What is Released Time Christian Edcation?

Released Time Christian Education (RTCE) are off-campus Bible Classes held during school hours which are not school sponsored. The local school board votes to allow children to be “released” from class for religious instruction with parental permission. This is permitted by California Education Code 46014 and states that the student can attend RT without being counted absent. Besides using vans, Classes can also be held in nearby churches or homes.

Training and Encouragement

At the end of August, we put on a Released Time (RT) Christian Education State Conference where volunteer teachers from each of the RT areas came together for training.
Our keynote speaker was Dr. Emmett Cooper, author of the HoneyWord Bible. This Bible uses rhyme to help the meaning of God’s Word stick in the minds of children.

We ended the day with our Released Time Fundraising Banquet. Pastor Jack Hibbs, Senior Pastor at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, gave an inspiring message. He said “Why should we fly over one mission field to get to another? Sharing Christ with the world must start in our community!” Testimonies were given about how RT classes had made a difference in the lives of public school children, both today and in the past. We were encouraged to see all that God had done through this vital ministry.

New Role; New Goals

I work with Forrest Turpen and his wife, Judy, in the California Regional Office in Anaheim. Forrest is the West Coast Regional Director for CEAI and President of the Board for Released Time Christian Education. Judy is contributing editor for the CEAI Magazine, Teachers of Vision.

My role at CEAI is to assist in promoting, supporting, and expanding the programs of Christian Educators and Released Time. We agreed that I would focus specifically on three goals this year.
The first is to expand our sphere of influence and memberships in CEAI through visiting Christian universities in southern California. We would like to make CEAI available as a resource to students getting ready to graduate in the field of education. It will be my job to update contacts, visit the school’s Education Department and promote the mission of CEAI. Secondly, I will exhibit at regional conferences and develop new training workshops. I will be able to promote both CEAI and Released Time Ministries at these conferences. Thirdly, I will stabilize Released Time Programs which are lacking leadership, curriculum, training, or volunteer staff. I will work with new school districts to re-start classes which have been discontinued or start classes in areas where they have never been before.

Tech and Teaching

This summer our ministry to the CYIA students was enhanced by the use of my new digital camera. (Remember how we raised money to purchase a digital camera?) Using the video record feature, I recorded each student’s teaching. Later they watched themselves and made their own corrections. I certainly underestimated how helpful teaching with technology could be.

Mission Accomplished!

The Christian Youth in Action Students (CYIAers), have now completed eleven 5-Day Clubs. 100 children attended these clubs and 18 made decisions for Christ. I volunteered with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) this summer conducting additional training and supervising the first four clubs. It was neat listening to our students reflect on their experiences. They learned to work together as a team, leading children’s groups of various sizes. They definitely accomplished the mission they set out to complete!

A New Opportunity!

You may already know about the changes in my ministry. I will be working with three organizations at the same time. I will be ministering with Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) and Californian Released Time Christian Education (Ca-RT), while still partnering with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF).

This came about because as a newly ordained minister, I needed to have the benefit of being self-employed in order to receive a housing allowance. CEF has a national policy which prohibits working for them under self-employed status, so I had to look for other options. I was seeking a way that I could continue to pursue my passion for evangelizing children and still take advantage of my new legal status with the IRS. The leadership of Christian Educators (CEAI) proposed I maintain my availability with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), but I would have to move my support-team base to CEAI to make it work.

Having worked at CEF for seven years, leaving brought very mixed emotions. I was so pleased to be able to still partner with CEF, while I broadened my focus to include a larger area of ministry. With CEAI, I will be able to encourage, equip and empower professional Christian educators in public schools. Working with Released Time will allow me to train volunteers to teach the Bible classes during the school day. My experience as a clown will also help launch a program to train others to share the gospel creatively. Each of these unique opportunities, fulfill my call to evangelize children, which is really exciting.

In order for my support account to work, all giving should now be directed to CEAI in Anaheim. Please let us know that you will continue to pray for us and give as you have in the past. Would you tell us of your continued support? Thank you.

CYIA Kick-Off

There was so much to be done in preparation for the CYIA Training School Retreat. We have four students from the CEF Greater Long Beach Chapter who will form our CYIA Team this summer. Letters have gone out to family and friends to share the 5-Day Club Ministry that the CYIA Team will be doing throughout July and August. We had our annual Fund-Raising Car Wash a couple of Saturdays ago. One CYIA student had five friends from her church youth group come out to support her involvement. I was touched that they volunteered to help her when most teenagers would have been sleeping in.

Another fund-raiser was washing windows at the Bellflower Senior Center. Then we introduced the team during a Sunday morning church service to request prayer support. Finally, we had a meeting to commission the students before they leave.
The CYIA Retreat will be held at California Baptist University of Riverside for a week beginning on June 19. Here, students learn how to minister to elementary age children.

They will begin to study the 5-Day Club Materials, which include learning to teach Bible lessons, memory verses, a missionary story and plenty of songs and games for the club.
This Retreat is one of the most memorable events of the year. We anticipate all that God will accomplish during this time. Will you pray that during the Retreat, the staff will work in unity and rely on God’s wisdom in relating to students?

Getting Acclimated

After getting married it seemed like everything that could change in my life, did! Paul and I are working hard to make the house we rent into a home. With both of us working full-time, we have to do most of our “moving in” during the evenings. Nonetheless, I am excited about decorating possibilities and putting wedding gifts into place. We were truly blessed by our family and friends who gave so generously.

A fun part of our new home is having two dogs. They are completely opposite in size but they get along like famous old friends. Both dogs had been abandoned and were rescued from the streets. Bandit is a 110 pound, disciplined, mastiff/pit bull that has a gentle disposition and is always ready to play. My husband trained him not to jump or even bark that much. Diego, our mini-Chihuahua, never was trained properly, but is also friendly and nearly does back flips when the leash comes out.

Our lofty goal was to take them on walks twice a day, both for the purpose of wearing them out and giving us exercise. Our busy lives have made our dog walks sporadic but it is healthy for all of us when we get the chance to go. Having never been a previous dog owner this has been quite the learning curve. I have to admit that I am enjoying the new challenge.

All donations should now be directed to CEAI:

Christian Educators Association International (CEAI)
227 N. Magnolia Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92801

Great Opportunity

The events of my life have taken me on a whirlwind ride this last year. I got ordained, engaged, married, and now have moved to Anaheim. The past seven years, working with Child Evangelism
Fellowship, has been a great experience! I have received wonderful training and have had the privilege of seeing hundreds of children come to Christ. However, with my new ordination status, I need to have the benefit of being self-employed in order to receive a housing allowance. CEF’s policy prohibits working for them as self-employed, so I had to look into other options.
The Lord has placed on my heart a desire to equip others to reach children with the Gospel, thereby increasing the impact of His Kingdom on our culture. I was looking for a way that I could pursue my passion for evangelism of children and still take advantage of my new legal status with the IRS.

I was asked to consider a change in my ministry status, by joining the combined ministries of the Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) and California Released Time Christian Education. Their goal for me would be to equip and empower Christian public school teachers to use their positions as a platform to share their faith with children in legal and ethical ways. This move would allow me to equip volunteers to teach in Christian Released Time Programs and help start classes in new schools. Further, I would help them launch a Staff Evangelist Program with my clowning. They proposed I maintain some availability with Child Evangelism Fellowship on an agreed-upon basis, but I would have to move my support-team base to CEAI to make it work.

After much prayer and counsel, I decided to resign from CEF. I still plan to attend CYIA Training School and help with the 5-Day Club ministry this summer at an adjusted level. CEF of Long Beach has graciously invested in my life and ministry and I look forward to partnering with them in the future.

During this time, we need to know that you will continue to pray for us and give as you have in the past. Would you tell us of your continued support? Thank you!

Wedding Bells Ring At Last!

Ever since I started wedding planning, life started moving at turbo speed. Our Wedding on April 3, 2010 was amazing. Six of our dear friends stood on either side of us as attendants. My former Youth Pastor, Byron Waggoner, came from Washington State to be our Ceremony Officiant. Rev. Barney Kinard led us in the “Sand Ceremony” to show our lives blending together as one. We even had a ventriloquist perform at the reception to help our guests get a taste of my work in Children’s Ministry.

The best part was seeing God get the glory for bringing us to this point in our lives. What a thrill to have our community surround us on this special day and share our joy with them! We got to honor those who have built so much into our lives. The entire day reflected our personalities and we got to include family and friends as we demonstrated both our devotion to the Lord and to each other. My only regret was that our guest list was limited, so we could not invite everyone who would have liked to have been there.

We had a beautiful week in Lake Tahoe on our Honeymoon and even got to visit Paul’s sister and her family in Dixon on the way back home. We currently live in Anaheim, renting his Dad’s house. God has provided for our needs so faithfully! I never imagined that our first place together would actually be a house. Wow, God has been so good to us!

No Longer Alone

Through feedback from teachers who attend the Daniel Institute weekends, we are discovering that Christian teachers feel alone in much of their work. Christian Educators Association (CEAI) is a professional membership for Christian teachers which offers professional liability insurance, prayer networks, free legal consultation, a magazine and newsletters discussing current events in education, local seminars on legal rights and many internet resources. We want to spread the word that teachers have support for themselves and in reaching their school for Christ.

In November we presented a workshop for my older sister’s Sunday School class which included important information for teachers and parents who have kids in public schools. Since Susan participated in the second Daniel Institute Weekend, she shared with the class how much it had encouraged her. I spoke about the ministry of Released Time Christian Education and how it can help Christian teachers identify other Christians in their school. Forrest Turpen, our Regional Director, discussed opportunities for teachers to talk about Christ using the curriculum and standards set by the State Board of Education.

Some teachers have been intimidated and told that they cannot have a Bible on their desk. Many of them think they are not allowed to pray with another teacher before school or during their lunch hour but that is not true. Students can pray in class during non-instructional time, if they choose. They can read their Bible after finishing their homework. They are free to share their beliefs in assignments, as long as the guidelines of the assignment have been met. These liberties are based on freedom of speech, religious freedom and equal access laws. CEAI staff make themselves available to support teachers. There is such a need Christian teachers in public schools that we must empower as many as we can for the task that God has called them to do.

Financial Update

We are asking God to provide the 
one-third or $12,000 short-fall of our annual support goal.

We are looking for new ministry partners who would like to pray and give financially?
Is God calling you to become part of the team which reaches children in Southern California?


All donations should now be directed to CEAI:

Christian Educators Association International (CEAI)
227 N. Magnolia Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92801

14 Children Dedicated to Lord's Service!

Over the Thanksgiving weekend we had the opportunity to minister to children who attend the Indonesian Evangelical Church in Azusa. Our opportunity to minister to these children is the adult English and Indonesian speaking congregations which hold their yearly conference.

Two years ago I was involved in the same Kids Camp. These kids are now older and we had 13 hours of programing to build on the foundation we had previously laid. Our ministry team, helped the children study and memorize the Beatitudes. Pastor Barney illustrated each principle, Livia taught worship, Paul conducted the games and I shared about the missionary work of Amy Carmichael in India.

At the end of our time together, all 14 children dedicated their lives to serve the Lord! It has been said that “More than half of all the world’s missionaries are called into missionary service when they are children.” This is a powerful time, not only to claim the children for the Kingdom, but to encourage them to live for Him in the future.

Starburst Helps Local Church Reach Out

This Halloween, Starburst was invited to speak at the October 31, alternative event for the Evangelical Church of San Gabriel Valley in Rosemead. They minister to the large Chinese and Vietnamese community surrounding the church. The Children’s Ministry Director explained to us, before the show, that many in the audience would be Buddhist.

For Starburst, this show was different! The changes had to do with weeks of preparation which included visiting the show of a fellow performer, practicing my new tricks for a live audience in advance, adding a new opening bit to music, and lots video taped rehearsals. This all took place because my husband, Paul (who took part in college theater plays) asked me to consider some new approaches to further develop my skills. I so much through Paul and three other friends I met through the Los Angeles Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians.

As a result, Starburst shared the gospel with 200 children and their parents in the church sanctuary. They all heard of God’s love for them through sending Jesus to die for us. Three children received Christ when the invitation was given. It was a privilege to minister along side a church that is faithfully reaching out to their community, and in the process, the ministry of Starburst the Clown had the opportunity to grow as well.

Love in Action

When you intend to show love to another person, what do you do? Do you buy them a gift? Do you spend the day together? Do you tell them something you especially appreciate about them? Maybe you take care of a job they are dreading or just give them hugs or a nice back massage. Whatever you do, these are all ways you show those you love that you really care about them. It’s similar with the Lord. Expressing my love for God this year came in the package of loving others. For the first time, I had a husband to love and care for. I realized that loving my husband is one way I show my love for God. Likewise, when I tell children the gospel, it expresses my commitment to Christ. Remember, “We love because He first loved us.” (1John 4:19)