The Effectiveness of Handbooks and Teaching Materials Used for Holistic Nurture of Children Aged 5-13 Years in Nairobi Baptist Church, Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

This study dealt with contemporary developments in the holistic nurturing of children in Sunday school (SS) teaching in the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) which is one of the major support systems for church growth. The researcher was motivated to study Holistic Nurture to Children (HNC) because of the many issues and challenges that hound children like fighting, stealing, unruly behaviour patterns, wrong morals, drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, and evil vices among others affecting the traditional beliefs in children ministry globally. These problems make the approaches adopted for children's ministry a great challenge in Kenya. The empirical basis was defined by 5-13-year-olds in NBC. To understand the complex and dynamic nature of such phenomena, the study endeavoured to unravel and understand the HNC in NBC. The study assumed that there were some subtle underlying factors that (might) hinder the effective holistic nurture of children in NBC. These include history, handbooks and materials. The study was anchored on three key theories: Kelvin E. Lawson (Cognitive Spiritual theory), James Fowler (faith development theory) and Ivan Pavlov (Social learning theory). NBC was the study locale. Handbooks and materials nurtures discovery in the child in all areas, the leaders are facilitators of faith formation and activities help children to constructknowledge. Purposive sampling was used to select fifty (50) participants. The sample was in proportion to the population size which was 500. This study adopted a descriptive survey on HNC in NBC. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The primary research instrument used were questionnaires, interviews, and Focus Group Discussions. In the analysis of the data, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 16.0 was used. The primary and secondary sources were consulted. Holistic approaches included preparing the process for examination of the whole person: physical, mental/emotional, spiritual and social. The findings of the study dispelled obscurity on issues that affect HNC on holistic formation, as well as providing a safe alternative on how children should develop in the four areas to experience balanced growth. Thus, the study proposed useful ways of handling children for their holistic development. They included: first, the support by the whole congregation; secondly, children make early decisions to know God when guided by holistic approaches. The study further suggested the need to incorporate the biblical values which are unified in the integration of a child's learning. It is hoped that the findings of this study will contribute to policy formulation regarding the spiritual nurture of children. The findings may contribute to the existing literature on the holistic nurture of children.