A Master's Degree growing Children's Ministry in Uganda
Gloria Nduhukire is from the North Ankole Diocese in Western Unganda and is a 3rd year student of master of Divinity and Theology in the Bishop Tucker school of Divinity and Theology at Uganda Christian University. Her grant from St Augustine’s has supported her accommodation & food and enabled her to buy a laptop.
Before entering ministerial formation, she was a Sunday school teacher in her local church. Whilst studying she has received hands on ministry experience and has been blessed with opportunities to:
Lead worship services and preach and
Serve as a Sunday school volunteer at Thorncraft Chapel Children’s Church
She worked with both 4–6 year olds and 10–12 year olds, gaining valuable skills for engaging children in a more modern and structured setting. She also participated in children and youth camps, learning how to nurture faith in young people through creative and age-appropriate methods.
During holidays, she returned to her home parish, where she assisted in Sunday school activities alongside the teacher who succeeded her and the parish priest. This ongoing involvement ensures continuity and shared learning between the church communities.
Her long-standing passion for children’s ministry has shaped the direction of her academic research and she’s currently preparing a proposal entitled:
"Parents' Knowledge of Sunday School Programs and Children's Attendance in Kinoni Parish, North Ankole Diocese"
This study aims to explore how parental awareness influences children's participation in Sunday school, a concern rooted in my observation that many children are absent on Sundays, despite strong parental church attendance.
Our grant has also encouraged her to pursue another calling: serving children in need. She is doing this through resource mobilization and church collaboration, extending compassion and practical support to vulnerable young lives.
From coursework to hands-on ministry, this formation journey has been deeply enriching for Gloria and she is looking forward to putting all she’s learned into meaningful practice in the years to come, especially after her ordination.