Welcome Back Pastor Albo & Eda

Pastor Albo and Eda are coming back in 3 weeks time on July 3rd, 10:15am on Emirates Airlines. They have both been on an exchange program with a partner church in the USA (Elmbrook Church) for the past one year. We are very excited to receive them back as Pastor Albo now begins his ministry with us as the Youth Pastor, responsible for ministry to age 12 – 25. Pastor Eda would have joined him to work with the 12 – 15 year olds, but she is expecting their first child and would like to first serve as a stay-home mom for a season of time before re-joining the pastoral team.

Albo first joined Chapel as a 16 year old teenager in high school. Even back that far it was clear that he had a deep hunger for God, and a very clear sense of calling into his work. He was always the young teenager “hanging around” the staff, eager to be involved.

In those early days he served on the worship team, but later rose to give leadership to our campus ministry (SALT) while he was at the University of Nairobi (B.Sc Engineering). After campus he served as an intern, and then proceeded onto theological studies at NEGST under our scholarship (M.Div Biblical Studies). For the past one year he has been serving at Elmbrook Church as part of his hands on ministry preparation to come back and serve on our staff.

Albo is exceptionally gifted as a musician, and as a youth leader. For me, knowing that he will now serve as a team member here at Ngong road is very exciting! I have 3 teenagers in my house and they absolutely love him. He knows how to engage them, how to talk their lingo, and how to mentor them. I have seen them grow spiritually under his pastoral care.

Eda joined Chapel as an intern after graduating from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (BSc. Zoology). She was so good at youth ministry that one US church on short-term mission here offered her a job after their 2 week mission (ta-imagini!). She too joined NEGST after her internship and graduated in 2006 (MA Christian Ed.). She has been working with the Junior High ministry at Elmbrook (they to have said they'd like to keep her!) We'd love for Eda to join our staff immediately and give leadership to our Crossroad and Form 1 & 2 ministry, but want to respect and encourage her in this season of motherhood, and when she's ready to join – we will be more than eager to engage her.

Their baby is due in early Aug, so they will be off duty for a while, setting up home, and being mom and dad. Albo begins work in September after we move. If you know of a house that is or will fall vacant in the Ngumo/ Ngong Road area, kindly contact us. They had also not bought much furniture before they went to the US, having been students at NEGST. If you have a fridge, rocking chair, dining table, sofa set or coffee table that you no longer need but is in good working condition, please donate to them. Contact us using the office lines about any of these things.

As your Senior Pastor – I am so excited about the pastoral staff God has given us (wait till I tell you who's joining our team to care for and lead our Young Adults). Having Pastor Kabibi and Pastor Bea for the children is . . . WOW! And now Albo & Eda for the youth . . . with K-Krew working besides them!!!! It's like  . . . AWESOME! And I haven't even said anything about Pastor Janet leading our care to the Adults!

I must be the most excited Senior Pastor on earth. I believe we are just about to enter an amazing season of impact and growth, and that God is slowly bringing the pieces together!

By the way – if you can come out to the airport to receive Pastor Albo and Eda – please do – let's spoil them and show them how much we rejoice in their coming back. YOUTH – come do something crazy at the arrivals hall! (Like give them a goat and some chickens). Have a great week.

This month’s preaching series – The Seven Claims of Christ

• I am the Bread of Life (Pst. Gowi Odera)
  
• I am the Light of the World (Pst. Janet Mutinda)
  
• I am the the Good Shepherd (Pst. David Githugu)
  
• I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (Rev. Steve Maina)
• I am the Gate (Pst. Janet Mutinda)
  
• I am the Resurrection and the Life (Pst. Charles Nganga)
  
• I am the True Vine (Pst. Janet Mutinda)
  

Pastoral Care. Do you know of a member who has been bereaved recently, is in hospital, or has gone through trauma? Please, please call our office on 6752346/0725650737 or call Rose Muiu on 0722317961 to let us know. We want to care for our members well, but have no other way of knowing unless someone informs us. Once we know we do a great job at responding and being at their side . . . but only if someone let's us know first. So  if you have the news, take it upon yourself to alert us immediately.

Do you need someone to pray with you before, during or after the service? Look out for one the people wearing a bright red sash. These are our prayer counselors, and they will pray and talk with you.

Celebrate baby Brahman Odhiambo born to Vivian and Patrick Milo.

Pray for Pastor Oscar and for Germany

From June 14th till July 2nd, Pastor Oscar is traveling in Germany and Austria where he will be preaching in various churches and in the International Brethren's Conference. Please use the inserted card to commit him and the churches to the Lord daily in prayer.

As you can see, the schedule for Germany is very full. He recently returned from Australia where he had a very busy speaking schedule and did not have much time to rest before he had to leave for Germany. It has also meant a switch between the time zones of Australia, Kenya, and Germany within a space of two weeks. Ask that God will give him strength, health, protection, spiritual renewal and inspiration for his speaking appointments.

Pray that he would be a bold witness in Germany. He will be speaking among believers and church leaders, but the setting is very different from what we know of churches and conferences in Kenya. His audience includes people that are much older and very conservative. Pray that they would be open to hear about different ways of doing ministry and about what God is doing in Africa. Pray for connection because everything will have to be translated into German and so much can be lost in translation. Pray also that he will be able to form significant relationships with the leaders of the churches he visits.

Pastor Oscar is also accompanied to Germany by Pastor Gowi Odera and Rose Muiu. Pray that they too will be used by the Lord to minister in Germany. Pray protectively over their families in their absence.

Pray for Germany. There are only 4% evangelical or charismatic Christians and the church is widely perceived as irrelevant and is marginalized. That the nation can be the spiritual hub it once was. Pray especially for the youth. Most of the remaining Christians are in the older age bracket. Ask the Lord to bring a revival, even through the witness of our Pastors and other people from Africa.

Relocation countdown: 76 days to go! Don't be left behind! Ask questions, or give your comments at the Relocation Tent, or at twende@nairobichapel.org

Relocation Connections: Do you know an Individual, an Organization, or a Company that would be interested in giving to our Relocation but you do not know how to tell them about us? Give us their contacts, on the email above and we will speak to them.

Relocation workdays are every last Saturday of the month. Coming up next is the Ekklesia Workday on 30th June, from 9 am.

Special Thanks: To Rose Mwaura and Preferred Personnel for helping us in our search for an Admin and Finance Manager. Preferred Personnel put a huge ad. in the Nation, interviewed and short-listed the applicants, all for free as a service to the church. Thank you so, so much! Because they have been such a blessing to us, we would like to bless them back in return (even though Rose doesn't know we're doing this today). If you have a vacancy to fill and need head-hunting services, please feel free to contact them on 0722716505.

Ushers training and team building time - change of date: it will be on Saturday the 30th of June, not the 23rd as we had earlier announced. This will be a great time to refresh our regular ushers and for the new ushers to meet the team.

Congratulations to Pastor Linda Ochola (Mavuno Church) and Rev Peter Adolwa (Lavington United Church). They will be getting married on the 23rd June here at the tent, at 12 pm. All their friends are welcome.

Interns Mission to Dar es Salaam: Our interns BG, Mercy, Gedion and Tim leave for mission to Dar es Salaam on Friday this week, the 22nd of June. Besides being involved with a church there, they will carry out a survey and research for the church we intend to plant in Dar in the very near future.  They will need our prayers and financial support. If you can support them financially please give your contribution at the Info Desk after the service.

Here are some interesting/ funny quotes for you dads out there:

”A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.”
"A king," realizing his incompetence, can either delegate or abdicate his duties. A father can do neither. If only sons could see the paradox, they would understand the dilemma." Marlene Dietrich.
 “That is the thankless position of the father in the family-the provider for all, and the enemy of all." J. August Strindberg.
"It is a wise father that knows his own child." William Shakespeare
"It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was." Anne Sexton.
"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." English Proverb.
"A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father." Gabriel García Márquez.
“By the time a man realizes that his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he is wrong.”
“Dad: Hero and bank—rolled up in one!”