About CEF of North Dakota
Who are we? Get to know us
Our Purpose
Child Evangelism Fellowship®(CEF) exists to evangelize children with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and establish them in a local church and the Word of God for Christian growth.
Our Mission
To evangelize and disciple children by using Good News Clubs during the school year as well as Camp Good News on the Go (formerly 5-Day Clubs) and Camp Good News – day camp ministry during the summer. To provide teacher training to adults and teens that help communicate the basic truths of the Bible in a way that children can understand.
Our Doctrine
We hold to the historic, orthodox, evangelical doctrines of the Christian church. A few of the core beliefs that motivate our work include the following:
- Children are in need of and capable of receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
- By God’s grace, we receive Jesus Christ through faith alone
Meet The CEF of ND Team
Doug Sikkink
State Director
Doug has been the state director of CEF of ND since January of 2024. Before that, he was the local director of the FM chapter since 2009. He lives in Fargo with his wife Sue and three kids Luke (19), Joey (16), Becky (13)
JoAnne Hanson
SW Local Director
JoAnne Hanson joined our crew in May of 2026 as local director of the SW chapter. She lives in Baldwin, ND with her husband and daughter.
Ben Vinje
Asst. State Director
Ben worked his way up the ranks with the following roles: CYIA'er; summer intern; ministry coordinator; the local director for the Northwest chapter. In 2015, Ben became the asst. state director. He lives in Minot.
Karl Krause
NW Local Director
With a previous stint being the NE local director, Karl has returned in July 2026 to be the NW Chapter Director. He lives in Minot with his wife Kayla and four boys.
Charity Ost
Local Director - SE Chapter
Charity Ost has been the local director of the southeast chapter since June of 2022. She lives in Klum, ND with husband Adam and two children.
Marietjie Von Straaten
NE Local Director
Marietjie has been the NE director July of 2022. She lives in Grand Forks with husband Anton. She has two daughters.
SueAnn Berntson
SE Ministry Cooordinator
SueAnne has been the part time ministry coordinator with the SE chapter since September of 2026. She has previously serve as SE local committee and taught Good News Club. She lives in Valley City.
Heather Gormsen
Ministry Coordinator
Recently graduated from UND, Heather joined the NE chapter in May of 2026. She lives in Grand Forks.
Michelle Brown
FM Local Director
Michelle Brown started as FM Ministry Coordinator since April 2024 and then became the local director in Jan 2026. Michelle and her husband, Nate, have returned to Fargo after serving as missionaries in Ecuador. They live in Horace have 4 kids and two grandchildren.
Shari Wagner
FM Director of Advancement
Shari Wagner has been the Director of Advancement since April 2012. She loves to connect with the supporters of the ministry. Shari and her husband, Mark, have lived in Fargo since 1997 and have 4 kids and 2 grandchildren.
Kody Pilch
FM Ministry Coordinator
Kody Pilch has served as a volunteer and CYIA'er for a number of years since 2008. He recently accepted the FM Ministry Coordinator as of January of 2024. He lives in Fargo.
Meet Our State Board
Our state board oversees the ministry here in North Dakota
We are so thankful for our state board who helps us guide our staff and oversees our state by making key decisions and ensuring financial accountability and stability.
Brent Bogar
Chairperson
Chip Steckler
Vice Chair
Karen Parrott
Secretary
Russ Rogne
Committee Member
Stuart Symington
Committee Member
Karen Harrison
Committee Member
Paul Harrison
Committee Member