Preparation for a CFCM Sunday school teacher training seminar starts several months in advance. It was the first weekend in January when Elevate Mizinga visited the executive of the pastors’ fraternal at Nkhotakota to talk to them about the importance of children’s ministry and the need for Sunday school teachers to receive training so that they can present the Good News of Jesus Christ in age-appropriate ways.
The pastors agreed that their Sunday school teachers did indeed need training, and pointed out that many of them did not even have Bibles to properly teach the children. They were keen for CFCM to visit as soon as possible.
When Elevate and Joseph arrived to carry out 2 days of training on March 17-18, Sunday school teachers from 20 different churches were eagerly waiting. 51 attended on Friday, and an additional 10 came to the Saturday training. Learning in a seminar is all well and good, but there’s nothing like practical experience to make sure a lesson is well learnt. Half way through the Saturday morning, the trainees were divided into 4 groups to go out to different places where there were plenty of children about. Having been taught how to explain the Gospel using the colours of the Wordless Book, each teacher had to practice explaining the message to the children. A total of 140 children heard the wonderful message of salvation that morning.
As often happens, many teachers turned up to the seminar without Bibles because they did not own one. But one reward for completing Level 2 of the training was the opportunity to buy a half-price Bible from CFCM. CFCM are able to offer this because of a specific gift towards Bibles for Sunday school teachers. 17 teachers were ready with the money they had saved up to buy their very own Bible.
Some pictures by Tim Lawrence of the proud new owners of Bibles!
Lets pray that these Bibles are put to good use for personal Bible study so that these men and women get a deeper understanding of God’s Word themselves, and stay faithful to it as they live out their lives before the younger generation.
Feedback from the trainees:
“Before today I found it difficult to preach to children, but today I learn how to reach them with the gospel. Thank you for the seminar, I will continue reaching children in my church and outside the church.”
On buying a Bible:
““I am so pleased to have my own Bible at last. Up till now I have had to borrow my pastor’s Bible when I am about to teach Sunday school.”
On receiving safeguarding training:
“Thanks for this lesson, we now know what to do if we meet such a scenario”. One grandmother was personally challenged about her own treatment of her grandchildren. One of the pastors was keen to see something established for helping children who have been abused.
CFCM hope to return later in the year to complete Level 3 with these men and women. By then they will have had plenty of opportunity to improve their Sunday school teaching, and they will be encouraged and helped to start setting up Bible clubs to reach children outside of the church.
cfcmuk.org 