This is a department for Children since Children
occupy an important place in God’s plan. In the beginning of WMU Convention
activities, children were not left out. Since 1919, Baptist Women’s
Missionary Union of Nigeria has been providing Christian nurture to children,
boys and girls. Our history will not exclude the contributions of Rev.
Scott Patterson, Southern Baptist Missionary from America, and Mrs. George
Green, the wife of the First Medical Missionary to Nigeria and Mrs. Mojola
Agbebi, the first President of the Baptist Women’s Missionary League who
gathered little children under the shade of a tree to teach them Bible verses.
Impact
of Sunbeam Band
Sunbeam Band provides early
Christian education to children (Mark
10:13-16; Mark 9:36-37) and mission-driven denominational leaders.
Since WMU is known for missions, the value of missions in early years became
evident by notable missionaries, who had been taught and encouraged in missions
while they were Sunbeams.
Sunbeam
Band Grouping and Membership
The division of children
into different age groups has contributed to the growth of Sunbeam Band. In
previous years, WMU Handbook states
that children from three through twelve years of age were eligible members of
Sunbeam Band. 1953 began the division of children from four through nine years.
Few years later, the grouping provided for Beginner Sunbeam Band between ages 4
and 6 years while Primary Sunbeam Band is from 7 to 9 years. By 1999, enrolment
of Beginner Sunbeam Band was 29,000, while that of the Primary Sunbeam was
26,578. However, in 2018, the membership of both Beginner Sunbeam and Primary
Sunbeam has grown to 84,000. Twenty children is the ideal number/ratio for a
Sunbeam leader and her assistant. The Sunbeam (boy) graduates at the age of 10
to the Royal Ambassador while Sunbeam (girl) graduates to the Girls’ Auxiliary.
Ungraded
Sunbeam Band
The ungraded Sunbeam Band
is the combination of both Beginner and Primary Sunbeams between ages 4 and 9
years. Churches are encouraged to have graded Sunbeam Band to provide
developmentally appropriate Bible teaching and co-ordination developmentally.
Sunbeam
Band Aims
The fundamentals of Women’s
Missionary Union are the five shining aims of the Sunbeam Band organization.
The children can understand the aims easily if they learn in pantomime:
1. Talking with our heavenly Father (Clap hands together as in prayer);
2. hiding God’s Word
in our hearts (Cross hands and place
them on chests to signify our hearts);
3. Learning about the
children of the world (Place hands
together with palms up to make a book);
4. Helping others for
Jesus’ sake (clap hands with the person next
to you);and
5. giving money to help
preaching the Gospel (Extend hands,
fingers dropping as in act of giving).
The Bible is the basic tool for teaching
Sunbeams. Teaching materials such as maps, pictures and other helps cannot take
the place of the Bible.
Sunbeam
Band Programmes
All Sunbeam Band programmes
focus on mission. Our programmes and activities include the Mission Study
programme, Day Camp and Weekly Meeting Programme, Bible Memory Drill and
Sunbeam Week. They acquaint children with other people around the world and
create in every child the desire to love God more and to meet the needs of
people. After observing Sunbeam Band activities as recommended by the BWMU
Headquarters, the report booklet is filled and sent to the Headquarters,
listing names of the children and their offering. When children are taught and
led to love Jesus and others, they usually get busy doing so in later years.
They are taught personal service and stewardship of their time, talents and
treasures.
Sunbeam Band Colours: Sunbeam Band colours are: gold or yellow,
sky-blue and white. Gold stands for ‘heaven bound”, sky-blue stands for love
that we have for Christ while white stands for purity.
Sunbeam
Landmark since 1919
