Jesica Laining and Carlbella John shared with Stanley Lee about the BM and Iban Sunday School ministries in St Mary’s Cathedral where children are guided to know and learn more about Jesus.
BM Sunday School (Jesica Laining)
Jesus Himself once said, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:14).
The Bahasa Malaysia (BM) Sunday School ministry was established more than 10 years ago by a few teachers. Currently, there are more than 20 teachers involved in the ministry. With a large number of teachers, cooperation among the teachers is important to create a loving community, especially for the children. The BM Sunday School teachers recently attended the Sunday School workshop which was held on 28 Jan 2017 to improve themselves.
The involvement of the children in the BM Sunday School has been encouraging, with an approximate number of 30 attendees. As the age groups of the children range from babies to 12 year-olds, the BM ministry has divided the BM Sunday School into two classes, namely Class 1 (0-4 years old) and Class 2 (4-12 years old).
Some of the activities which are held every week are opening prayers, games and icebreakers, Praise and Worship, studying the Word of God and memory verse as well as handicrafts. The BM Sunday School children are not only cherished but they are also capable of witnessing to the people around them.
Iban Sunday School (Carlbella John)
Although the Iban Ministry was established in St. Mary’s Cathedral Kuala Lumpur in 2002, the Iban Sunday School was only started in 2009 by Madam Joanna, the wife of Rev Iben Arang because, in her view, Sunday School is very important for children aged 12 and below to learn and understand God’s Word.
The Iban Sunday School initially consisted of one class with 5 to 6 children under the age of 12 when it first started. After a few years, the School was divided into two classes, one for those that can read well and another for those who are not able to read too well. However, since 2014, the number of Iban Sunday School attendees has increased to around 40 children and they are now divided into four classes according to their age group.
Some of the activities held throughout the Iban Sunday School sessions are Praise and Worship, Bible studies, handicrafts, games and memory verses from the previous week.
In short, the Iban Sunday School hopes that the Church can continue to help the ministry financially to ensure that the Iban Sunday School can hold activities such as training for the teachers and annual events such as fun holidays and special services for the children.