On October 26, 2024, the Maya Mopán Nazarene Church, located in Belmopan, Belize, was the venue for a transformative event for Sunday School teachers and discipleship leaders in the Cayo North District: Holistic Child Care and How to Develop a Child Development Center Workshop.
This workshop, requested by leaders who work closely with children in the communities, aimed to equip participants with the essential tools and knowledge to address the challenges of working with young children. Organized by Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI), the training provided educators and ministry leaders with vital information to meet the diverse needs of children and offer them holistic formation that prepares them for future challenges.
The primary facilitator of the workshop, Marlen Soria, who serves as the Child Development and MesoKids Coordinator for the Mesoamerica Region, traveled from Panama to share her expertise. Together with her husband, Benjamin Soria, the Nazarene Youth International (NYI) Regional Coordinator, they also had a presentation on the work and projects developed by the NYI in the region. The Soria’s shared their passion for children’s ministry, encouraging leaders to apply what they learned not only in their ministries but also in the daily lives of the children they serve.
Throughout the workshop, participants had the opportunity to explore the psychological, social, and spiritual aspects that influence child development. A central theme was the importance of recognizing and addressing both internal and external factors that impact the growth and well-being of children. This holistic perspective will enable teachers and leaders not only to teach but also to better understand the realities of children, presenting the message of Jesus in a contextualized and empathetic way.
The workshop also highlighted how important children are to Jesus, as described in Scripture, reaffirming the Church of the Nazarene’s commitment to children’s ministry in the region. In this context, participants reflected on how to develop appropriate spaces, such as Child Development Centers, that provide holistic care and promote the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of young children.
Pastor Rolando Cowo expressed his gratitude and blessing for Marlen Soria and her family’s visit, who were able to see firsthand the work being done in the Northern District of Belize. During their visit, they were taken to visit three primary schools and one high school.
Pastor Cowo emphasized that the training had transformed his vision of children’s ministry and expressed his prayer for the formation of a strong children’s ministry team in the North District, supported by the Mesoamerica Region. He was particularly challenged to work on the holistic development for children from the Betel and Las Flores communities, praying for each child to reach their full potential.
As the children’s ministry director, Pastor Cowo also reflected on the importance of reaching the children of Belize, who represent a significant portion of the population: 39.4% are between the ages of 0 and 18. Finally, he asked for prayers that the children of “Jerusalem” (Belize) would be witnesses for Christ, taking His message to the ends of the earth.
Through initiatives like this, the Church of the Nazarene continues to strengthen its work in the region, with the firm purpose of impacting the lives of children and preparing leaders to be agents of change, modeling the love and care that Jesus showed toward the little ones.
Source: Marlen Soria, Child Development and MesoKids Coordinator for the Mesoamerica Region.
