developing world class leaders - nairobi chapelleadership secrets of billy graham’. possibly billy...
TRANSCRIPT
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August 2013LEADERS
WORLD CLASS DEVELOPING
APRIL 2014
It has been said before that ‘Everything rises or falls on
leadership’ and I could not agree more. Outside of divine
intervention and prayer, everything does truly depend
on the quality of leaders a ministry or organization has.
That thought struck our Leadership as we reflected together
on what it would take for us to accomplish our mission of
planting 300 churches by the year 2020.
It quickly dawned on us that the key was leadership – if we
had the leaders to plant the churches, then the Vision would
be accomplished. If we did not have the leaders, then having
money, systems, plans and passion would still not get the
job done. And there was an additional challenge facing us
– Jesus words in Matthew 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few”. So where were we going to find these
labourers? These leaders?
We decided on a three-pronged
approach to the need. First
was to take Jesus at His
Word Matthew 9:38 “Pray ye therefore that the Lord of the harvest would send out more labourers into the harvest field”.
Oscar MuriuSenior Pastor
It’s all about Leadership!This has now become a daily prayer “Leaders, leaders, leaders.
Lord give us more leaders”. The goal is to populate our system
with something like 100 – 200 Leaders in preparation for the
work of Church Planting.
Secondly, we believed that God would answer our prayer
so we needed to better prepare for the flood of Leaders
He would send. We had revamped the Kinara Internship
Program and also started a Church Planting School. The
hardest piece was to find men and women ready to go and
plant Churches as Lead Pastors. We combed Bible Schools,
but many graduating from there were already spoken for. We
followed up leads, but there were not many to begin with.
So we decided on a different strategy – instead of going
out there to look for people, why not give them a reason
to step forward and come to us instead. How about if we
started holding an annual “Church Planting Conference”
that would attract participants from as far afield as Ethiopia,
Congo, Uganda Malawi, etc. This year we will hold our third
Church Planting conference, VIRAL, and are praying for 600
participants, out of which we claim, in faith, 10% for our
Church Planting School.
Thirdly we decided to align all our training here at the
Chapel to support the church planting vision. The way it
works now is that an “Intern” trains with us for one year; and
then goes out as a “Pastoral Trainee” to help in a new church
plant for another full year, before coming back as a “Ministry
Assistant” for a final year of pastoral and theological training.
In September we will be sending out a team of Pastoral
Trainees to Germany for one year, and in 2015 several others
to the USA. Thereafter they go and plant a church or join the
Staff of a daughter church for the long haul. This realignment
with our vision has generated a lot of energy for the church
planting work as Interns go out to serve.
This copy of Chapelites seeks to lay out what the Leadership
Development process looks like from the inside, what
convictions drive us, and how it all works out. Virtually all
our present Staff have been developed through this process,
and God has been wonderfully good to us in raising up so
many phenomenal people for ministry. We celebrate each
of our Leaders and believe that we have some of the best
leaders out there. Enjoy your reading.
Contents
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Contributing writers: Barak Almondia,
Anne Mucheke, Damaris Irungu, Ronald Chepkwony,
Pst Ocar Muriu, Pst Cathleen Rotich and Pst BG Bawks.
Editorial Oversight Team: Pst Oscar Muriu, Pst Gowi
Odera, Pst Faith Mugera and Pst Jackie Othoro.
Photography: Harry Olang, Francis Njogu,
Thandiwe Muriu and Defere Guta.
Layout and Design: Christine Ndirangu
Cover Photos: Harry Olang
3 Chapelites Apr 2014
LEADING IS SKILL &
INTEGRITYInterview with Pst. Oscar Muriu about his passion for Leadership.
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Leadership is a hard concept to define. No two people
agree on it, but when you see leadership happening, you
immediately recognise it. I define a leader as someone who
‘Takes people from where they are to where they need to be’.
My definition assumes several things about a leader. First
they know where people ‘need to be’. That is a matter of
envisioning a desirable future and understanding why that
future is the correct one.
Second, ‘taking people’ assumes that you can mobilise
them and get them to willingly follow. There are two ways
do this, the first is by coming behind people and forcing
them to move towards that future. Repressive governments
force, threaten and imprison anyone who opposes, this is
not true leadership. The second way is to go out ahead of
them and THEY follow behind, out of their own free will
and volition. That sort of leadership is much harder to give
because you do not hold anyone under duress to follow.
In the Bible, Jesus said in John 10:10, “My sheep know my voice and follow me”. It is a choice, by consent. African cow
herders lead their flock or herds from behind with a big
stick, occasionally throwing rocks to knock the lead bull in
the right direction. The biblical model of leadership is from
the front, with the sheep following willingly because they
trust the shepherd’s voice.
Third, ‘where they need to be’ and not ‘where they want
to be’. Sometimes, what people want is not what they
need. We all avoid hardship and sacrifice, but many dreams
cannot be achieved without sacrifice. People will always
choose the easy way out, the comfortable way that often
takes them to the very place they don’t want to be.
A good leader has to help people see what they need,
and help them deal with their fears, their hesitations and
their reluctance to bear pain or to sacrifice . . . and then
lead them to the place they are afraid to go to. That’s what
leadership is about.
Nothing happens without leadership! It is that simple.
The CEO, the President, the Leader is the most important
resource any organisation has. If you have bad leadership,
you’re going nowhere. If you have good leadership then
the sky’s the limit. The crisis of our political, so called
democratic leadership process is that it is geared to give
us bad leadership. We have a broken system that cannot
deliver what we need.
Our system does not test the candidates for vision, ability
to mobilise people or trustworthiness of a proven track
record. It spews out people who have the money to
bribe and pay voters, often with money acquired through
corruption and unjust means; it spews out leaders who
frighten their people with the rhetoric of doom and gloom
if their perceived tribal enemies get access to power; and it
spews out people who have no agenda but to remove the
incumbent and take over, but once they have taken over
they don’t know where they are going.
One of the greatest leaders in the Bible was King David.
David unified his nation, secured peace on its borders,
brought back God honouring values into society, defended
the cause of the poor and needy, and enabled Israel’s
wealth to grow to its fullest potential. Under him the Israel
of his time became a regional superpower that everyone
respected and admired
In Psalm 78:72 it says of him, “David cared for them with a faithful and honest heart. With skilled hands he led them.” His
leadership was characterised by two qualities – integrity
and skill.
Integrity is when who I am in the dark is completely
consistent with who I am in the light. I have nothing to
hide, I have no double standards, and my word is my bond.
Skilfull hands means that I know how to envision people,
to negotiate cohesion, to ferment trust, to listen, to make
good decisions and to deliver. Those are the two sides of
leadership.
How do I lead? I strive for these two things. To be a man of
integrity because integrity is what leads to trust, and trust
then enables people to follow me as I lead from the front.
I also strive to be skilled in what I have been called to do,
aiming for the highest standards of excellence and ability.
I read a lot of leadership biographies and books, anything
that will hone my skills.
There are three areas I look to for great examples. First are
historical figures. Second is in the Bible. And thirdly is living
WHY IS LEADERSHIP IMPORTANT?
WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY... IN OTHER WORDS HOW DO YOU LEAD?
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP TO YOU?
ARE THERE EXAMPLES OF GREAT LEADERSHIP TODAY?
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examples among us. My living favourites are Nelson Mandela
in his ‘Long Walk To Freedom’, and Lee Kuan Yew ‘From Third
World To First’. My Bible favourites are Moses and David, while
my historical reads right now are George C. Marshall and ‘The
Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham’.
Possibly Billy Graham, he’s still alive but very elderly. Billy was
a consistent leader all his life, never had a scandal, and never
faltered in his vision. He started well, and he finished well.
He was a counsellor of US presidents, and about the most
humble man you ever met.
I admire him because he served with focus and honour. He
was just a young teenager when he started his ministry, but
he built it up amazingly so that by the end of his life he had
stood and preached the gospel to millions upon millions of
people worldwide. This I admire.
Three years ago I went through a difficult spell of leadership –
a ‘dark night of the soul’ sort of experience where I wondered
whether I had the stamina to keep leading against the
headwinds. It was triggered by the post-election clashes and
dark side of Kenya that we saw then. For me who has spent
his whole life trying to teach men godly values and how to
live in peace with each other, the clashes removed any scales
I might have had about how evil the human heart can be.
In my moment of disillusion, someone gave me a little book,
possibly the best book on leadership I’ve read in a long time,
called ‘A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick-
fix’, by Edwin Friedman. Friedman’s thesis is that when one
leads in an anxious society, the society they lead domesticates
and disempowers them so that they cannot be bold.
If they seek to lead boldly then that society attacks and
punishes them for their boldness – sort of ‘cuts the tall puppy
WHICH LIVING PERSON MOST EXEMPLIFIES LEADERSHIP TO YOU?
WHAT IS THE BEST LEADERSHIP LESSON YOU HAVE EVER LEARNED?
Pst Cathleen Rotich with some of our former Kinara Program Interns.
From Left; Fransic Njogu, Pst Cathleen Rotich, Nanu Mugai and Ivy Wanja
From Top Right; Carol Nganga and Desmond Kamanda.
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down’. Most leaders therefore quickly learn to lead
by listening to what the masses want, and limiting
their ‘vision’ to simply articulate what the polls
show; they don’t have the courage to cut a new
path.
So they poll the masses and then say ‘this is what
I was thinking all along’. It’s a failure of nerve. That
book helped me strengthen my resolve to lead
with courage, to dream, and to cast vision, even if
I was made to pay a price for it.
As a country there are many areas we need
leadership it’s almost impossible to single out
a few. We are disillusioned with our political
leadership and the failure of nerve that our former
President displayed.
His inability to deal decisively with corruption,
the feeble attempts to wipe out impunity, the flip-
flop back and forth about the ICC, the lack of a
unifying, national cohesion strategy, the un-dealt-
with problem of the denial of human rights to
the IDPs, the ‘political-balancing’ appointment of
weak leaders to positions of national leadership,
and most recently the attempted massacre of
our new constitution by parliament. Sometimes I
despair for this nation.
I think what we need most as a nation is a leader who
stands for something of worth. Most of
our presidential aspirants have nothing
different to offer except ‘Kibaki must go’ or
‘Raila must go’. If we elect them we will
find ourselves in a desert of political vision.
What do we need most? Leadership that
has a comprehensive vision that takes
into account a respect for human life,
the creation of wealth, a cohesive society
that has clearly articulated values, and a
passion for stewarding the environment.
Our vision 2030 could be that, but without
a national leader to frequently cast a
compelling reason for vision 2030, the
whole vision might eventually die for lack
of leadership, having been relegated to a
committee by a parliament that lacks the
political will to fulfill it.
WHERE DO WE NEED LEADERSHIP MOST?
Four books because I believe there are four levels of leadership
every leader must master. First is leadership of self. Steve
Covey’s book ‘The 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Executive’
is exactly that – a book on how to lead yourself well. The
second is James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner classic
bestseller, ‘The Leadership Challenge’, which is the best book I
have ever read on how to work with and motivate people and
teams. The third is Jim Collins ‘Good To Great’ on the art of
leadership and leadership processes that deliver. The fourth is
The Bible which gives me the values that every leader must
aspire to, values of humility, truthfulness, generosity to the
downtrodden, and powerlessness.
There are two sides to leadership – integrity and skill. One
without the other will eventually hurt the people being led.
WHAT IS THE BEST BOOK YOU HAVE READ ON THE SUBJECT OF LEADERSHIP?
WHAT ARE YOUR LAST WORDS ON LEADERSHIP – ONE EXPRESSION THAT SUMS UP THE ESSENCE?
This article first appeared in THE EDITION (ISSUE No. 6) Magazine printed
in 2012. It is re-printed here with permission from the publishers, Footprints
Press Limited. To see the original piece visit, www.theedition.co.ke.
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The year was 2,000 A.D., the dawn of a new millennium.
It was also the dawn of a new phase in the lives of Liz and
Sammy Mang’eli as they exchanged their marriage vows.
The Lord has constantly shown them His faithfulness as
they celebrate 14 years in marriage this year. In addition,
He has blessed them with two lovely children; Sarah
Mwende (8) and Jonathan Mwendwa (6). They are both
at Makini School in classes 3 and 1.
Not long after they got
married, Sammy got the
prompting to serve the
Lord in full time ministry.
But how could he leave
a well-paying job for a
‘faith-funded-venture’?
He was climbing the corporate ladder at General Motors!
However, God’s nudge was strong. He took a step of
faith, joined Pan Africa Christian University (PACU) to
pursue a Bachelor in Bible and Theology and later a M.A
in Leadership.
Before joining PACU for studies he had worked at General
Motors, St John Ambulance and served in the Army, but
now he is glad that he is serving in the Lord's Army. His
passions include outdoor activities and developing new
leaders. Pst Sammy has invested many years in young
people. Camping, trail treks and mountain climbs, have
characterized many years of engaging them. Needless
to say he met Liz as she was planning a Youth Camp at
Nairobi Baptist.
Upon his graduation in 2005, he was invited to serve at
Mamlaka Hill Chapel (MHC). As of December 2013, he
had served at MHC for 8 years in various departments
including Administration; R.E.A.L Groups; Leadership
Development and as a member of the Management
Team. Throughout their marriage period, Liz and Sammy
have served together in Marriage Ministries.
Pastor Liz has worked at Nairobi Baptist for the past
15 years. She served in the Outreach Ministries an
equivalent to our Social Justice Ministries for 13 years,
and then moved to a Pastoral position with Adults
Ministries. Liz has a strong pastoral gifting and has
a passion to see all, especially young ladies mature
in faith. She has a passion for coaching would be
brides as they get ready to say "I do". She will be
serving in the eGroups Department and Marriage
Ministry while Pst Sammy will be serving in the
Oversight Department.
AT THE HEART OF SERVING AND LEADING
MEET THE
Joining Nairobi Chapel is a great opportunity for us to
be used of God, through our gifts and experience, in being part of the
transformational journey at the Chapel.
Sarah and Jonathan Mangeli
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Trainee. Learning the ropes
Trainee. On Church planting as-
signments for 1 year
Trainee, learning to form a
ministry, lead teams and run with
the vision. Oversees a ministry
with about 100 people
Assists to direct a ministry in a
department. Oversees a ministry
with about 200 people
Directs one Ministry in the
department. Oversees a ministry
with about 400 people.
Full Pastor. Serves under the Head
of Department. Oversees a ministry
with about 500 people.
Head of Department (HOD).Oversees
4 complex responsibilities * that
minister to over 1000 people. On the
Executive Leadership Team.
Oversees the HOD’s and the day-to-
day running of the Church. Runs the
Executive Leadership Team
Oversees the Church. Stewards
the vision. Chairs the Executive
Leadership Team.
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Pastor
Pastor
Pastor
Pastor
Pastor
Pastor
Pastor
1 Year
1 Year
1 Year
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Trainee
Trainee
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff
* HOD, general pastoral care of the whole church, executive line responsibilities, oversees a ministry with over 500 people
** Assistant Pastor also uses the title Associate Pastor
POSITION FOCUS TITLETERM
NAIROBI CHAPELSTAFF TEAM LEADERSHIP PIPELINE
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PST. DAVID KABIBIADULT CARE
PASTOR
PST. CATHLEEN ROTICHLEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT PASTOR
PST. GOWI ODERASUNDAY SERVICES
PASTOR
PST. FAITH MUGERASOCIAL JUSTICE
PASTOR
PST. LUKE JAOKO MISSION'S PASTOR
PST. BEA MURIUCHILDREN’S PASTOR
PST. OSCAR MURIUSENIOR PASTOR
PST. NICK KORIREXECUTIVE PASTOR
MRS. JANE MUNGAIADMINISTRATION & FINANCE DIRECTOR
EXECUTIVE TEAM
PST. SAMMY MANGELIASSISTANT PASTOR
OVERSIGHT
PST. JACKIE OTHOROASSISTANT PASTOR
ASSIMILATION
The Executive Team consists of the Heads of Department plus two Assistant Pastors. They ensure the implementation of the churches vision, policies and procedures regarding the business, finances and facilities of the church.
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OVERSIGHTDEPARTMENT
MISSIONS
PST. OSCAR MURIUHEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
PST. LUKE JAOKOHEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
SAMMY MANGELIASSISTANT PASTOR
OVERSIGHT
COLLINS OUMACHURCH PLANTING
DIRECTOR
MURIU MAKUMIMINISTRY ASSISTANT
ESTHER KARIUKIEVENTS DIRECTOR
GODFREY OKONGOASSISTANT DIRECTOR
GRACE MAINAADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
HUMAN RESOURCES
FRANCIS NJOGUMINISTRY ASSISTANT
GEORGINA NJENGAADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
The Missions Department is responsible for our evangelism and church planting ministry.
The Oversight Department is responsible for the total ministries of the church, executive decisions, HR, vision casting and global partnerships.
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BARAK ALMONDIAWRITING ASSISTANT
SUNDAY SERVICES
PST. GOWI ODERAHEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
MWIKALI NDAMBOCREATIVE DIRECTOR
KIDANE ADALASOUND OVERSIGHT
NICODEMUS OCHIENGWORSHIP DIRECTOR
JOSEPH MUIRUVIDEO ASSISTANT
CHRISTINE NDIRANGUCOMMUNICATIONS
The Sunday Services Department puts together our Sunday worship service for the adults.
ANDY MBURUON STUDY LEAVE
NOEL NDERITUBAND OVERSIGHT
JOY MSAGHAHMINISTRY ASSISTANT
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ADULT CARE
PST. DAVID KABIBIHEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
PST. JACKIE OTHOROASSISTANT PASTOR
ASSIMILATION
ROSELYNN KAMAUVOLUNTEER MINISTRY
DIRECTOR
DAVID SIJENYIeGROUP DISTRICT
SHEPHERD
PST. LIZ MANGELIASSISTANT PASTOR
eGROUPS
SUE NZIUKOPERSONAL ASSISTANT
WILSON ANDAICURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANT
KAREN MWANGIADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
PLUG-IN
Adult Care Department oversees the pastoral care to our church families and adults. They are also responsible for the spiritual growth and discipleship of our adult members.
ANDREW KARIUKIeGROUP DISTRICT
SHEPHERD
ANDREW MAINAeGROUP DISTRICT
SHEPHERD
MAUREEN AMANIMINISTRY ASSISTANT
ASSIMILATION
KAZI MGHENDIADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
ASSIMILATION
SUSAN MWANGIADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
eGROUP
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CHILDRENMINISTRY
PST. BEA MURIUHEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
LAURA MUSUMBASUNDAY SCHOOLSUPERINTENDANT
The Children’s Ministry seeks to nurture our little ones into a living faith. They take care of our 2 – 11 year-olds.
PST. SARAH NYAMBURAASSISTANT PASTOR
CHILDREN’S OUTREACH
NANU MUGAIMINISTRY ASSISTANT
CHILDREN
BELLA MBURUON STUDY LEAVE
BERYL OCHIENGSUNDAY SCHOOLSUPERINTENDANT
YOUTH MINISTRY
PST. NICK KORIRHEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
WANJIRU GICHECHEYOUTH MINISTRY
DIRECTOR
STEVE SHITEMIMINISTRY ASSISTANT
YOUNG ADULTS
The Youth Ministry oversees the spiritual nurture of our 12 – 25 year olds who consist of the Crossroads teens (12 & 13 years), XP (14 – 18 year olds) and BLITZ (19 – 25 year old Young Adults). Our staff team is small, but they have 8 interns and 4 Pastoral Trainees who work alongside them.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
PST. FAITH MUGERAHEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
PST. CATHLEEN ROTICHHEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
WINNIE NANJALAADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
PST. BRAD MATLACKSOCIAL JUSTICE
DIRECTOR
BRIDGET BAWKSKINARA DIRECTOR
JANE TANUIASSISTANT DIRECTOR
JUBILEE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
JACKSON MAINAASSISTANT DIRECTOR
PASTORAL TRAINEESHIP
CATHERINE OKWEMINISTRY ASSISTANT
KINARA
JACKLINE MWENDEADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
The Social Justice Department is a part of our Missions Department, and works at caring for the poor and needy in our immediate community. Our primary initiative here is the Jubilee Scholarship Fund, LOGOS Nursery and Primary School, Prison Break at Jamuhuri Short-term Prison, Upendo Women’s Fellowship and Kawangware Primary School. Our Secondary engagement is through our Frontline Ministries led by our church members that are working in the community. These include One Lamb, Seed Of Hope, Uzima Daycare Center, and Tumaini Clinic.
Leadership Development seeks to inspire and influence budding leaders by teaching them the practical skills and philosophy of ministry, and by giving them multiple opportunities to try out these principles and grow.
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2014 CHURCH PLANTERS
PST. SAM NYAWANDACHURCH PLANTER
GHANA
PST. STEVE NJERUCHURCH PLANTER
MALAWI
PST. SILAS OULUCHURCH PLANTER
ZAMBIA
PST. ROBERT MBUGUACHURCH PLANTER
NAKURU
PST. JOHANES ABONG'OCHURCH PLANTER
KISUMU
PST. XAVIER ANAMICHURCH PLANTER
UGANDA
PST. LAWRENCE KARIUKICHURCH PLANTER
BOTSWANA
The Administration and Finance team is there to oversee the financial and operational aspects of the church.
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
MRS. JANE MUNGAIHEAD OF
DEPARTMENT
ESTHER NGUGIACCOUNTS MANAGER
MICHAEL TANUIFINANCE ASSISTANT
KENNETH LIDAHULIPROJECT ASSISTANT
RUTH WAWERUADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
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PST. PETER KAMAUTRINITY CHAPEL
MERU
REV. COLLLINS OLAYEE TRINITY CHAPEL
LIBERIA
PST. ALBERT OUTANAIROBI CHAPEL
RONGAI
PST. STEVE THUOTRINITY CHAPEL
RUIRU
PST. PAUL NZIMBITRINITY CHAPEL
RWANDA
PST. WONDWOSSEN SEIFTRINTY CHAPEL
ETHIOPIA
PST. TOBBIAS NGALATRINITY CHAPEL
MOMBASA
NEW DAUGHTER CHURCH PASTORS
MAP OF eGROUPS ZONES
PST. BONIFACE NAGINAIROBI CHAPEL
UTAWALA
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Every once in a while, something happens, a change
of sort that forces us to re-engage, refocus or adjust
our stand. In doing so, somehow through the turmoil
or joy, we realize that we are getting closer and closer
to God. The closer we get to that place of intimacy, the
more we understand that our joy comes not from our
circumstances, but from realizing that God is with us.
Getting to this understanding helps us to appreciate the
concept of “Unconditional Praise”.
Unconditional praise is the kind of praise that seeks
to glorify God because He is God and King, and not
because of our life’s circumstances, blessings or lack
thereof. To honor Him simply because He is great
and mighty, beyond all comprehension is what real
praise is about. Like the author of the book of Romans
who declares, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” [Romans 11:33].
It happens when we stop trying to figure out God, or
why He does what He does, and we chose to simply
be lost in childlike faith that allows us to stand on God’s
word, and God’s promise alone. It happens when we let
go of what we hoped He would do for us, and how we
imagine He should have resolved our issues, and allow
God to be God. Only then will we learn how to let go
of our anxieties, fears and worries, and trust God to fill
us with praise.
The word of God in Zachariah 2:10 says “SHOUT and be glad, O’ Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you”. Even in the worst of circumstances,
having a friend come to live with us is tremendously
encouraging and gives cause for rejoicing. And having
the King of Kings himself come to live besides us is out
of this world!
If you are looking for a reason to praise, a reason to be
glad, simply be glad because God is with you. And get
this - He promises to go before you and after you (Ps
139:5), He promises to cover you and be your shield
(Ps 91:4), He commands His angels concerning you
(Ps 91:11), and promises to protect you (Ps 91:14). He
also says he will hold you in the palm of his hand and
surround you as the mountains surround Jerusalem (Ps
125:2), and He says you are his in Christ in God (Col
3:3). He even pours out His favor, mercies and grace
upon you. Whichever side you look – up, down, right
or left, forwards or backwards – God is there watching
over you. How then can you not rejoice, even when
things look bad?
Rejoice because while others are seeking His presence,
He declares He is already here with you, around you,
underneath you.
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A LITTLE HISTORYWhen Nairobi Chapel began to extend its ministry to the
students at the University of Nairobi in the early 90’s,
our congregation grew in leaps and bounds. So did the
ministry needs. The Internship Program was born out of
the recognition that while our opportunities for ministry
were growing, there weren’t enough leaders trained to fill
the emerging roles. The Leadership of the church invited
students who were just completing their studies to be trained
for ministry. What started as a simple leadership training with
just 2 University graduates has grown over the years that, we
now have had at least 30 interns graduating annually from
Kinara.
PROGRAM PHILOSOPHYThe Program draws its ministry philosophy from Mark 12:29b,
where Jesus, when asked what the greatest commandment
was, said, ‘Thou shall Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and
with all your strength’. And the second is like it, ‘Love your
neighbour as yourself.’ We work to develop well rounded
individuals specifically in the following areas:
Loving the Lord with all your heart is a matter of CHARACTER - To Be It is often said that your gift will take you before kings, but
only character will keep you there. At Kinara, we recognize
the importance of developing Christ-likeness in our leaders
as the foundation for their leadership. Our hope is that our
interns will learn how to love the Lord with all their hearts,
and surrender every aspect of their lives and ministry to the
leading of the Holy Spirit.
Loving the Lord with all your soul is a matter of CONVICTION - To BelieveWhat do you really, really believe on the inside? Convictions
are what drive us from the inside. We instil in our interns
how to love the Lord with all their soul, for that shapes their
inmost convictions about life and faith.
Loving the Lord with all your mind is a matter of COMPREHENSION - To UnderstandIn Romans 10:1-2, Paul chastised the Israelites for having
zeal without knowledge. At Kinara, we know that passion
for ministry must be firmly grounded in the truths of the
Scripture; otherwise it is likely to become misguided. They
need to understand God, His heart, His character and His
mission. Kinara seeks to develop the interns’ comprehension
of Biblical truths and ministry principles through theological
and leadership classes like “Bible Survey” and “Leadership
Principles.”
Loving the Lord with all your strength is a matter of COMPETENCE - To BeOur fourth goal for the internship is to have the Interns’
passion and knowledge translated into action. For this reason,
KINARARAISING LEADERS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
By Pst. Cathleen Rotich
Kinara “captain” or point person
Kinara is the Chapel’s Leadership Development Program whose goal is to raise up people to take key leadership roles in different ministries within the church and beyond. Kinara empowers and instructs those who feel that God might be calling them into ministry and wish to explore that calling. We seek out young men and women who are passionate and intent on following Jesus and pursuing lives of meaning through ministry and discipling them through different experiences.
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our Interns are exposed to different ministry opportunities both
within the church and outside to grow their skills. Skills such
as teaching the bible, leading prayer meetings and discipleship
groups are learned practically as they participate in the primary
and high school outreach programs over the course of their
internship.
Loving your neighbour as you love yourself is a matter of COMPASSION - To LoveIt is through others that our love for God and our
ministry skills find expression. The Kinara Program
provides opportunity for the Interns to share
Christ’s love with others outside their immediate
ministry context. They participate in local missions
and international outreach opportunities outside the
Chapel.
The Interns go through 3 terms in a calendar
year. Sometimes an intern will be rotated
into a different department
with the aim of exposing
him/her not just to their
area of gifting, but also to
an area where they need
to grow. This becomes
critical when they go off
to church-plants because
they might be required to
fill particular needs that
lie outside their area of
“specialization.” Such
rotations sometimes
help them discover
dormant gifts as yet
unknown.
Francis Njogu joined the Kinara Internship Program
in January 2012. He served in the Plug-In ministry. In
February 2013, he was sent out as a Pastoral Trainee to
help plant Trinity Chapel, Monrovia. There he was able
to start Plug-In groups and to also serve as a worship
leader, making sure that the Sunday Services were a
success.
Currently, Francis is a Ministry Trainee and is heading
the Prisons Ministry Program (Prison Break) which aims
to help rehabilitate prisoners once they are released as
well as minister to the inmates every Sunday by holding
Sunday morning service at the Prison.
1 Chapelites Apr 2014 21 Chapelites Apr 2014
I was an eager 25 year-old freshman from an internship with the Men’s
Ministry department at Elmbrook Church in Milwaukee, WI (USA) when
I first stepped foot on Kenyan soil at the Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport. I had done it – I had actually done it; left the comforts of my
world to live and serve in Africa, a place I had only ever read about. What
exactly I had gotten myself into was impossible to imagine; only time
would tell.
There are many ideas or concepts in this life that cannot be quantified.
I was not naïve enough to enter my time as a Kinara Intern without
knowing that it would cost me. I was fully aware that it would cost
me time and that I was forfeiting any salary I might have earned from
putting my MBA to good use pursuing a business career. Not only
that, but by joining Kinara, it meant I had to approach friends and
family to support me financially – something very few people enjoy.
Linking up with Nairobi Chapel caused me to change all of my most
treasured relationships and label them with the title “long-distance”. I
was conscious that I’d be missing birthdays, holidays, babies being born,
friends getting married, and other special events. Coming to Kenya
would not be without a tangible cost.
What I was not prepared for, however, were the intangible ways in
which God was planning to repay me for those sacrifices. I have gained
so much from my experience in Kinara and it all started when I stepped
out of my comfort zone and took up the call to serve God in a foreign
country. All this while being trained as a future leader for the Church of
Christ. In that one year, I experienced the presence of God’s Holy Spirit
as deeply and richly as I have never before.
By leaving your country and being a part of Kinara, you will most
assuredly discover the authenticity of the promises of Jesus in situations
you never could have imagined. Why would you take my word for it that
I grew more spiritually in that one year as an intern than all the other
previous years of my life combined, and that you could too? These are
truths that you should learn for yourself, firsthand, not from a second
party.
There is nothing this world has to offer me that compares to what I
received in the one year I
spent in Kinara. I encourage
you to come and unveil
these realities for yourself.
You will benefit far more
than you ever thought or
imagined. Arrive with an
open mind and a desire to
connect with Jesus and
from there let Him do the
work.
Pst Matt completed his Internship in 2011.
Pst. Matt Millar
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Ephrem Yikunoamlak: I am married with three daughters. I graduated with a B.A in Bible and Theology from Ethiopian Full Gospel Theological College in partnership with the Global University of U.S.A. I joined Kinara in March 2013 and served in the Pastoral Care Department. Currently I am serving at Trinity Chapel, Addis Ababa. The Kinara Program allowed me to learn so many things and grow me as a leader and into my calling. I have improved on my management and leadership skills, grown in my spiritual disciplines and gained a lot of knowledge on ministry. I thank God for the Kinara Program and the Leadership Department. God bless this ministry.
Daniel Yibza: I heard about Kinara as I was studying Civil Engineering in Ethiopia. I felt that it was an opportunity for me to learn, grow and confirm my calling in ministry. I joined Kinara in March 2013 and served with the Young Adults at Blitz. My time in the Program allowed me opportunities to be strong in my faith and grow as a young leader. I have seen God work miracles for me through Nairobi Chapel and I want to thank everyone one here for giving me an opportunity to share in the vision. I can say I have grown deep, I am currently serving at Trinity Chapel Addis Ababa, and each day has been an opportunity to practice all I learnt while serving at Nairobi Chapel.
Ephrem Yikunoamlak
23 Chapelites Apr 2014
When Jesus called the rough, untrained fishermen to “Follow
Me and I will make you fishers of men”, he took them trough
a practical, hand-on curriculum for 3 years of training. It had
six components to it.
1. MENTORING - He allowed the disciples to observe his
life in real life situations so as to mold their character.
2. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION - Often he would withdraw
from the crowds to reflect on spiritual truths with his 12
disciples, thus helping them establish Godly convictions.
3. SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE - He modeled prayer &
meditation, encouraged praise, fasting and other spiritual
disciplines, to deepen his disciples' personal devotion.
4. TEAMWORK - The 12 worked and lived together, discussed
issues together, were also sent out to minister together
and hence sharpened one another. This teamwork
allowed for supportive relationships, accountability and
transparency.
5. HANDS-ON MINISTRY - The Lord showed them how
to do it, did it with them and then sent them out to do
it. In this way they developed their own skills and gifts,
preparing for the time he would no longer be there and
they would have to work alone.
6. SUCCESSION PLANNING - He specifically prepared
them for his leadership transition, and for that time that
he would no-longer be with them.
This is what our Kinara curriculum is scripted around.
Each course is designed to engage as many of these six
components as possible, and help the Kinarites grow in the
knowledge and wisdom of God, and get them out there to
practice it practically in missions engagement, team building,
mentoring others and personal discipleship.
Mentoring
Because personal spiritual growth and maturity is so important
for any Christian leader, and because many Christians in
Kenya have never been disciple well, a lot of work is put into
this area for the interns. The presumption is that they came
to faith, but no-one disciple them, so we need to ensure that
in-depth discipleship takes place in this first year. Each intern
therefore has an appointed spiritual mentor with whom they
meet with from time to time to discuss their growth, and to
talk about personal issues they are facing, or about areas of
their life that they need help in.
At the same time, each intern is in a gender sensitive Staff
Discipleship Group (D-Group) where they meet with 4 other
staff members (all staff members are in a D-Group) and a
group leader twice a month, for 3 hours, to reflect on the
Christian walk and to study the bible devotionally.
Theological Reflection
Each first year term the interns study a bible courses such as
“A survey of the Old and New Testament”, and “Hermeneutics
– Reading the Bible for All it’s Worth” (The second year of
training focuses a lot more on Biblical studies). The idea is to
give them the theological construct needed to have a robust
biblical framework for ministry. They also participate in 3
annual conferences for their biblical knowledge – the VERITUS
Bible conference, VIRAL Church Planting Conference, and the
EDGE Leadership Conference.
All these studies are the Master’s level courses our trained staff
studied in theological college unpacked to suit the individual
level of the intern.
At the same time the interns study Biblical leadership by
looking at examples of leaders from the bible, and once a
month participate in ongoing training which focuses on
leadership and practical ministry skills that are immediately
applicable in their work. They sit with older leaders and
debrief from their life lessons, and they read extensively from
leadership books that will hone their own leadership ability.
KINARA CURRICULUM GOALS AND OBJECTIVESWhat is our promise to those we recruit and invite to join our KINARA program? We invite our interns to a journey of development and preparation for the work of ministry. Over the years, we have narrowed
our recruitment focus to those who sense God’s call over their lives for church ministry. We are interested in honing their gifts,
skills, experiences, and calling so as to grow them to become effective servants of the Kingdom of Christ. How do we get them
from here to there?
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Spiritual Disciplines
Learning the spiritual disciples and practicing them faithfully
is what maturity and longevity in ones Christian walk is all
about. Building a firm foundation in the spiritual disciplines is
therefore one of the most important tenants of establishing
the interns in their faith. If they can practice the disciplines and
be held accountable for them until they become a bedrock
of faith, then the intern will have laid down a foundation for
service that will see them through their whole life. Each intern
is therefore put into a one-on-one discipleship relationship
with a discipler where they meet weekly to study and practice
the 11 Practices of a Disciple.
Teamwork
Jesus called twelve, and for 3 years they worked together as
a team. His style was cohort teaching. The disciples benefited
from this because they could process their learnings,
disagreements and differences with each other. Occasionally
they needed Jesus to speak into their misunderstanding and
disputes, such as when they asked him - who is the greatest?
Teaching the interns as learning cohorts has the same
benefits, that they can be each others best teachers, they
can keep each other accountable, and they can disciple each
other.
The interns come into the program 3 times a year - in January,
May and Sept; with each group being about 30 people. They
graduate together as a cohort and go out in missions together.
Hands on Ministry
This is where ministry skills are formed, and we have adopted
an “In-the-trenches” approach. Trainees spend a great deal of
time each week serving in various ministry capacities within
the church and out in the community. Each has 3 areas of
practical service – first is in one specific department of the
church that engages their spiritual gift such as worship
leading, working with children or even organizing things in
administration.
The second is in discipling high school students. We have
over 200 students they disciple a week. At the beginning
of every school term (there are three - January, May and
September), the interns are assigned to a group of ten or
twelve high school students whom they meet with for an
hour or two every week, sharing through a pre-set youth
discipleship curriculum. They become the shepherd for the
group for about eight months.
The third is in the weekly pastoral programs in the local
primary schools where they each teach bible stories to the
children three times a week. A lot of this teaching has an
evangelistic focus.
Every year there are three mission engagements that the
interns participate in. The purpose of these is to help settle
their convictions about missions, and to expose them to
the reality of the need for Christ out there – away from the
protected setting of the church. The three missions are firstly
an Urban Plunge into slum life. Very close to the Chapel is the
Kibera slum, which is reputably the largest slum in Africa. Its
proximity to us presents a unique opportunity to share the
love of Jesus with those who live there. So we take the interns
to live in Kibera with members of our Kibera slum churches
for a few day. Living up close to poverty is an education in
itself, and our hope is that their heart would be broken with
compassion at the plight of the poor. Many interns profess
that this urban plunge was life transforming.
Secondly all the interns go on a 2 week Short Term Mission
outreach with African Enterprise out into one of the remote
towns of Kenya (such as Wajir or Lodwar). African Enterprise
is a ministry that seeks to mobilize the church to send out
missionaries and evangelists all over Africa to reach people for
Christ. They spend every day out in the community sharing
Christ one-on-one; and in the evening hold evangelistic
rallies for the town. Two intense weeks of such evangelism
often lead to over 1,000 people plus receiving Christ as Lord
and Savior per week.
Finally, our interns go out in a Spy Mission to survey a town
or country for church planting. They go out with a church
planter and spend 10 days mapping the city, sharing the
gospel, speaking to pastors, holding prayer walks around
the city, and meeting government officials, leaders, and
businessmen.
Succession Planning
In their second year of internship, the interns go out to help
plant a church somewhere in Kenya, Africa or Europe. In that
second year they have to put everything they have learned
in their first year to use. This throws them off the deep end
to turn all that exposure, theory and practicums into reality.
Before they leave however, they need to have raised up and
trained younger leaders in their ministry to continue what
they were doing.
Succession has often plagued business enterprises, national
leadership and church ministries. Everyone seems to struggle
on how to plan for succession well. So we talk about working
yourself out of a job, raising up other leaders after you,
handing over well and exiting well.
25 Chapelites Apr 2014
THE NINE
INTEGRITIESWho are the elders at Chapel and what is their role? Gerald Macharia, one of our Elders shares with us why this group of people, though not always visible, play a pivotal process in the oversight of the church.
“The elders at the Chapel are
overseers, ensuring that we meet nine
very specific integrities as a church.
These are:
From left: John Gitonga (Project Manager for Green House Office), Ken Wathome (Trustee) and Godwin Wangongu (Church Elder)
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1 Chapelites Apr 2014
What significant lessons did you learn in your time at the Chapel?
My years at the Chapel were the most formative years
of my life. While there are many lessons I learned, the
most significant was that God is much bigger than we
Americans think he is. Our faith tends to hover in the
realm of the possible. We say, “God do the impossible in
me and through me” but what we really mean is “If I try
really hard, then I should accomplish this (and I’ll then
give credit to God).”
But that’s not how it works in Kenya and certainly not
at the Chapel. I remember sitting in Pastor Oscar’s
office talking about the strategic goals of the Chapel.
He turned to me and said, “You are in charge of helping
us see 1 million people come to faith in Christ over the
next 20 years.” I said, “Excuse me! What! I cannot do
this.” I thought this is crazy. But after taking his challenge
seriously, God miraculously opened up movie theaters,
prisons, and schools for us to go into and share the
gospel. We saw more than
2,000 accept salvation that year.
Unbelievable. God did the
impossible.
What was your time at the Nairobi Chapel like?
My wife Heather and I
served at the Chapel for 3
years, leading in several
roles including preaching,
young adults, evangelism,
social justice, and church
planting. Heather directed
the internship program and
worked with global partnerships. We loved the
Chapel for many reasons. But most importantly, we loved
the people. Some of our closest friends to this day are
Chapelites. They loved us genuinely. Their family was
our family.
I’ll never forget when we adopted our son Kyama from
New Life Home, a home that takes care of abandoned
children in Nairobi. We were about to bring him home
when he became very sick. We were new parents and
very scared. But every day, Pastor Bea Muriu and Pastor
Janet Mutinda, were right there with us. In fact, they even
told us that they had stayed up several nights praying and
fasting for him.
As a pastor from a different cultural context, what did you learn from the other leaders at the Chapel?
Well, the most significant was Pastor Oscar teaching me
how to slaughter a goat! This has proven a bit problematic
when we visit the zoo, now that I’m back in the States.
While all the people want to pet the goats, I want
to eat them!!! That does not
go down very well here. You
might be able to tell that I
really miss nyama choma!
On a more serious note, I
learned that vision must be
God-sized, not man-sized.
Pastor Oscar would tell me
over and over again, “Jason,
you need to have a vision that
makes God sweat!” When he
said that, I would start to “sweat”.
But his point was valid. God
wants to do nothing less than
change the world through us. If
our vision is small then our God must also be small.
LEARNING TO HAVE A
THAT MAKESVISIONGOD SWEAT
An interview with Pastor Jason Webb
27 Chapelites Apr 2014
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Related to this, I learned that if you want to do something
big for God you are never going to be ready to do it. That’s
ok, but you still need to step out in faith and do it. One
day in 2004 we were having a meeting at Java House
about this crazy idea of multiplying our one location, then
on Mamlaka road, into 5 locations each Sunday! I have to
admit that I was a bit skeptical. So, as any good American
would, I came with a list of 50 questions that we needed
answered before we were to do this.
After listening to my questions, Pastor Muriithi, who
would step out to lead one of those locations, leaned over
the table and said, “Jason, you want to know what the
problem with Western strategy is? You live your life under
the motto: ‘Ready! Aim! Fire!’ But all you do most of the
time is “aim, aim, aim” and never “fire.” But we Africans do
it differently. We live under the motto: ‘Ready! Fire! Aim!’
I’d much rather do something and have to readjust than
live my whole life aiming and never firing.” That moment
changed me forever.
Share some significant practices that you took back home with you from your time here?
The most obvious one is that we planted a church.
Heather and I never would have done this had we not
seen the vision for church planting at the Chapel. Not
only that, but Brooklife is now a church that plants other
churches.
The other big lesson that has followed me back home
has been the importance of leadership development.
The internship program is at the core of the Chapel’s
leadership development and it has become a core part
of our church as well. In fact, we have many churches
asking us how we get so many interns and develop so
many leaders and I always share the Chapel experience.
Are there are any gifts we brought to the Chapel? That’s
for the leadership to judge. I however pray that we left a
positive mark on people. I pray that even if they forget
all of our gifts and ministry accomplishments, they
remember we lived with them, laughed with them, and,
above all else, loved them.
Pst Jason and his wife Heather Webb served at the Chapel from 2002 – 2005. He is the lead pastor at Brooklife Church, Mukwonago, Wiscousin, USA which they started in 2007 as a church plant of Elmbrook Church. Jason and Heather have four adorable children, Kyama, Ashtyn, Micah and Genet (Geni). You can visit their website on www.brooklife.org
EARTHMISSIONARY TO THE ENDSOF THE
Serving God In New Zealand
An interview with Rev. Steve Maina
29 Chapelites Apr 2014
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jubilee rideRIDING FOR A CAUSE
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A year ago, the dream to ride for 50 days to the southmost tip of Africa seemed just like what it was – A DREAM. A Team of off-road motor bikers who had always wanted to ride through Africa had started the discussion on what it would take to make it happen. Led by our very own, Pst. Nick Korir, the dream to ride with a cause took off when a secretariat of amazing individuals came together to begin to unfold this dream. Here is the journal log in the words of Pst Nick . . .
On Jamuhuri Day – December 12th 2013 - We had the
exciting opportunity to see a year’s work get commissioned
as we flagged off 7 Bikers and a Technical Team in two Pick-
ups, generously donated by Ford Motors They had achieved
what they desired, riding for 50 days, to celebrate Kenya @ 50
by sending 50 Scholars through 4 years of High School.
By the time they were coming back they had raised Kshs. 12
million. The Kshs. 15 million target would be achieved a few
days after the ride. Watching the Riders come in together, it
was not hard to notice the bond forged from the open road,
from purpose, from shared adventure, and from a Vision
bigger then themselves.
On the night of the departure we could hardly sleep. Everyone
made sure they had either packed everything we needed or
that ‘their house was in order’... bills paid; duties handed over;
leave forms approved. A one and a half month journey lay
ahead and nothing could be left to chance.
Thursday, 12th December 2013:The rain seemed like it would dampen the day but to the
surprise of many of the Riders, many Chapelites, family and
friends sacrificed and braved the chill and downpour to be at
the flag-off. K-Krew had music already playing and as soon as
there was quorum we broke into a dance. The scholars, the
sponsors, family and friends made the flag-off a very special
occasion for all the riders.
After a prayer from Pastor Albo, Pastor Faith flagged us off
to the Junction Mall where the Kenya Bikers Association
members were waiting. To our utter shock, we had at least 50
bikers ready to escort the Jubilee Riders through Downtown
Nairobi and on to Kajiado.
We rode into the drizzle, down Ngong Road, Valley road
and into the City. We then rode through Mombasa Road,
Athi River, Kitengela and finally Kajiado where we took a
break at the Kajiado Cultural Resort. K-Krew was all set and
immediately got the Bikers, Scholars and other supporters on
their feet to the latest gospel tunes. After entertainment and
refreshments, we set off for Namanga with a smaller escort
party and finally crossed the border into Tanzania at 6pm.
The customs process took longer than we had anticipated
but we were cleared and got to Arusha at 8pm. In Arusha,
courtesy of the Kenyan consulate in Arusha, we were invited
to the Golden Jubilee Dinner organized for all the Kenyans
living in Arusha. We later on retired to sleep at the Arusha
Tourist Inn.
Friday, 13th DecemberWe set off from the Arusha Tourist Inn at 7am, unfortunately
without breakfast because it was too early for the staff. This
now became our “drama” day! One of our Tech-Crew drivers
took a wrong turn in Arusha and instead of getting onto the
road to Dodoma he got on to the road to Moshi and got lost
for the next 3 hours. He was unreachable because he had
apparently forgotten his phone at the Arusha Hotel where
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Ride statsKilometers Covered
22,000 KM
Countries Visited: 12
Fuel Consumed: 1,500
Litres
Days on the road: 50
days
Number of Riders: 7
Riders
Support Crew: 7
Please visit
www.jubileeride2013.org
for the Ride journal, pictures
and how you can continue
to partner with the Jubilee
Scholarship Fund.
we stayed. The second vehicle finally got to track
them down and they began their journey to
Dodoma 3 hours later.
Meanwhile the bikes were well on their way
through Babati and Singida and finally Dodoma.
We drank soup on the way, stopped to look at the
most amazing rock formations and enjoyed the
endlessly windy road as we rode through nothing
but heavy downpour! However, only 90km from
Dodoma, one of the bikes had a breakdown and
we needed to wait for the support vehicle that
had the comprehensive tool kit. After a 3 hour
wait, the bike’s issues were resolved and we
safely made our way to Dodoma at 9pm. After
checking into the Crown Hotel, most of the crew
simply blacked out because it had been a very
long day.
Sunday 15th DecemberAfter a prayer for the group by John – one of
the riders, who we just had to mention - we left
Iringa for Mbeya and later to the Songea border
(the Kenya-Malawi border). We rode long and
hard but the greatest frustration this day was
being stopped every 5kms by traffic policemen
at every Kijiji (village) most of which had a speed
limit of 50Kph.... some even 30Kph!
On this day at least 5 members of our team
got speeding tickets and all the stops really
compromised the ride. However we spiced it all
up by stopping for nyamchom by the roadside
that had been done the traditional Maasai way.
We got to the Songwe border at 4pm and enjoyed
the very smooth flow of our clearing process
and were ready to enter Malawi at 6pm. We
rode to Karongo where we spent the night.
This was our first contact with Lake Malawi.
We swam in the Lake at night and enjoyed the
beach as we rested our very tired and weary
muscles.
Monday 16th DecemberWoke up LATE! Key word ... LATE! We tried to
sleep until the feeling of exhaustion left and
then had a late breakfast. Most of the team
took time to do their laundry and later tour the
town. In the afternoon we all took a boat ride
on the lake and Pastor Nick shared devotion on
“Abraham’s journeys and lessons from Safari –
50 Greatest Journeys in Scripture”.
Thereafter, we had the great joy of diving off
cliffs, snorkeling, swimming and just the sheer
fun of enjoying Lake Malawi. As Jesus did with
the Disciples, we also shared, debriefed and
talked about our trip highlights so far and what
we have learned from being with each other.
It was a very refreshing day. We later had an
awesome MALAWIAN DINNER!
The Jubilee Riders; From Left Mburu Ngugi, Mbeche Alwanga,
Mwongela Mbuvi, Pst. Nick Korir, John Kimathi and Moses Nderitu.
If you were to interview any new intern joining the Chapel
and ask what their single-most desire in working on a church
staff was, spiritual growth would very likely be at the top of
the list. Everyone wants to grow deep, especially if they are
working for the church. The presumption is even that anyone
who works in a church is deep
and mature. And yet when you
read all the stories and scandals
found in the media today about
church pastor’s and their foibles
and misconduct, it is clear that not
everyone on church staff is mature
in Christ.
Sometime church work and
ministry can even be the very
reason why one is not mature –
because it is so easy to get caught
in the trap of being so busy for God
that you have no time left for God
himself. Without intentional spiritual nurture, it is possible for
ministry to become the biggest enemy to your faith.
It is for this reason that the staff Discipleship Group were put
in place. Each staff member has to be in a discipleship group.
The groups are designed to intentionally build faith in the
context of community. The Bible is the primary curriculum.
Each group goes through a pre-planned reading guide which
involves reading a chapter of the Bible each day, guided by the
S.O.A.P tool.
This year [2014] the Men are going through the “Man Enough”
Curriculum by Pastor Simon Mbevi, while the Ladies are
studying through “Breaking Free” by Beth Moore. Not only
do our D-Groups serve as discipleship avenues, they are also
serve as a support system to facilitate care to individual staff
members. Whenever a member
of staff is facing challenges
in their life, or suffering loss,
their D-Group serve as the first
respondents, their department
team as the second, and the
pastoral team and HR as the
third. This has helped build
accountability and care within
the team.
D-Groups also provide
opportunities for older
members of staff, who have
great ministry experience, to
mentor our younger members of staff, especially the interns.
Once a month, the D-Group leaders come together to discuss
progress in their groups, encourage one another and train on
the dynamics of leading small groups. In the end, our hope
is that all our staff members will have their faith built up so
they are able to serve from a place of strength and spiritual
overflow.
by BG Nkatha
By Pst. BG Bawks
One of our ladies D-Groups
cripture: What Bible passage is assigned
for today’s reading?
bservation: What do I notice from the
passage? What lessons are contained in the
scripture?
pplication: How can I apply the
scripture to my personal life and/or
ministry?
rayer: Commit to the Lord any decisions
made as a result of the reading and pray for
transformation.
Building a Leader’s Spiritual LIFE
31 Chapelites Apr 2014
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:14
When Jesus said this He indicated He wanted a relationship
with children, an unhindered one. He was also declaring
that the kingdom of heaven belonged to any who
displayed the trusting
faith of a child. There’s
something beautiful
and innocent about
childlike faith that trusts
without complaining
or questioning, and
displays a heart eager
to follow, trust and
obey.
George Barna, a
market researcher who
specializes in studying
Christians and church
trends, wrote this about
the age at which most
people accept Christ:
“Families and churches
must recognize that
the primary window of
opportunity for effectively reaching people with the good
news of Jesus’ death and resurrection is during the pre-
teen years. It is during those years that people develop their
frames of reference for the remainder of their life – especially
theologically and morally. Consistently explaining and
modeling truth principles for children is the most critical
factor in their spiritual development.”
How can we share the Word of God with these young ones?
By living our faith in such a way that even a child understands
and wants to emulate our faith. It has to be simple, observable,
copy-able. When they see and understand at this child-like
level, then they too are able to reach out and explain faith to
other children.
Every beginning of the year, Quest prepares and teaches
the children a class on how to share their faith. The lesson is
supposed to be easily transferable to children, the aim being
to equip them with what information and bible verses they
need to share with other children.
Children think pictorially and literally, not philosophically and
theoretically so the message has to be in simple language. It
starts with explaining Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, and what
sin is. It then moves on to why Jesus
died on the cross for us. And finally
concludes with what it means to live a
new life in Christ. 1, 2, 3 simple, simple,
simple. As the child grows older, we
build on this form foundation and
begin to unpack the meaning of each
phrase.
The purpose of the Quest time
is to disciple the children at their
level of understanding. This is very
intentionally done by sharing the
Word of God with them, getting
them to do a craft that will reinforce
their lesson, encouraging them to
memorize the relevant scripture,
and giving them a take-home lesson
to reinforce what they learned in
Sunday school. They also get a
chance to ask questions and interact with the teacher. Each
lesson ends with a call to witness to their friends about the
same things they learnt in class., and an opportunity for them
to respond to God and receive forgiveness, grace or salvation.
In the last two months [January & February] these little ones
have ministered to their friends and over 70 children outside
the Chapel have received the Lord Jesus as Savior from the
report of these children. 28 of these have gone through
baptism class and are ready to be baptized at the end of
March. The rest will go through baptism later.
The Word of God is rich and deep, even for children. And God
is able to use even children as His instruments. Allowing our
children to minister to each other is just one of the
many ways that God is using to accomplish His
Kingdom purposes. We thank God for this army
of soldiers.
Let them come to me!
www.nairobichapel.org
Blitz Turns
The BLITZ Team: From left Sarah Mwangangi, Brenda Magu, Victor Munala, Ambrose Ochieno, Beth Njeru, Barak Almondia, Simon Kimani and Pst Steve Shitemi.
35 Chapelites Apr 2014
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36www.nairobichapel.org
37 Chapelites Apr 2014
CROSSROADSFROM CHILDHOOD TO TEENAGE
38www.nairobichapel.org
39 Chapelites Apr 2014
Carole Kariuki glides into our meeting venue head held
high. She wears a smile and gives me a firm handshake. Star
qualities of a leader and I’m immediately taken in by this lady
who has been at the helm of KEPSA - Kenya Private Sector
Alliance for the last three and a half years.
Carole is glad to have gone through the leadership
Internship Program at Nairobi Chapel. “The program was transformational for me. It helped me realize the potential I had and my mission in life became more clear. On a lighter note, it was also some form of 'boot camp' for me.”
She begins.
A thoughtful Carole reminisces. “I dived into the deep end in many areas of my life. My faith became stronger as I was stretched and developed the wisdom to deal with so many opinions.”
Her experience during the program
has been her guide in her current
job. “It helped me become a more patient and tolerant person, I learnt to listen to all opinions and decide which one to pick and go with.” Something critical she also learnt
was team work and fundraising
skills.
Like a great leader, Carole has not
kept the knowledge and insights gained
during the program to herself but has
continued to mentor young girls. “Seeing many of the girls I have walked with from their Sunday School days grow up, finish school and even get married and still keep the faith has been very fulfilling. At the office, it is seeing some of the colleagues I recruited as interns grow and reach high levels in their careers and become better than I am.” says Carole.
Carole is grateful for the lessons learnt which contributed
greatly to the success of her career at the helm of KEPSA.
“Before coming onto the leadership program I dreaded fundraising…Well I still do a little bit but I don’t shy away from it anymore. During the program Pastor Oscar, would ask us to always have four options to solving a problem. This helped me get out of my comfort zone and whenever faced with a challenge I analyze it in at least four different ways.” adds Carole, who
has now warmed up to me and her very bubbly personality
shines through.
One other thing I learnt was living for something greater than self. My time at the Chapel emphasized it more, developing others to maximize their potential. When you build others and they take up what you are doing, you move only higher not lower. Most people tend to think that by sharing and building others, it will take from you. On the contrary.
Carole Kariuki comes off as a very calm and collected lady
which should not be mistaken for weakness. “The leadership program helped me develop tough, thick skin. I work for an
organization which has many similarities to a church in the sense that you have to be strong to stand
firm in the midst of criticism. You have to know what to pick and what to drop for
the growth of the organization,” she
says firmly.
This lady does not take anything
for granted and is grateful for her
time at the Chapel. “I am really fortunate to have connected to great mentors along the way. My
family has also had a major impact on who I am today. In every place
where i worked, from as early as when I left high school, there has been one or
more people actively mentoring or walking with me. At the Chapel it was Pastor Oscar and
other pastors who taught us to 'swim in the deep end”.
On the business front, I have had great entrepreneurs and business leaders like Manu Chandaria, Patrick Obath, William Lay, Lee Karuri among others directly mentor me on leadership in the corporate world. Then I have those like Jane Wathome (Beacon of Hope) who inspire me on building organizations from infancy to maturity especially through networking. And there are my spiritual mentors like Beatrice Muriu, Levina Mulandi and many other women who had and still impact me from my college days. Indeed a humble lady flying the KEPSA flag high.
ENGAGING BUSINESS LEADERSHIP
By Damaris Irungu- Ochieng’
Carole Kariuki
Carole Kariuki is the CEO of KEPSA, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance who's mandate is private sector development through advocacy, projects and partnerships both local and international. They influence public policy through policy formulation and implementation
“Growing D.E.E.P to reach W.I.D.E”
Daily Devotions: The primacy of a
great relationship with God.
eGroups: The place of community to encourage and
spur growth through fellowship.
Engagement: God has bestowed on each one
unique gifts in order to enrich the body of Christ.
Pulpit: The place for corporate nurture and spiritual
direction as this community of faith.
Individual growth is for greater purpose than oneself, that
together we may reach our God given vision as disciples and
as a church. WIDE for us means :-
Witness: We will creatively engage different avenues
to lead 1 million converts to Christ.
Impact: We will affect the six sectors of our society
through Social Justice, seeking complete social
transformation.
Disciple: We will disciple 100,000 believers to be the
Esthers and Daniels of our generation.
Establish: We will plant 300 churches by the year
2020.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
D WE IE DP E
Over the years, we have been awed by the Lord’s great work
of transformation among us and at an individual level. DEEP
for us means :-
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•
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TRANSFORMATION TRACK
… let us run with perseverance the race marked
out for us.
“
”
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40www.nairobichapel.org
SERMON SERIES
EVENTS
DESIGN
DETAILS
SUNDAY SERVICE
1
2
34
6
We begin with the service idea from the month’s sermon series. This is
usually communicated by the pastor preaching during
that month.
We schedule the events that will take place during the service for the church
calendar. It could be anything from Baptism, Plug-In graduation to a Sunday
School presentation.
Planning and design of the Stage and Church Deco is done. Ideas are drawn
from the sermon series or the season at the time e.g
Christmas, Easter e.t.c
The Services team meets to finalize on any last minute details and go through the
service flow.
It all leads to this day. All the planning and prayer culminate to 4 hours of God’s presence in the
sanctuary!
FROM AN IDEA TO A FULL SUNDAY SERVICE
EXPERIENCE
Wondered how a Sunday Service is
planned and put together at Nairobi
Chapel? This visual shows the main steps
that we take to make that Sunday experience
special and unforgettable to all. Members of the
Services Team along with the volunteers meet and
discuss the Sermon Series and give it a visual identity.
They also spend time thinking through possible "take
homes" that the congregation can take away from
the service and pray for God the Holy Spirit to bring
impact and change to every person who comes
into the Service.REHEARSALS5
Rehearsals with the worship team, MCs and
any individuals taking part in the Sunday Event.
41 Chapelites Apr 2014
We would like to thank the following sponsors for all your support in making the Edge Conference a success.
Sole distributor in Kenya of leading manufacturer of CCTV - Samsung Techwin
Find us at The Mall Westlands 2nd FloorTel: 020 4445140
0717 566 877Email: [email protected]
CHAPEL’S VISION 2020
42www.nairobichapel.org
1 Chapelites Apr 2014
Visit Us on Jamuhuri Road off Ngong Road, Next to the Jamuhuri Show Grounds.
We invite you to join us every Tuesday at our
Green House Offices for evening prayers and
devotions. Bring a friend.
Tuesday 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Fourth Saturday of Every Month 6:30am-8:00am
Sunday 9:00am and 11:00am
PRAYERSCONTACT US
Every Sunday we hold prayers during the first
and second services. Join us at the Church Prayer
Tent located at the back of the Hyperdome
We extend an invite to all to join us every 4th
Saturday morning at the Church Hyperdome for
prayers and devotions. Bring a friend.
CHURCH CALENDAR MARCH - JUNE 2014
18th - 23rd
URBAN PLUNGE PART 2
4th
eNite
11th - 16th
URBAN PLUNGE PART 1
6th
Man EnoughDeployment
13th
Man Enough Season I Graduation
17th - 20th
Crossroads-GuzaTeens Camp
7th - 18th
Kawangware Reading Camp
10th
All Star Season Challenge Begins
10th
Man Enough Graduation
6th
NC Waiyaki Way Launch
18th - 20th
Plug-In Season I First Retreat
20th
Easter Sunday Service
23rd - 30th
Club XPressionsSoccer Clinic
11th
Mothers Day
11th
Plug-In Launch Season II
21st
Quest PPI Breakfast
7th - 11th
Quest Kids Camp
25th - 27th
Plug-In Season I Second Retreat
2th
VolunteersFun Day
26th - 29th
AEE Mission9th - 12th
Church Planters Retreat
6th
eNite4th - 6th
Viral Church Planting Conference
29th
Quest TeachersBreakfast
15th
Fathers Day
6th
Ordination Classes Begin
4th
Plug-In Graduation Season I
4th
Club XPressions Ropes Evangelism Day
1st
Club XPressions SoccerTournament
13th
Nairobi ChapelUtawala Launch
13th
200 Voices Concert
MARCH APRIL
MAY
JUNE