Child Evangelism Fellowship, also known as CEF, is a Bible-centered, worldwide organization composed of born-again believers whose purpose is to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of  Jesus Christ and to disciple them in the local church for Christian living.  CEF has over 1,800 missionaries overseas, approximately 1,600 of whom are nationals. In the USA and Canada 700 full-time workers and an estimated 40,000 volunteers serve the ministry.  CEF was founded by Jesse Irvin Overholtzer in 1937.

CEF has many different ministries for children, but the two primary ones are the Good News Club and the Five Day Clubs.

The churches in the Florence Baptist Association are responsible for the majority of the Good News Clubs in Florence County.

The Heart of the Palmetto Chapter of CEF was chartered in November 1996.  This chapter serves Florence, Darlington, Marlboro, Chesterfield and Dillon Counties.  For more information visit their website http://www.heartofthepalmetto.org/

The Christian Learning Center of Florence County is a release time program for the public schools in Florence County.  Release time is a time set aside during the school day when students may leave the school property to attend Bible classes off campus.  CLC provides the opportunity for students to receive Biblical teaching during the school day with parental permission.

Off campus Bible classes offer a haven for students to be nurtured, encouraged and guided by God’s truths in every day choices.  These classes offer hope in times of crisis and confusion and enable students to find God given worth and purpose in life.  As a result, core values of our society such as family relations, healthy friendships, work ethics and a sense of personal responsibility are strengthened.  We seek to glorify God by empowering students to reach their fullest potential.

The purpose of CLC is to provide an opportunity for public school students in Florence County to understand Biblical principles and apply them to their lives, family and community.  In 1952, the Supreme Court upheld Release Time Bible Education as being constitutional in all 50 states.  Justice William O. Douglas, speaking for the majority, concluded that while the First Amendment prohibits governmental financing of religious instruction, it does not require the government to be hostile toward religion.

For more information about CLC please visit the website at   https://florenceclc.org/

The Eastern Carolina Agricultural Fair is coming to Florence this year.  The FBA began a ministry to the fair workers in October 2009 with a chicken bog meal on their set up day.  The ministry has grown since then.  Some of the activities include:

• Free chicken bog meal on set up day

• Free Yard Sale

• Free Hair Cuts

• Free Blood Pressure Checks

• Free doughnuts and coffee

• Free breakfast and worship service on Sunday morning

• Children’s Ministry

• Free photographs

• “Snack Sack” distribution on closing night

The FREE Yard Sale is a lot of fun and it takes a lot of items.  Some volunteers like to collect items all year long and use coupons to get them.  Items that are needed are:

• Reading glasses (new or used)

• Shampoo

• Deodorant – men’s and women’s

• Soap – NO Ivory soap please

• Razors

• Shaving cream

• Tylenol

• Advil

• OVER THE COUNTER cold medicine (NOT the kind you have to sign with the pharmacist to get)

• Blankets

• Twin sheets

• Queen sheets

•  4 or 6 pack of toilet paper OR individually wrapped rolls of TP

• Paper towels

• Kleenex

• Laundry detergent

• Pop Tarts

• Cereal

• “Pop-top” foods (ravioli, Vienna sausage, etc)

• Duffle bags, small suitcases