On Saturday 15th March Esther Lipenga became CFCM’s first qualified volunteer trainer in Mangochi district. Her husband, her son and her pastor were present to witness her passing the final assessment as she trained 40 Sunday school teachers at Makawa, Mangochi.
Esther is a nursery schoolteacher and is responsible for the Sunday school in her church. She loves working with children, and she loves the Lord, but she was lacking the skills to make the Scriptures and the Gospel message understandable to children. She had a passion to make Christ known to children, and when CFCM came to Mangochi in October 2023, Esther started her journey towards this goal.
In July 2024, Esther completed CFCM’s 3-module Sunday school teacher training. All teachers who complete Level 3 have a practical assessment at teaching children, and Esther did extremely well, having absorbed all the training. Sunday school teachers reaching this stage are encouraged to reach out to non-church children by establishing Bible clubs in their communities. Mangochi is a strongly Muslim area, and Esther had to get permission from the Muslim village chief to start a Bible club. The village chief encouraged her and even gave her a space next to his home to conduct her weekly Bible club! Children from all backgrounds and faiths attend her Bible club now.
The CFCM team recognised Esther’s passion and ability for children’s ministry, her determination in setting up a Bible club and her communication skills. They invited her to be part of the CFCM volunteer trainers’ team, so that she could help more Sunday school teachers like herself to spread the Gospel to children in the Mangochi district. Esther attended CFCM’s Training of Trainers course in Nkhotakota in November 2024, where once again she acquitted herself very well.
On completing the Training of Trainers course, Esther had to set up her own seminar so that she could be assessed in an actual training situation. She contacted churches in Makawa (30km from Mangochi ) where Sunday school teacher training had never been received. CFCM staff member, Elevate Mizinga, and the Coordinator for the Central Eastern region, Oden Kaning’a, attended the seminar and were very pleased to award her the certificate as a CFCM Volunteer Trainer.
Elevate says, “Esther is a good Sunday school teacher – she knows how to handle the children and how to teach children of different ages. As a CFCM trainer she is a good organiser and also good in teaching.” This is just the beginning of a new journey – one where Esther will help expand Sunday school teacher training in her district. It is wonderful that she has the full support and encouragement not only of CFCM but her own husband and her pastor who were very proud of her as she qualified.
cfcmuk.org 