Child Evangelism Fellowship missionaries Carolanne Anderson, left, and Regan Zivney lead a group meeting Friday at Pollard Park in Tyler. Andrew D. Brosig/Tyler Morning Telegraph via AP

Hakim Zakaria, hzakaria@tylerpaper.com 

While many people are huddled in the homes and offices, avoiding the sweltering East Texas heat, Carolanne Anderson can be seen hitting the pavement, going door to door across Smith County.

When residents open their doors, they’re greeted by a cheerful, rosy-cheeked young lady on a mission.

Taking seriously Jesus’ commands to go preach the gospel to all creation, Anderson, a missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship, is spending the summer canvassing Smith County to invite kids to weeklong popup Bible clubs she brings into their neighborhoods – at apartment complexes, parks and other central locations. 

“We’re not trying to build the organization, we’re not trying to build any particular church,” Anderson said. “We all just work together to reach out to the kids.”

Anderson, a misisonary with the organization, hosts two different Bible clubs as a time – one in the morning and one in the afternoon throughout the summer. This week, she hosted clubs at Tanglewood Place apartments and at Pollard Park. 

Anderson said she contacts management at different neighborhoods and apartment complexes to get permission to host the program on site and to recruit kids to attend.

Medgar Thomas, a returning camper at CEF who attended the camp at Pollard Park, said he enjoys learning about Jesus and memorizing Bible verses, especially because he gets rewarded with candy for his ability to recite many of them.

Isabel Hernandez, a sixth-grader, likes the opportunity to play games that help her learn more about God, since she has accepted Jesus into her life.

Miss Anderson said that is the whole purpose of these clubs – to introduce children to Jesus as their eternal salvation. This year’s theme is One Way, fashioned after John 14:6 in which Jesus states: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

“We don’t give them temporal things.” Anderson said. “We try to give them something that lasts forever.”

Child Evangelism Fellowship partners with the city of Tyler Parks and Recreation department to reach kids that participate in the city’s Summer Playground Program, such as the one at Pollard Park.

In addition to Pollard Park, the CEF camp is offered at Scott Park, City Park, Shiloh Park, as well as churches and apartment complexes around the community. Anderson said the camp curriculum is geared for kids age 5 through 12, however, older kids are welcomed. Camps generally gather from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m. 

CEF is the world’s largest child-focused missions organization with more than 100,000 kids in six counties in East Texas.

LouAnna Campbell contributed to this story.

Twitter: @TMT_Hakim