When the final bell rings on certain Tuesday afternoons at Unity Point School, many students head home, but others like fourth-grader Emma Brown remain for a different kind of learning experience.

For the past 17 years, Unity Point has hosted a Good News Club, an after-school Bible program that has become a cherished tradition for many families. In fact, it's the oldest continuously operating Good News Club in Southern Illinois.

"We learn about the Bible, and we do different games," explains Emma, who attends the club regularly. While games and snacks are highlights for many participants, they're just part of the 90-minute program that includes songs, Bible lessons, and engaging activities.

The club is part of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), a global ministry that sponsors approximately 6,000 Good News Clubs across America and 84,000 worldwide. Robin Williams, coordinator for 20 counties in Southern Illinois, oversees 23 clubs throughout the region.

"Good News Club is all about discovery," Williams explains. "Kids discover the history of the Bible, the history of creation, and they get to learn who God is. One of the most important things is that kids learn and discover how very much God loves them."

The Good News Club requires no fees. Students receive their own illustrated children's Bible in the English Standard Version (ESV) translation, which they're encouraged to bring to each meeting.

"What we like to do at Good News Club is show them how to look up verses so they can see them for themselves," Williams says. "They learn how to use the index and the table of contents—all those things."

The club operates in six to eight-week sessions each fall and spring. Parents must provide written permission for their children to attend and are responsible for transportation home afterward. The program is open to first through fifth-grade students, with kindergartners excluded only because of their earlier dismissal time.

While CEF provides the framework, local volunteers make the program possible. Grand Avenue Christian Church currently sponsors Unity Point's club, providing trained volunteers who have completed nine hours of training, background checks, and interviews through Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Beyond Bible stories, the club emphasizes character development. "We're able to discover how to be a friend and how to put the needs of others above our own," Williams says. "Because those are the things that the Bible teaches us—that we care for others."

For Emma, the games remain a favorite part of the experience. "Sometimes we do tic-tac-toe, but with people," she says, describing the human tic-tac-toe game where correct answers to Bible trivia questions allow teams to strategically place teammates on the game board.

Williams believes the program provides more than just religious education. "In Good News Club, we discover that we are lifelong learners," she says. "We're still discovering things about science and in the medical fields. We live in God's big, beautiful world, and we get to discover it every day."

As the spring session prepares to begin in March, permission forms are making their way home with students. For more information about the Good News Club at Unity Point, parents can contact the school or visit the Child Evangelism Fellowship website.