A study into the open circle as a teaching method: St. Lukes Church Kenyatta

Abstract

Because of its strategic position, Nairobi city is home to many people groups. As these people come to Nairobi, they carry with them different customs and cultures. Yet Christianity has to find a dwelling among these people. It is therefore the duty of Christian educators to find ways and means through which the word of God can reach and address the needs of these people groups. This researcher's focus was on the appropriate teaching approaches, specifically the open circle teaching method which is found almost throughout the continent of Africa. This qualifies this method as the most fitting and appropriate since it can easily be applied across the board. St. Luke's Church Kenyatta which is mainly an inter-ethnic congregation has seized this opportunity and is now using the open circle as a common means of reaching out to the youth of this Church. Qualitative study method was applied in this research. Data was collected through interviews and participant observation. Having analyzed and interpreted the data, the researcher found out that: • The factors that affect the use of the open circle as a teaching method are directly related to the learner, the context, the content and the teacher. • The emerging curriculum is an answer to the needs and issues of the learners. • The open circle method can be used in relational and doctrinal teaching.