This was announced at the new Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church worship service this past Sunday! There was also loud clapping and praise given to God when Samson Kisia, the pastor of Ruiru Baptist Church, said “We are here for our first service and there will be a Baptist church in this community until Jesus comes! We are Baptists. We are people of hope. We are people of God’s Word, people of the Bible.”As Samson watched houses appear in Ngoingwa on the edge of Thika, he was burdened by the lack of an evangelical church in this new middle class “bedroom” community of Nairobi. In late February, Samson, invited many of his Timothys to prayer walk the area with him. One prayer was for a Man of Peace, a resident who shared their dream of a church in the community. They found a young church leader of another denomination who did want a Bible believing/teaching church closer to home. This young man also offered the temporary use of tents and chairs and suggested a spot where the church could place the tents!
So, Samson and the young pastors returned last week to the community with this message: "A new Baptist church will begin next Sunday. Look ffor the tents near the entrance to your neighborhood!" Although we live in Nairobi, 25 miles away, we also received this invitation and Jack agreed to “deliver the first sermon of this first service” of Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church” – another Samson quote! It was an exciting day of watching members of Ruiru Baptist Church, located half-way between Nairobi and Thika, actively plant a new church. Even the children’s choir acted as home missionaries that day!It was exciting for us to see how God had members of existing Baptist churches in place and ready to plant this church. During visits to the neighborhood,
Samson met two old friends working in the community – two Maasai men he first met during a mission trip at their Baptist church in Tanzania , men who desire to tend God’s flock as they tend flocks for others. God also has a young Baptist man ready to pastor and lead this new congregation – Steven Mzungu, a Christian translator with a seminary degree. Part of Stephen’s spiritual journey included time on the IMPACT team, a past Baptist Mission program that helped Kenyan Baptist kids spend the year after high school ministering to the youth of Kenya - as they were being discipled themselves!Please join us in praising God for Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church. Specific prayer nudges can be found with pictures at Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church - Praying for a Baby Church.*
Join us also in praying for an eight day return trip we begin on Saturday to Kakamega in western Kenya. As I search for ways to share God’s work with you, Jack will teach Church Planting in new areas and check on those trained in January. Pray for safety as we travel and that we will allow God to direct our actions as we seek to strengthen and encourage the current and future work of Baptists in this area. BERT YATES--- --- --- --- --- --- ---
* Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church - Praying for a Baby Church at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=207717&id=685050129&l=796d83142f
Visit the first service of Ngoingwa Community Baptist Church – An exciting look at Church Planting by Kenyan Baptist and how you can pray with them. Also a great example of why being a missionary on the LEGACY TEAM (work with the established Baptist churches) is an incredible journey as the Yates seek to "Strengthen and encourage as we engage lostness together” (Acts 14:22; Revelations 14:6). PLUS a few views that most of you didn’t see at church last week!
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