Sunday school

More than half of Tanzania’s population is under the age of 20. The children of big cities are a large group unreached by the gospel. Nevertheless, activities aimed at children have not been considered important in local churches. Teacher training is limited to a few seminars, and there is a shortage of both materials and teachers.

Marianne and Esa-Matti Pyykkönen have reason to celebrate. The couple have been doing missionary work in Papua New Guinea for nine years and now an important phase of their work has been completed. They have translated and edited the Book series Pearls of the Bible into the tok pisin language. The series consists of six teaching books and six picture books and has previously been translated into more than 30 languages.

The global teaching of Raili Väisänen and Mirjami Ylenius-Kuosmanen began many decades ago in Kenya, and after many stages has now proceeded to neighboring Ethiopia. New language versions of the Sunday School textbooks written by child ministry pioneers are now being completed for use by Pentecostal Churches in Ethiopia.