eLimu | The teachings of Jesus Christ

Living a responsible life
Christians and education
Christians and health
Christians and Social Welfare
Assessment questions

Christians and education

CHRISTIANS IN ACTION IN EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Missionaries came to Kenya mainly because they were responding to the words of Jesus Christ to “go and make disciples of all nations”.
They wanted to continue with the work of Jesus of preaching the good news.
Missionaries started many schools in Kenya like Mang’u, Alliance and St. Mary’s Yala.

Mang'u High School entrance.

Missionaries introduced formal education. The first missionary school was started in Rabai, near Mombasa, in 1846 by Ludwig Krapf.
They also introduced formal health clinics where treatment was administered by trained doctors and nurses.

The aim of the church schools was to develop the whole person, that is, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
The church schools, through educational activities, provided Christian education, which helped to mould pupils.
The church schools taught the three R’s: Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic as well as Bible knowledge.
The early church schools were Kamagambo High School, Maseno High School, Alliance Schools, Chogoria High School, Friends School Kamusinga, Kaplong’ High School and St. Mary’s Yala.

Informal education takes place anywhere, for example, at home, while playing and at work.
It does not require trained teachers.
The instructors can be one’s parents, grand-parents, elders, pastors or friends.

This is education for people with special needs. People with special needs are not cursed and many excel in life.
The church provides special education for different children with special needs.
The church has built special schools for those with special needs.
These schools are like Thika School for the Blind, Mumias School for the Deaf and Jacaranda School for the Mentally Handicapped in Nairobi.
We should appreciate and help those with special needs John 9:1-3

The youth have clubs, camps and church groups, which guide them by discussing and offering solutions to their problems.
These programmes help the youth discuss and be aware of their fears and hopes.
The church also helps them to be aware of God’s love in Jesus Christ.
Some of the education programmes are fellowships, camps, choir and drama groups, boy scouts and girl guides.

A performance at Kenya Drama Festivals.

Girl guides.

Kenyan boys choir perfoming.

To have a period of time together as youth for study, worship, fellowship and recreation.
To develop individual skills and talents
To allow individuals to feel free to share their problems
In the camps, the youth come together and plan income-generating projects.

Genesis 1:28 - 31, Genesis 2:15

The church is also involved in taking care of the environment.
Everything God made is good and it is man’s duty to care for it.
Christians are trained in farming by government officers who give them advice and carry out demonstrations on things like crop rotation, use of manure and of fertilisers.
The church is also involved in projects such as irrigation schemes, animal husbandry, poultry and bee keeping, and wheat, maize and coffee farming.

Bee keeping.

Coffee plantation.

Farming using irrigation.

In the development of the world in general, the church does the following:

Evangelisation – taking the word of God everywhere in the world.
The church offers aid to the poor and families affected by natural disasters like floods and earthquakes
It also participates in community development projects like building cattle dips and bridges, making gabions and setting up health centres.

Cattle dip

Christians are taught how to make their own living in these centres.
The government is involved and so it sometimes helps to provide pay for the employees in these centres.