Kwale Sunday School

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FROM PROFESSOR TO SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER BY THE GRACE OF THE LORD

For more than fifty years, my life revolved around universities, lecture rooms, laboratories, research and research institutions, and public service. I taught students, supervised postgraduate research, advised policy, and worked on development challenges in Kenya and beyond. Titles such as Professor, Dean, Doctor, Chair and Project Coordinator defined much of my public life.

Then I retired. Retirement did not lead me to rest or comfort. Instead, God led me to a small Sunday school classroom in Kwale, Kenya, which I founded in 2022. Today on Sundays, I teach children whose lives are very different from those I once encountered in university lecture theatres and classrooms.

The children range from toddlers to teenagers. Some sit on wooden desks, others on benches, and the youngest on a mat. They come from families living with great difficulty, many struggling to afford daily meals. Yet they come eager to learn about God, Jesus Christ, Heaven, and the meaning of life. There is no prestige here. No titles. Only faith, questions, laughter, and hope.

My academic career taught me the importance of proven knowledge and scientifically derived results and conclusions. These are valuable. Nevertheless, Sunday school has taught me something deeper, that education is also about shaping values, character, evangelism and faith.

The children ask honest and sometimes painful questions. Why does God allow suffering? Why are we hungry? Who is Jesus and where is He? Questions about the Muslim faith are also asked because the community is predominantly Islam. On answering these questions, it becomes obvious teaching Sunday school requires more love, patience, truth, prayers, and above all, reliance on the Holy Spirit.

Exams or certificates do not measure success for Sunday school. Success is conspicuous when a child learns to be kind, honest, truthful, forgiving, and respectful. In addition, when children begin to understand God’s love and grow in faith, the fruits of the Holy Spirit begin to manifest. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Jesus’ words, commonly known as the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), are the foundation of Kwale Sunday School: “Go and make disciples… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” I now see Sunday school as one of the most important classrooms in society. Where, faith is planted early, values are shaped, and hope is nurtured. Sunday school is for more than career preparation, it is the beginning of the road map for life and eternity.

Kwale Sunday School continues quietly, week by week, by God’s grace. It stands as a reminder that small beginnings, faithful teaching, and loving guidance can shape lives in ways that last far beyond a lifetime.

As this work continues, we remain grateful for the prayers, encouragement, and goodwill of family, relatives, friends, and our Church. It is through such quiet support, and above all, by God’s grace, that the children of Kwale Sunday School will continue to learn and grow in faith with Jesus Christ.

Prof. Patterson Poli Semenye is a retired Associate Professor of Animal Production, former Dean at Pwani University, and founder and teacher at Kwale Sunday School, Kenya.

Contact: pattersonsemenye@gmail.com | +254 722 413 360

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LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME: Why Sunday School?

The famous clarion call of Jesus, “Let the children come to me” (Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16), has been the foundation and strength of Sunday schools across the world. Closely related to this is referred as the Great Commission, and recorded in the Gospels of Matthew 28:16–20, Mark 16:15–18 and Luke 24:44–49. In both instances, the words are directly from Jesus Himself. When these two mandates are considered together, the importance and relevance of children’s ministry within the Church become unmistakably clear.

The situation at Kwale Sunday School (KSS), however, is unique. Children attend on their own; it is a purely stand-alone Sunday school with no direct attachment to a church service. Nevertheless, all children attend with the full knowledge and consent of their parents or guardians. This is formally documented through signed consent forms that permit participation in KSS activities.

The neutrality of KSS provides a special opportunity to reach children from families of mixed marriages, particularly between Christians and Muslims. This status enables KSS to fill a spiritual gap by offering Christian teaching in a community that is approximately 61% Muslim and 37% Christian. Because of evident spiritual hunger, some parents have also begun to attend. They are allowed to sit quietly at the back, with no active participation other than spontaneous laughter or clapping.

Where is Kwale Sunday School?

Kwale Sunday School is located in Kwale County, Kenya. It lies less than two kilometers from the main tarmac road and about five kilometers from Kwale Town. Most parents of the children are small-scale farmers who grow maize, vegetables, cassava, coconuts, cashew nuts, mangoes, and citrus fruits. In addition, rapid population growth (estimated at 3.2% in 2023) has increased food insecurity, leaving many families living from hand to mouth.

Tuition Language

The language of instruction at KSS is bilingual—Kiswahili and English—with a stronger emphasis on Kiswahili. If one is to win souls, communication must be effective. English proficiency is also essential because national examinations are set in English and it enables children to follow Christian videos.

Challenges

With a background of spiritual competition, we must continually strive for excellence in our teaching. We also face competition from football matches. In response, an improvised playing field is now available before and after sessions to engage the children's interests.

We offer a snack to each child, which is a financial challenge, yet joyful. For some, this snack—equivalent to a breakfast—is the first meal of the day. It energizes them for the walk back to their homes after we finish at noon.

Kwale Sunday School

FROM PROFESSOR TO SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER BY THE GRACE OF THE LORD

LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME: Why Sunday School?

Where is Kwale Sunday School?

Tuition Language

Challenges

Location

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