Sunday School Teachers and Human Rights Training in Africa Region

From 24^th February to 3^rd March, 2018, the Staff at the United Evangelical Mission, Africa Regional Office held a Training of Sunday School Teachers from all UEM Africa member churches at the Baptist Church in Central Africa (CBCA) in Goma DR Congo. 22 Participants from all UEM African member churches attended the training. The hosting Church in Goma, Eastern Congo serves in a region where a large number of children are victims of a 20 years conflict. UEM intervenes several times to holistically support vulnerable families who are suffers due to this war. The Training is mainly aimed at providing skills to Sunday school teachers as a measure of ensuring an understanding of contemporary challenges and the Church’s role in addressing violated human rights, where children are the first sufferers. In a variety of topics, specialists and practitioners intervened on the following:

Experience sharing of Sunday school services from different churches
Children in the eyes of God
Improving the Sunday school in respect of children rights
Children Psychology in different context
Sunday school as Trauma healings
Echo theology: Sunday school and climate protection
Introducing children in the concept of “Growing with my Tree”
Envisioning churches for Sunday school and human rights protection at early stage
How to raise talents of children and make use of them

Through sharing, discussions and presentation sessions, participants were able to share various issues based on their context and tentative solutions. It was realized that all challenges mentioned concerning Sunday school ministry provision in African UEM member churches are interrelated and similar. Therefore felt problems must be strategically addressed to assure improved Sunday School Service in Member Churches. Challenges were thoroughly examined and concrete recommendations were formulated for the consideration of church leadership in their annual plans. Summarized by the UEM Africa Executive Secretary, Rev Dr John Wesley Kabango