“It is so important...”
CEF workers in Sligo are telling children and young people about Jesus
(From the July - September 2021 issue of VOX)
Brian Donaghy grew up going to the CEF good news club in Sligo. Today Brian and his wife Helen lead the work in the North West. We called to find out more.
“When we joined CEF in 2012 there had been a work established in Sligo for 40 years but the leaders were about to retire,” Helen said.
Brian met and married Helen in Belfast where they lived and worked for 14 years before returning to his hometown. In Sligo, Brian worked as an IT consultant (he has a PhD in electronic engineering) while Helen helped to care for her mother-in-law. Soon Brian was volunteering with CEF at the weekly good news clubs and the annual camps he had once enjoyed as a child but with the leaders planning retirement there were questions over the future of the work.
“On the same weekend, we both felt God saying He wanted us to become CEF workers,” Helen explained. “We did our training in children’s ministry with CEF in Switzerland and it was a wonderful experience. Within a week of returning home we were launched into ministry. At the first camp we ran in 2012, a lot of children felt God speaking into their lives and many made commitments to follow Jesus.”
In the early days the couple had 50 to 60 young people coming to their house every fortnight. They didn’t realise the significance of what was happening. “It was absolutely brilliant. It seemed normal to have that many young people involved,” Helen said.
“We would meet the children at the gate, dress them in high vis jackets and walk across town to the church hall for games and Bible teaching. It was so much fun.”
“We ran a good news club after school and found a way to connect with more children by moving the club to Sligo Methodist Church. We would meet the children at the gate, dress them in high vis jackets and walk across town to the church hall for games and Bible teaching. It was so much fun.”
One great blessing has been to have groups of young people volunteering with CEF from all over the world. “It is such a privilege to see the next generation coming up. They are on fire for the Lord and they really want to serve. We’ve had people coming from America and Canada and we’ve built links with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and with the Surf Project.”
The local churches across Sligo were supportive and Brian and Helen enthusiastically joined with the monthly inter-church prayer meeting, something that has continued on Zoom throughout the pandemic.
With Covid restrictions, much of the ministry moved online and CEF provided at-home resources for families. “We’ve done Zoom visits to schools as well as running our good news clubs online. This year, because of the Covid restrictions we are working with the Surf Project to run two weeks of day camps in Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal with a combination of surfing and Bible teaching and we’re likely to be fully booked.
“In August we’re looking forward to beach fun at Rosses Point in Sligo with both children’s and youth activities. And Brian will run a technology camp (the children do coding and we tie that in with Bible teaching).”
CEF has developed excellent resources and they are hoping to support more churches across Ireland. There is training available for parents or Sunday School teachers who want to learn how to explain the Gospel and it can be adapted for whatever is needed in your context.
In Northern Ireland, CEF is involved in the multi-million Seaview Project in Kilkeel to facilitate training more people from all over Ireland in reaching children and youth. Once complete, the centre will also host conferences and camps for hundreds of children and adults. Find out more at www.cefireland.com.
“Many do not go to church anymore so we could be the only Christian contact that they have.”
“We have given our lives to do this because it is so important that children have an opportunity to understand who Jesus is, “ Helen added. “We build relationships with whole families. Many do not go to church anymore so we could be the only Christian contact that they have.”
If you would like to get in contact with Brian and Helen please visit www.cefsligo.com or call 087 950 1443.
