally prepared me socially, so i could be brave and bold … it was such an encouraging environment and has helped me in so many ways.”
After high school graduation, sarah was selected to attend the next level of CEF training — a 12- week course at Children’s Ministry institute (CMi) located at CEF international Headquarters near st. Louis. After graduating from the CMi training program, she joined the state staff as the CEF Parish Coordinator for st. Tammany Parish and led the efforts there as an extension of the CEF New Orleans chapter.
sarah is currently a junior at New Orleans Baptist Theological seminary focusing on children’s ministry. it is her heart’s desire to help children who are deaf and to be a part of international children’s ministry. she has this advice for others: “Do something that makes an impact. We can sit around doing unproductive things or we can have an impact for the Kingdom! There are kids out there that need to hear about Jesus and we can do that.”
if you would like to know more, email ceflouisiana@gmail.com.
CEF is a Bible-centered worldwide ministry of born-again believers whose purpose is to evangelize children, disciple them in the Word of God, and establish them in a local church for Christian living. CEF is the largest children’s ministry in the world.
Baton Rouge Christian Life MAGAZINE
ADVERTISERS
