Children Celebrate Jesus has been held in Kampala for a number of years, bringing together children from different parishes and Sunday Schools together to celebrate.
So on October 12th about 250 children marched around Mengo before gathering in Dunstan Hall, Namirembe Diocese to join in the celebration. The sound of their voices singing laughing and cheering echoed around the district, as they joined in the celebration with singing, dance and drama, aerobics, with various groups presenting their performances for all to enjoy.
Rev Richard Rukundo, brought the whole event together through his lively presentation based on the theme TEAM - "Together Everyone Achieves More"
The celebration concluded with lively games and having lunch together, and was enjoyed by all.
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Children Celebrate Jesus October 2013
September 2013 Newsletter
CELEBRATING ONE YEAR IN OFFICE - UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2013
After One year in Office a lot has so far gone on and these are some highlights of the major activities;
This includes the Ordained and Lay; those Full-time and Volunteering within Churches, Schools, Clubs an
d Child Development Centres. Since last year we have had trainings in 19 of the 34 Dioceses.
Chaplaincy WorkshopsAugust – December 2012: 784, January – August 2013: 1402, Making a Total of 2186 Trainers of Trainees.If they all have reached 10 more, the number has grows to up 21860! If an average number of children in each Parish is 200, about 4,372,000 Children are being taught with the Curriculum; and these are within Communities, Schools, Churches, Organizations or Clubs all over the Country in all denominations and agesall over Uganda.Our Focus is to create these training teams in all the 34 Dioceses, at least 100 Children’s Leaders each Diocese Trained as ToTs (trainers of trainers) between 2012 and 2014. If these Leaders / Teachers reach at least 200 in each Parish (within Schools, Churches, Clubs and Child Development Centres) up to 5,000,000 Children will be reached by 2014 all over Uganda.
Our drive to reach out to Schools by increasing and empowering Ministry leaders has seen us run 5 Chaplaincy workshops within the Northern and Western Dioceses since June 2013. The Workshops have brought together 310 Lay and Ordained Ministers serving within Schools, Colleges and some Tertiary Institutions. This initiative has seen us not only motivate but equip the Ministers for the Ministry in the Church founded Institutions. We hope that this initiative will see us reach all the regions and revive our core values in the Ministry as well increase the numbers and interest of those serving as Chaplains.
This campaign has seen us reach Most Church Leaders through the House of Bishops, Pastors’ workshops, planned sensitization meetings and Children’s Activities. Through the coalition of Christian Churches, we have started an academy models developed by Kidz at heart International.I have also rebranded to move away from running ‘School’ like program on Sunday (Sunday school) to doing Children’s Church which emphasizes intentional ministry to Children by fellow Children and all their leaders. This has been in addition to putting emphasis on having a Worship Hour in every School as a way of encouraging teaching God’s Word during the week.
We have relaunched the Children’s Celebrate Jesus event, a celebration meant to bring Children’s issues to the light and the Education Week, which is a week of Mission in Schools taking the love of Christ. These will now cover all the Regions of the Province of Church of Uganda and if possible every Diocese holding various activities for Children. We have organized for the first time the Children’s events in Western Uganda and Eastern Uganda. The Children will be involved in a one day Conference and a Jesus Match around their home towns with the theme ‘We are part of God’s Team’. These are scheduled during the Month of October 2013 and we expect over 500 Children from Schools, Churches, Clubs and Children’s Centers to take part.
I still hope that by the end of this year we will also be able to see our Child Protection Policy manual finalized and taken for publishing.
My one year of service has given me a great year of learning experiences moving all over the Dioceses doing trainings and encouraging Leaders on the Work and Ministry to Children. I believe there is a great stride and so far I see the Lord lifting up many other grate Ministers to serve, what a joy I feel!
Pray for :
- All the children at Risk in Uganda
- More resources towards the work and Ministry to Children
- Peace and security throughout Uganda and the region
Thankful for :
- God’s providence and Good health on myself, family and Team mates
- The Church leadership and all the Children’s teachers / leaders growing the Ministry
Thanks for the tremendous support and love in these efforts, without you I would have not gone far. May God give you every Blessing in Christ our Lord.
God bless you all richly
Richard M Rukundo
Provincial Children’s Ministry Coordinator
June 2013 Newsletter
Dear Friends in the Ministry.
Greetings from Church of Uganda, here in Namirembe.I want to appreciate all our friends and partners for the prayers and support received for the Ministry to Children in Uganda since my taking office. I can confidently say that the Ministry is getting to another level as improved skills, involvement and planning of children’s work and ministry are taking centre stage.My major work has been the great task of equipping all leaders to not only organize but add value when the children come for church worship, in the schools and within their communities. I believe that Character transformation, Life-skills acquisition and Bible based/ Christ Centered living in the lives of the children is for today and tomorrow. This task is for all leaders in the Ministry. Our new Children’s Discipleship Curriculum has been very helpful as a resource for empowering Children’s Teachers and Leaders within this new approach.It is also very encouraging and exciting to see that there are many men (father figures) getting involved in Ministry to Children. I greatly appreciate what is happening for the work of the Ministry in most of our Dioceses. The activities to the young people in Churches, Schools and Communities are beginning to be considered. We continue to equip and empower all Children’s Leaders in ‘The Intentional Ministry Approach’ through Discipleship of Children. I am also putting emphasis on family roles as a model for making a difference in the transformational process of the children, because I believe ‘charity begins at home’.During the last Quarter, with my Discipleship team; Editar, Blessed, Fiona and our driver, Samson, we have equipped over 740 Trainers of Trainees in 7 Diocesan Centers with the new COU Children’s Discipleship Curriculum that was launched in the Provincial Assembly in August 2012. These are in addition to the other 784 trained from October to December 2012. We have so far reached about 1524 Children’s Leaders (i.e ordained, lay, volunteers and full time) in the last 10 Months around Uganda. These are already training others so we estimate about twice the number to be already using the curriculum. With an average number of Children per Parish estimated at 200 when multiplied by 1524 ToTs reaching more 2 in each Parish church, School or a Club then over 609,600 Children are already being taught with our new curriculum. (In just 15 Dioceses out of 34). We praise God, for this growth and I know that we are growing on!My target is go all around the 34 Dioceses and I am trusting God to provide us support all through. I have seen that when we train and empower Leadership Teams, they are motivated and equipped. The testimonies of transformed children and leaders are enormous and we are equally determined on. It has been hard work, often keeping us in the field for weeks, and then travelling the bad roads in the country side with the minimum financial support but we are still saying Praise God!
In the coming quarter; in addition to training more Children’s Leaders in Dioceses, we have planned on 4 Chaplains regional conferences, with emphasis on the Lay Ministers who teach, lead and mentor Children while in Schools. These will include the Patrons of all Christian Associations because we are working with them to ensure that our major cause of discipleship of Children by Leaders is emphasized.We will also be having Children Celebrate Jesus, an annual event that bring children together for 1 day in Dioceses around the Province. This has already been happening in many of the ‘urban’ dioceses but I have planned to see it extended to the ‘rural’ diocese of Western, Eastern and Northern Uganda because I believe that Jesus loves the Children there too.Please continue to pray and support us, because it is not by power nor by might but by the Spirit of God. We want to do God’s will even as we traverse the Country.As his word affirms,But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself." John 12:32
Teenage Mothers in Uganda and the problems they have gone through needs all of us
This story by Joyce is one of those that shows how Poverty and disease have equally contributed to the problem.Our COU Discipleship Curriculum is creating opportunities for sharing and getting the life assurance in Christ.
Intergrity is Walking the Talk.: Ruth from Rwenzori shares her story of the Teacher she loved who taught her in Sunday School, This was during our Lessons on Integrity in the Church of Uganda Discipleship Curriculum. Teachers need to be role models because the students look up to them all the time!!
February 2013 Newsletter
COU CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NEWS LETTER 1st Quarter 2013
Dear Friends in Ministry,Praise the Lord, God and Greetings from the Church of Uganda;With love from us all here at the Secretariat in Namirembe.We began a new year in an exciting way with the New Archbishop, Stanley Ntagali, following his enthronement in December, a week before Christmas. We are blessed to have him not just as our spiritual father; but also as a mentor, a friend and team leader who has encouraged us all to join his team, what an exciting person we have, we really feel a part of him already. Thank you for praying with us and kindly keep on as we work together as a team carrying on the Mission of Christ in his Church.We, in the Ministry to Children continue to see the Lord’s favour since my taking office after Can. Janet’s ten years of service. I have now found myself fitting in the shoes; they are much smaller but I am sure they will keep growing as I grow too! In a special way I appreciate the support received from the Provincial Secretary, The Rev. Can. George Bagamuhunda and the Provincial Education Coordinator, Mr. Kura Vasco and my office team, Rosie and Fiona Kasule; they are the reason for my continued smiles.
My first quarter in office saw us reach out to Diocesan Leadership, Church leaders, Children and Youth Teams with the new COU Children’s Discipleship Curriculum which was launched in the Provincial Assembly in August 2012. I am happy that it has received massive support so far in more than 12 Dioceses where it is being piloted; this is especially because of the issues it addresses on ‘Children at Risk’ which is its main focus. This has made it so timely considering the increasing child related abuses taking place as seen in the Uganda’s media every day.
As this year 2013, begins, it brings us challenges to focus and plan for the Ministry in Training, equipping, and sustainability within the 34 Provincial Dioceses. The following major Prayer, Action and Coordination support focus areas take centre stage;
- Training and Focus on the Ministry Leaders: We hope to do Children Discipleship Curriculum Training of Trainers (ToTs) in more 12 Dioceses throughout the Province in liaison with Diocesan Children’s Coordinators, Education and Youth Coordinators and equip School Chaplains in Primary and Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities in the 4 Regions.
- Children, Church and Ministry Advocacy and Support: The Ministry to Children at all levels still faces great trials in the availability of both materials and personnel. I am focusing on developing more materials including the Discipleship Curriculum volumes 2, 3 and 4. The need to recruit and set standards has seen us come up with a CoU Child Protection Policy manual, to help in giving the Ministry guidelines on protection of Children against the increasing social, cultural, economic and sometimes religious exploitations in our Country.
- Part of this also is focused on advocacy for the Ministry and Children since they are the ‘heart beat’ of the Church today and tomorrow. We would love to see the Children not only tolerated but accommodated, cared for and treasured with all the passion that makes them love and grow in the Lord’s way. This change in attitude at all Church leadership, Family, Community and National levels needs the involvement of everyone within our World.
- Resource Mobilization and capacity building for the Ministry: The Ministry continues to look out and mobilize resources for its programs and personnel. We hope that more doors will be open to support the workers and the work of reaching out to children both at the Secretariat and in the Province.
This is my desire and I trust the Lord to guide us and all Ministry leaders, partners, friends, parents, and well-wishers. I am focusing on Christ and the strength he gives me to be an achiever with the words of Peter in 2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness”.All God’s blessings in the Year 2013
Rev. Richard M. Rukundo.
Asst. Provincial Education Coordinator.COU Provincial Children’s Ministry Coordinator/
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