September 2013 Newsletter

CELEBRATING ONE YEAR IN OFFICE -     UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2013 

 Dear Friends in the Ministry to Children, Greetings in Christ our Lord.

 After One year in Office a lot has so far gone on and these are some highlights of the major activities;

Children’s Discipleship Curriculum Training of Leaders/Trainers; 

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.

August – 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 ages 

all 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.

Chaplaincy Workshops

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.

Children’s   Ministry Advocacy, mobilisation and  planning:

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