Discipling Teachers (update)

some encouragement:

One of our co-workers is Ellen Ombati, a missionary with NMSI.  She and Ruth are collaborating on a new story-based children’s curriculum and have previously worked together with sunday school teacher’s training.  Ellen also works with some of the mamas at Nasha’s Creations.  Here’s an excerpt from an email Ellen sent us recently:

The mamas told me each of the three stories that were told in Sunday School the past three weeks.  These were taught by the Sunday School teachers there!  They told me what the kids did, the songs they learned and even that the kids were coming home preaching to their dad … .  There are still some who are not very sure how to teach, but have the right heart for God and for the kids.

Earlier, Ellen had told us that some of the men who teach have been practicing reading scripture aloud so they can read fluently instead of haltingly.  We spent a lot of time talking about the importance of that at the seminar at the Narok congregation on October 11.

It sounds like some of the seeds we’ve been sowing have been sprouting and are starting to bear fruit!

Christianity is NOT a “western religion”

A highlight from teaching Church History to Turkana church leaders in Northwest Kenya:  at the end of the course two of the students told me, “now I can see that the Church is not a wazungu (foreign white people) religion.  It has been in Africa since its beginning and has deep roots in African soil.”  A third told me, “The Church is not an exotic plant here.  It is indigenous.”

Discipling Teachers

The sunday school teacher’s training on October 1st went well.  Go to our photo albums page for the link to some pictures.

Yesterday I was able to lead a teachers’ training session for the teachers of the Narok Community Christian Church.  They want to implement the “Eating the Word of God” lessons.  The time went really well, after a typical Kenyan late start.  I have hopes that the lessons will be taught in this congregation, which will serve to strengthen that whole cluster of churches.  We should include more about both of these trainings in our next update (for those of you on our list).  For now, here’s a picture:

teachers' training: Eating the Word of God

Back row, L-R: John Saitet, Joshua, Isak, Jim Kipees, Moses. Front row, L-R: Veronica (with child), Josephine, Rael, Purity, Walter