Our Vision
Our worldwide ministry vision is to reach “Every Child, Every Nation, Every Day.”
The vision for Albania is to reach “Every child in Albania every day”.
Every Child
God has given His people a clear commission—to reach every creature with the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our special mission at Child Evangelism Fellowship® is to evangelize every child through different ministries and projects we have throughout the year.
Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Every Nation
All nations: Child Evangelism Fellowship® is a worldwide ministry serving in every region of the world in over 189 countries in an ever expanding way.
Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.”
In Albania: The word of God teaches us at Acts 1:8 to be His witness in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Our goal in Albania is to teach children in our area and other cities of Albania the word of God and train them up, establish them to a local church. Our purpose is build devoted Christian and missionaries in the future.
Every Day
We are committed to leading children to be in God’s Word every day. As children grow in their relationship with the Lord through meditating on His Word, they develop Godly character, which produces much fruit to the glory of God, including spreading the Gospel to their peers.
Psalm 119:2, “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.”
Only as we trust in God and call upon Him are we empowered to do His will. Programs come after prayer, never before it.
Our Mission
Child Evangelism Fellowship® is a Bible-centered organization composed of born-again believers whose mission is to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to establish (disciple) them in the Word of God and in a local church for Christian living.
Child Evangelism Fellowship® international has over 3,400 workers worldwide led by eight regional directors. There are also tens of thousands of volunteers worldwide. God works through His people, Godly leaders, staff and volunteers in order to accomplish our goals. The sun never sets on CEF ministry. We provide training, equip our workers with ministry tools and support them through fund-raising and ministry development.
Training
Training is offered worldwide with the support of our education department. The training of local workers and volunteers multiplies our ministry and enables us to reach many more children with the Gospel than we otherwise could. Through Super Seminars, Teaching Children Effectively™ courses and the 12-week Children’s Ministries Institute courses, CEF is enabling those with a burden for children to effectively evangelize them. In the past ministry year we reached over 270,000 teachers worldwide. We have institutes in every region. Training is key if we are to see more children reached for His glory. We want to challenge more of the workers we have trained to enter full-time ministry. In Europe only there are 3 main locations for Children’s Ministries Leadership Courses. One based in Romania, one in Germany and another one in Northern Ireland. For more information about our training schools (CMLC) click here.
Equipping
Equipping the volunteer teachers is the primary goal of our literature ministries, which includes literature development and production. CEF in Albania is supported with materials and literature for children from the headquarters of CEF. Through the blessing they are we are a channel for many churches and ministries in Albania that we are cooperating.
In addition to our biblically sound and colorfully illustrated Bible curriculum, some of the most strategic tools we offer are the 60-Day Wonder Devotional Books, which encourage children to begin a lifetime habit of time alone with God. We are also known for our evangelism tools, such as The Wordless Book. For more check our online shop.
Encouraging and supporting
Child Evangelism Fellowship of Albania is very focused and serious on the personal relationship with God, the other co-servants and relationships with other Christian partners and supporters. In CEF we need a growing number of national workers on the front lines to see the children evangelized and we also need an increasing support team to get behind these workers – both are vitally important. The work of CEF cannot continue without the Lord’s provision. We are committed to helping our staff in every way it is possible.
Statement of faith
Our culture points
The Importance of Godly Leadership at Every Level
Spiritual leadership is the highest form of authority. The men and women who lead must have a personal heart for God in order to be able to discern the will of God and lead the ministry effectively. Regardless of the skill of a leader, if he or she lacks a heart for God, the work will be eroded at its very foundation.
The Importance of the Spiritual Welfare of our Workers
It is vital that we are never satisfied to simply teach our staff the methods of how to reach children and how to train others to do so, but we must purposefully invest in the spiritual lives of our staff. When CEF staff are men and women who are primarily driven by passion for God and His glory and have a clear call from the Lord, the work will prosper. If we keep our focus on God and on His calling, then we will be sustained in times of challenge.
The Importance of Prayer as Our Foundation
It is not the work we do, the meetings we hold or the decisions we make that bring the greatest advances in the work; it is the time spent before the throne of God in prayer, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that brings power, laborers and resources into the ministry.
The Importance of Evangelizing Children
There is no limit to the number of organizations that do many good things that are important to boys and girls in need. We are thankful for them and believe that God uses them to help hurting children. CEF, however, has been called by God to make it our highest priority to present the Gospel so children may be saved and discipled in God’s Word. We must stay on point.
Importance of a Clear and Biblical Presentation of the Gospel
It is not the work we do, the meetings we hold or the decisions we make that bring the greatest advances in the work; it is the time spent before the throne of God in prayer, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that brings power, laborers and resources into the ministry.
The Importance of a Commitment to Excellence, for the Glory of God
Every aspect of the work, no matter how big or small, has significance. This includes the training we conduct, the materials we produce, the facilities we use and the way we present ourselves. In every area we must strive for excellence to the glory of God!
Board Members
Darko had the privilege of growing up in a strong Christian family where his parents and grandparents were examples of faith and trust in Christ. He learned and received much from them through the years. In January 1995 Darko had the opportunity to work in a Christian Evangelical Center in the audio production department, preparing and broadcasting Christian radio programs, recording Christian CDs and setting up the sound systems for Christian bands.
In 2001/2002 God called Darko and Lidija to study at the Bible School where his wife Lidija had been working for the previous two years. During three summers Darko and Lidija volunteered with Child Evangelism Fellowship® and, following their studies at the Bible School, in 2002 they both received the call to join CEF® on a full-time basis. Darko and Lidija successfully completed the Children’s Ministry Leadership Course (CMLC) in Slovakia in 2002/2003 and had a time of practical training (Autumn 2003/Spring 2004) in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia.
In 2004, the leaders of CEF in Serbia handed over the leadership position to Darko and Lidija. The staff of CEF Serbia grew in number and started opening new ministries including a camp site in 2009. Darko started thinking of a bigger picture as they wanted to reach more children in Balkans, so they held in 2010/2011 Children’s Ministry Leadership Course (CMLC) in Serbia. After the CMLC training, even more people decided to join the ministry of CEF full-time. The growth continued when Darko received the call from the leadership of CEF Europe in 2012 to help start a CEF work in Bosnia-Herzegovina, a country without a CEF ministry. God opened the door and over the next three years Sebastian Edelmann (Area Director for Central Europe) at that time, together with Darko visited a large number of pastors. In 2015 a national board was formed, CEF got registered in the government and a married couple became the first full‑time workers. Since then Darko has been responsible for the CEF work in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Starting in Spring 2021, Darko is appointed as the new Central European area director for Child Evangelism Fellowship®. Darko is responsible for the work of Child Evangelism Fellowship® in 17 countries in Europe, including Albania
Russell studied to become a structural engineer when he was at school and college. Later God called Russell to the ministry and he studied to become a pastor. After, Russell was then called to Child Evangelism Fellowship® of Europe to become the Director of Development for the European region and he came to know CEF® of Albania while carrying out that role. Russell has worked with Child Evangelism Fellowship® for over 30 years before his retirement. He worked with the Albanian team for around 12 years as we tried to re-develop the buildings and refurbish them to the high standard we have now. In 2019 I retired from that position and took up once again a Pastoral ministry with Troon Baptist Church in Scotland. Russell remained at the request of the board as an active director in Child Evangelism Fellowship® of Albania.
Zefjan Nikolla graduated from Tirana University majoring in English Language and Literature in 1994 and also majoring in Albanian Language and Literature in 2009. He received a Certificate of Achievement from the Albanian Bible Institute in 1997 and a Master's of Divinity from the European Southeastern Theological Seminary in 2008. He has attended many national and international training courses in the areas of theology, leadership, lobbying and public speaking.
Zefjan came to faith in 1991. He has been cofounder and leader of several ministries as well as national and international initiatives. He has been part of the New Testament translation team of "së bashku" Version.
Zefjan serves as pastor of Emanuel Christian Evangelical Church in Tirana and the General Secretary of the Covenant of Albanian Christian Students (BSKSH). He is also the Executive Director of Wilberforce Foundation and an Associate of Dr. Ramesh Richard. He is involved in the European Leadership Forum, the Lausanne Movement, Langham Preaching, the Living Word Sports ministry etc.
Zefjan and his wife Edita live in Tirana. They have two daughters, Greis and Emili.
Ylli is experienced in leading leadership teams since 1998 in different organizations in and out of Albania. For eight years, until 2014, Ylli was the national director for CRU, (Campus Crusade for Christ) in Albania and Kosovo. They had over 100 full-time staff members at that time. Now Ylli is the leader of International Leadership Foundation for Albania and also the president of Albanian Evangelical Alliance first elected in January 2016 and reelected again for the second term.
Ylli earned a master’s degree in sculpture from the Art Academy in Tirana in 1995. In 2003, Ylli graduated with a MA in the Philosophy of religion (Cum Laude) from Denver Seminary in Colorado. Ylli also holds a PHD in Social Anthropology from the European University in Tirana. Ylli is the author of a book and a few journal articles related to the religious toleration. Ylli is also invited as a speaker in many TV and radio programs for issues such as family, intolerance, religion and politics. Ylli is also one of the founders and a church elder at Cornerstone church in Tirana, Albania.
Ylli is married to Nikki for over 24 years now; they live in Tirana and have two children who are studying at Wheaton College in Illinois, USA.
Plator is the pastor of the Libonik- Maliq Evangelical Church, a network who has planted 5 churches in the area of Korçë county.
Plator serves as a trainer and coach for different organizations such as World Vision Albania & Kosovo, GIZ (Innovation and creativity) Kennedy foundation, UN (United Nations, the world that youth want).
Plator is a participant and trainer in churches and organizations in USA, England, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Greece and Rumania. Plator is a board member at KFM Stock Company, Board member at Kennedy foundation, Board member at Hands of providence in USA, founder of Hands of Providence in Albania and lately a board member at Child Evangelism Fellowship of Albania.
In September 2018, Plator earned a MLitt (master of letters) in Organizational Leadership from Oxford Graduate School in Tennessee, USA. With his capstone project Plator earned an achievement award with an honorable mention.
Hervin has enjoyed being in ministry for over twenty-five years loving God with a passion to preach the gospel to the lost, encouraging discipleship, church planting and leadership across the country of Albania, and surrounding countries in the Balkans. After his conversion from Islam at the age seventeen, Hervin has planted and pastored several churches. He is the founder and leader of the International School of Theology and Leadership, a dynamic school, students of which have planted over eighty churches, as well as initiated several new ministries and missionary work. He is also the director of Living Water, Adopt a Child in Albania since 2019 after working alongside the leadership of the ministry previously. Hervin and his beautiful family currently live and serve in Tirana, Albania.
Albert J. Kona, is the Pastor of the Reformed Church of Durrës. He was born in Tirana in May 1971, grew up in Durrës and went to Naim Frasheri High School. Albert studied and graduated in Theology from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, South Carolina, USA. He is an ordained Pastor for the church planting in Albania by the Presbyterian Church in America. He is married to Jennifer and they have three children.
Our Partners
Cef Europe
Cef International
Partners out of CEF
Vëllazëria Ungjillore e Shqipërisë / Albanian Evangelical Alliance
Albanian Evangelical Alliance is the representative of the Evangelical community in the Albanian government. There are over 180 Evangelical churches, national and international organizations who are members of Albanian Evangelical Alliance serving the Lord in the country of Albania, including CEF.
Team Hope
Team Hope is an Irish, Christian and child-focused international development organization. Founded in 2010, we work in Africa and Eastern Europe to help children affected by poverty or marginalization.
GZB - Gereformeerde Zendingsbond
The vision of GZB is to share the Gospel with everyone. By sharing the Gospel we want people all over the world to get to know God, find a place in a church and grow in faith.
The Mission of GZB is to open churches. Together with churches worldwide, the GZB works on founding and building up churches. Municipalities where faith deepens, where everyone is welcome and people who need extra care and attention are unconditionally looked after. A place from which people share their faith and life!
Living Water adopt a child
The mission of Living water adopt a child is to inspire hope by serving as the hands and feet of Jesus to care for the lost and hurting. Their vision is to reach people globally with the love of Jesus Christ by advancing the Matthew 25 call to care for the “least of these.”