Frequently Asked Questions for CYIA

CYIA is short for "Christian Youth In Action," a program for youth ages 14 through college-age students who go into the community during the summer to teach 5 Day Bible Clubs to children ages 5-12.

Because CYIA is a part of CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship), the CYIA program is world-wide! Here in SC, there are over 5 districts, each with a CYIA program, including the Columbia-Midlands area.

If you are accepted into the CYIA program, you would be trained to teach Bible Lessons, missionary stories, memory verses, songs, and games to children. Followed by your training, you would go into the community Monday-Friday to teach Bible Clubs in daycares, community centers, neighborhoods, and parks at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm.

No! We split the CYIAers into groups of 2-4 people, and your team will go around all week together, teaching the club. Then, the next week, you would work with different team members!

Most people don't! Some of our past CYIAers can tell you that it can be challenging to get up and teach! However, once they started doing it, teaching became easier and easier as the summer progressed. The CYIA program can give you confidence in your speaking skills, and just remember that God is with you as you are teaching the kids - so you are never alone!

The total cost for pre-training, training, your materials, etc. is $375. Don't let that amount scare you away! We provide you with a letter to take to your church to ask if they will help to sponsor your summer ministry, and we are more than happy to go with you to talk to your pastor! If you have any concerns about the money aspect, please contact us.

What if I really need to save money this summer?

Good news! Each summer missionary will participate in fund-raisers and support letter-writing in order to attempt to raise a stipend of up to $1,200-$2,000 (depending on the number of years you've served as a CYIAer) for the summer. We will work hard with you to make sure your needs are covered! PLEASE read our financial agreement at the end of the application which explains our CYIA financial policy regarding fund raising.

There are two mandatory weeks during the summer you MUST be able to attend - the week of training and observation week. If you have pre-planned family vacations, church mission trips, or something else during the summer, you can take one week off. You will indicate what weeks you will be working during the summer on your application. Keep in mind too that there are no clubs scheduled for the week of July 4th, so encourage your parents to plan vacations and trips during that week so you can participate in all of the summer clubs! Also, evangelistic mission trips CAN count towards your work weeks.

Pre-training will begin in May and will be held on a few Saturday mornings. These sessions are to help you be prepared for training school in June. During these sessions you will learn how to lead a child to Christ, among other things. These sessions are mandatory to attend, and for complete dates, please contact us or download the application.

Why do I have to share the Gospel with kids? Don't they all go to church?

Sadly, no. The SC CEF office says that over 70% of children in SC do NOT attend church. That means there are THOUSANDS of children around here who do not go to church, and probably do not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. In 2006, 17 CYIAers shared the Gospel with over 1,000 children, and 118 of those kids prayed to receive Christ, and in 2007 29 CYIAers shared the Gospel with over 1,300 children and over 175 of them prayed to receive Christ! These children need to hear the Gospel, and YOU can be a part of this team to take the GOOD NEWS into your own community!

1. Download the CYIA application on the CYIA webpage (if you have any trouble downloading and printing, e-mail Erin at: erin@cef-sc.org

Once you have requested more information about the CYIA program, we ask that you prayerfully read over the application and see if this is where God is leading you for next summer. The application is a lengthy one, and you will need your parents to help fill out certain sections. Make sure you follow all of the directions, and then send in your application.

After we receive your application, we will contact you to set up an interview time. After your interview, we will let you know if you have been accepted into the program.

Who gets accepted?

If you are a youth or college student who loves the Lord, has been a Christian for at least 1 year, and has a desire to share the Gospel with children, then you are a prime candidate for being a part of the CYIA program. Not everyone who applies will be accepted. If you are not accepted, your $375 tuition fee will be fully refunded.