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TOGO: Children's Ministries Leadership Convention

Posted on Mars 16 2023

TOGO
Children's Ministries Leadership Convention

[Photo: Participants with Dr. Orathai in the middle, Dr. Omobonike Sessou on the left, Mrs. Kra on the right and Ps Djossou, President of UMES standing on the left, Anc Apedoh, Treasurer of UMES standing on the right]

A hundred participants gathered together for Children’s Ministries Convention in Lomé from the 22^nd to 25^th of February, 2023 under the theme: "Let's reach the children".

From February 22^nd to 25^th, 2023, a Children’s Ministry (CM) leaders’ convention was held in the presence of Dr. Orathai Chureson and Dr. Sessou Omobonike respectively directors of Children Ministries at the General Conference and the West-Central Africa Division. The theme of this meeting was: "Let's reach the children".

[Photo: Dr. Orathai Chureson, GC Children Ministries Director]

This meeting which gathered 107 delegates from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Togo, aimed at equipping supervisors of the children within the Church with practical tools to accomplish their mission. The delegations present at this training meeting were made up of children’s ministries leaders from the five countries of the Union, children's Sabbath school supervisors, directors of children’s ministries from local churches and parents. During four days, all benefited from teachings that could enable them to teach, counsel and lead children to baptism. For an effective caring of children from all social levels, a conference on autistic children was organized on the last day of the training to better explain on how a supervisor must deal with an autistic child. From this training, each participant should now be equipped to understand the behavior of these children, their perception of things, but especially the method to use to reach them. According to Elisabeth Amème, delegate from the South-East Côte d’Ivoire Conference, "This conference adds more light on this wonderful training, because it allows me to better understand an autistic child in my Sabbath School class and for whom I realize that I often made mistakes in my way of teaching him. Thanks to the organizers."

One of the highlights of this program was the evangelistic efforts made in the vicinity of the site where the training took place. The first one was held by Dr. Sessou Omoboniké a week before the event and was open to the public, the second one, specially designed for children and teenagers, was conducted by themselves.  These two evangelistic efforts won 31 souls to the Lord. This training program, which began on February 22^nd, ended on February 25^th with a concert by the children of the Adventist churches in the city of Lomé. All participants left, equipped to better supervise the children, but also with a firm commitment to "reach the children".

For Mrs. Clémence Koffi, the Côte d'Ivoire South West Mission Children’s ministries director: "These courses allowed us to acquire new practical and easy-to-achieve tools in order to better supervise all the children in our Sabbath schools.

 "These training workshops allowed me to better understand the scope of the teachings I received. I now have, with the support of the World Church, the means to promote and carry out programs in my church," said Ms. Emelogu Florence of the Benin Conference.

This training was made possible through the sponsorship of all participants, the Eastern Sahel Union Mission, the Division and the General Conference, but also to the efforts of Mrs. Tabitha Kra, the main organizer and her collaborator Chérita Tenou and all who took an active part in this program.

Attended this program, Mrs. Sessou, Children Ministries director of the Division, Dr. Orathai Chureson of the General Conference, Mrs. Tabitha Kra of the Union, and Pastor Djossou Simon, Est Sahel Union Mission president and pastor Agbedigué Enyoman, Togo Conference president of Seventh-day Adventist Churches.

Emmanuel KRA
Director of Communication, Sahel Union Mission