2026 CEF Vision Dinner Was a Huge Success
On March 27th, our community gathered at the Grant Event Center Banquet Hall for our first annual Vision Dinner, and we are still bursting with gratitude to our Heavenly Father for how He moved for our ministry.
It was a powerful evening of fellowship and faith, entirely centered on our shared mission to “…tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord….” (Psalm 78:4). We were absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of our Central West Tennessee community. That night, we witnessed God’s amazing provision firsthand as we raised just over $95,000 toward our future ministry goals!
A Night of Praise, Fellowship, and Testimony
The evening ran seamlessly under the direction of our Master of Ceremonies, Tom Mapes, who did a wonderful job welcoming everyone and setting a tone of joyful expectation. We were deeply blessed to have Dr. Dub Oliver (President of Union University) lead us in an opening prayer, and Pastor Nathan Crisp Sr. lift our continued mission up to the Lord in a moving closing prayer. A very special thank you also goes out to Agnes Randolph for providing the beautiful music that filled the hall throughout the night.
Our Executive Director, Randy Nicholas, shared our current efforts and goals for the future in a ministry update. It is hard to believe, but CEF has been firmly rooted right here in Jackson for 25 years now, partnering with local churches to bring the hope of Jesus directly to children!We also heard powerful, moving testimonies from Erika, a Good News Club student; Caleb, one of our CYIA interns; and Chad Shankle, a longtime ministry partner. Hearing how God is working directly from our community is a beautiful reminder of exactly why we do what we do.
We want to extend a massive thank you to our dedicated Host Committee members who worked so hard behind the scenes to make this banquet a success:
- Dr. John Freeman (Owner, Green Frog Farm and Event Center)
- Ralph Jones III (CEO, Jones Family of Companies)
- Reggie Smith (President Emeritus, Town & Country Realtors)
- Gary A. Taylor (President, Investment Co.)
- Chip Thomas (General Manager, Thomas Media)
- Dr. Dub Oliver (President, Union University)
Inspired to Reach Every Child, Every Day
The highlight of our evening was an inspiring message from our guest keynote speaker, Beltane Harrigan, the Regional Director for the North America and Caribbean Region of CEF. Beltane has poured over 50 years into Christian ministry—including 37 years as the founder and pastor of Way of the Cross Baptist Church. He challenged and encouraged every person in the room to stand firm in the lifelong mission of reaching Every Child, Every Nation, Every Day.
Bridging the Gap: Partner with Us to Reach the Remaining Goal!
While we are joyfully celebrating the $95,000 raised, our journey toward our full $125,000 goal continues so we can fully accelerate our reach across the region.
These funds are essential for launching new Good News Clubs®, sustaining our summertime 5-Day Clubs®, and equipping our local teens through Christian Youth In Action (CYIA™) to serve as missionaries right here in their own neighborhoods.
If you were unable to attend the dinner, or if you feel led to give a secondary gift to help us bridge the remaining gap during this season of unprecedented growth, your support makes a profound difference.
👉 CLICK HERE TO PARTNER WITH US AND MAKE A DONATION
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me… ” — Matthew 19:14
Thank you for standing with us, for praying for us, and for investing in the eternal lives of the children of Central West Tennessee! Please continue to pray for our staff and volunteers as we head into the busy summer season of ministry.
