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1 www.nairobichapel.org August 2013 LEADERS WORLD CLASS DEVELOPING APRIL 2014

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1www.nairobichapel.org

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?

5 Chapelites Apr 2014

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.

1 Chapelites Apr 2014 7

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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

9 Chapelites Apr 2014

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.

------

------

Pastor

Pastor

Pastor

Pastor

Pastor

Pastor

Pastor

1 Year

1 Year

1 Year

------

------

------

------

------

------

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.

11 Chapelites Apr 2014

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

13 Chapelites Apr 2014

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.

15 Chapelites Apr 2014

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

17 Chapelites Apr 2014

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.

1 Chapelites Apr 2014 19 Chapelites Apr 2014

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)

26www.nairobichapel.org

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

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 :-

TRANSFORMATION TRACK

… let us run with perseverance the race marked

out for us.

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