Impact of Luganda Institute

Mama Jane on the far left.

Mama Jane on the far left.

Kasana Community Church started focusing on discipleship last year with staff fellowships, sermons, and Sunday school classes devoted to the topic. Growing from this focus, periodical Sunday updates have highlighted church members stepping further into a life of discipleship.

During the fall, the New Hope Institute of Childcare and Family offered its first institute taught completely in the local language, Luganda. Of the fourteen students, many were New Hope staff members as well as some community members. All who attended received the opportunity for the growth and teaching previously unavailable in Luganda. From equipping the students to more effectively serve at New Hope, many participants in the Luganda Institute have also reached out to their villages and communities, expanding the impact of these trainings.

This Sunday one of the New Hope Uganda staff members was recognized for the efforts she has made to disciple others in her community. Mama Jane, as everyone affectionately calls her, felt inspired by Acts 2:41-47 Matthew 28:18-19 from Luganda Institute and started co-leading a community group, feeling the call to actively go and make disciples, as well as encourage those who are struggling in their faith.

Pastor Paul, one of the Institute teachers, explained a few impacts of having the class in Luganda, “Generally there was real transformation. Worldview was a big thing, very confronting. The [students] were more confronted with God’s truth into their belief systems which influenced their lives. Manhood and womanhood were also impacted strongly. Marriage and family was another one. For many the orphan heart was deeply confronting as a topic. [We saw] lots of healing in those areas. People reconciled with past pains and wounds which were affecting family and church relationships. Those who have finished bring up testimonies about what they had learned and how it impacted them in their families even now that the class is over. Basically it was a way of discipleship. Most people learned how to go to God’s word and understand what it means. They could read and seek understanding for themselves. They were given tools to help them feed on the word of God to make relevant applications.”

Prayer requests: for their group and those they are impacting; also the dream of having a local church in Kasana and Wabitunda villages, which are located near Kasana Children’s Centre.