Staff

State Office

Phone: 402-480-5515
Email: matta@cefnebraska.org

Matt gave his life to Christ on Labor Day of 1995.   He has been blessed with three children, all of whom have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  His life has experienced many major challenges.  A huge challenge was the death of his first wife to Ovarian Cancer in 2007.  Alone, he wandered down a path becoming the person he didn’t want to be.  However, in the Lord’s graciousness, he brought Matt back to Himself and also brought to him Tracy, to whom he has been married to for nearly 10 years.

Through the loss of his wife, his father and mother, his father-in-law (who was murdered), and another major family crisis, Matt and Tracy continued to grow spiritually and lean even more on the Father. As they regularly turn to the Father, He turns these challenging situations into life-changing positive events.

The Lord has led him to serve with CEF of Nebraska—an opportunity borne out of a conversation with Jonathan Musgrave.  He affirms, “I feel as though every event in my life has brought me to this exact point in time.  As I look back upon each of these events and others I can now see how God was moving me towards this next chapter in my life.  I look forward to serving God and this ministry.”

State Office

Phone: (402) 281-1386
Email: ryan@cefnebraska.org

Ryan grew up going to Good News Clubs (GNC). God used CYIA as a tool to change his life (starting in 1993!). His call to ministry became clear his first summer doing 5-Day Clubs. They have been leading GNCs for 11 years. They got involved in Christian Youth In Action (CYIA) East 13 years ago while Jackie Weiss was the director. Eventually his involvement turned into leading the Advanced Track (one of the three tracks of CYIA) and then being part of the CYIA Lead Team after Jackie left full-time ministry. He loves the ministry of CEF and believe God wants to continue to use this ministry as a tool to effectively reach children for Christ.

Ryan has had the privilege of being married to his wife, Joy, for 21 years. They have four children, Sydney, Isaiah, Micah and Chloe. They all know their way around CEF ministry and are involved in the ministry at some level.  Ryan is also a co-pastor at the Louisville Evangelical Free Church.

Cherry Chapter

Phone: (402) 684-2585
Email: gurnseymo@abbnebraska.com

Monte and Dawn serve in the Cherry Chapter in North Central Nebraska. Monte was led to the Lord at the age of three. He was led to Christ by the lady who became the first director for the Cherry Chapter. Her favorite counseling tool was using the Wordless Book. He always had a love for children and often took a turn babysitting in the nursery for his local church. He attended a Good News Club his sixth grade year in Bassett. He really didn’t have much contact with CEF for several years even though he knew a lot of the people involved in the local ministry. Dawn was led to the Lord through a camp ministry her grandparents were involved in. There wasn’t much spiritual growth until college when she made contact with the Navigators and Campus Crusade for Christ ministries. In 1985, Monte and Dawn felt called into CEF and attended Children’s Ministries Institute® (CMI®) that fall and have served as local directors for the Cherry Chapter since that time. They have eight children, all of whom have attended Christian Youth in Action® (CYIATM) training.

Omaha Chapter

Phone: (402) 342-9272
Email: esther@cefofomaha.org

Esther was born and raised in Omaha. After a discussion with her father when she was 4 years old she believed in Jesus for salvation. All 8 of her siblings have attended CYIA and have taught a Good News Club (GNC). When Esther turned 13 she began teaching 5-Day Clubs and GNCs. After graduating high school, where she was homeschooled, Esther attended the 12 week Children’s Ministries Institute. Esther’s greatest joy in life is serving Jesus, by loving and teaching children to have a relationship with God. Esther says “I can honestly say, that I would not be where I am today in my relationship with God if it were not for CEF. Through this ministry, I have experienced what it means to reach out and love other people. I would encourage any young person to attend CYIA and actively teach in an after school GNC. Nothing has impacted my personal life more than these two things.”

Omaha Chapter

Phone: (402) 342-9272
Email: adrian@cefofomaha.org

Adrian is the youngest of two boys born in Miami Florida after his parents migrated to the US from Cuba. He came to know Jesus at age five. Adrian and his family are active members of Iglesia Bautista Nazaret. Adrian attended Miami High School where he excelled in music. During high school, Adrian attended Christian Youth in Action (CYIA) where he developed a passion for ministry and teaching children with the Gospel. He was accepted for an internship with CEF headquarters in 2019 and completed Children’s Ministries Institute. Shortly after, Adrian felt God calling him to pursue the position as the ministry coordinator in South Omaha.

Adrian began working with CEF of Omaha in May, 2022. CEF Omaha is thrilled to have Adrian as a key component to help connect the ministry with Hispanic churches in Omaha.

 Platte Valley Chapter (Proposed)

Phone: (402) 506-2217
Email: michael@cefnebraska.org 

Michael Headley answered the Lord’s call to serve as a local coordinator for the Platte Valley Chapter.  He accepted Christ while in a prison in his early 20’s.  God dramatically saved him!  He pursued knowing Christ not only through his own reading and studying the Bible, but also through halls of education eventually earning a Masters of Divinity degree.  God has used him, and his wife Lori, over the years as he served as a pastor in several US states, an evangelist, and an international speaker.

He is in the process of raising support, even while building relationships with pastors and churches.   However, this chapter doesn’t officially exist.  To be established, a committee to oversee this chapter needs to be formed consisting of a minimum of five people.  Pray for God to send five or more people.  Please consider supporting him.