NAIROBI GREAT COMMISSION SCHOOL: 2011

Saturday, December 24, 2011

With profound love this Christmas season

Christmas Greetings from the Ngojes

This one goes to 100 people who have impacted us positively over the years. You are in our thoughts this Christmas season.

To you the workers of the LORD, who preached the gospel and baptized my parents and who later baptized me, we salute you this Christmas season. You came in as young couples ignorant of what lay ahead of you. By faith you left the comfort of home. You braved the flight over the seas and the jungles of the world, in the dark. Like Jonah who was in the belly of a fish three days, you too were in the belly of a giant iron bird destined for distant lands of Africa. You trusted all in the LORD. Because you came, so we are a church in Africa.

To our development partners who have gone out of their way to sacrificially support our children homes, learning institutions, clinics, agricultural efforts and relieve interventions. Thank you all who have donated for ministry needs, church buildings, scholarships for Africa’s sons and daughters. The teachers and the doctors who have come to Africa in the name of Christ against all forms of discouragement and obstacles –international economic recession, theological debate on evangelism versus social gospel, etc.

To those sons of this land who have been going out to the next village to preach, to teach and to serve the people of Africa in the name of God.

To those who have contended with persecution and ridicule because of their faith. And to all our friends, who have ever prayed for us, supported us materially/financially, emotionally, and spiritually. To those who have hosted us in their homes, fed us and clothed us. To those who taught us and those we have taught in the ways of the LORD. And to our colleagues at work and ministry both local and international. Merry Christmas and a happy new year, 2012. Because of Immanuel this letter goes to most nations of Africa, America, Europe and Asia.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

Thursday, December 22, 2011

HUMBLED BY A PROSPECTING STUDENT

Charles Ngoje

Thursday November 8, 2011

Interviewees with members of staff

The 8^th day of November 2011 began normally at the Nairobi Great Commission School –chilly and cloudy. We knew we would have to contend with a long day. Interview for prospecting students has been anything but entertaining. On this particular day we would interview eleven individuals endorsed by their respective churches to pursue training at the school.

The process is well defined; register at the gate, have their papers scrutinized to ascertain their validity, sit for written interview in which their level of comprehension, proficiency in the English language, listening skills and scriptural understanding is tested. Then they would appear before a panel for oral interviews.

The Principal, the registrar and I formed the panel for oral interviews. This would be the final stage, where we would ask the students to explain why they want to come to school, what they intend to do with the training, what arrangements they have made for the upkeep of their families in their absence etc. The first candidate came, the second, the third… and then the eighth.

Alexander Atema 18

When Alexander Atema, the eighth interviewee came in, the atmosphere in the room changed completely. It became obvious that perhaps a greater leader had arrived. Chinua Achebe of Nigeria observes in his book, Things Fall apart, that, ‘A chick that will grow into a cock is spotted the same day it is hatched.’ At the interview we can tell one who will be a great student from one who will be a problem. Our great students have been great leaders out there.

This is what happened; unlike all others, Alexander moved in with confidence and yet with deep respect. He spoke with the humility of an African lamb. He shook our hands firmly with warmth when he came in, maintained effective eye contact and was as sincere as he was fluent in explaining issues.

I fought my tears trying to hold them back, sometimes in vain, owing to his eloquence, the experiences he had to endure in his fragile and yet formative years; and the authentic way in which he responded to the question, “Why do you want to come to this school?”

With a friend of his, they changed their base from the city center to Eastleigh where they met missionary Charles Coulston in person. Charles talked to them and enrolled them at Made In the Streets, a ministry that rehabilitates street children in the city of Nairobi.

But Alexander does not attribute his rehabilitation to Dr. Charles Coulston. He attributes it to God. He said, “God showed me love through his people, I cannot shy away from being equipped to serve Him. It is my prayer that God will use me as his instrument of love to the kids and families on the streets of our cities.” He defined his mission.

“I will glean the most from this school. I am on fire for God.” He said with absolute devotion.

Asked how he learned about NGCS, he said, “Charles announced that there is a Church of Christ School that trains preachers and that he would want for some of us to go to that school. Most of us laughed it off. Nobody wants to be a preacher. To former street kids, preaching is not the most desired responsibility. But for me, preaching is my calling.”

Alexander currently leads in songs, bible study and ushering at the church in Kamulu. He has since learned the trade of working with computers. He repairs computers for the Word Bible School Office, a sister organization to Made In the Streets. That is how he wants to program his life after NGCS. As an evangelist, Alexander will be tent-making as a computer technician. Alexander is all one would hope for in a boy.

As a Kenyan, I want to thank Dr. Charles and Darlene, the missionaries who have been our translation of ‘Mama Teresa’ in our churches. They have not been too loud about what they are doing. You don’t hear them brag of the baptisms they are making each Sunday or of the congregations they are planting to impress their sponsoring congregations back at home. But quietly, they are remolding lives of children. Lives that have known nothing but corruption and rejection. Restoring the image of God into the lives that have been abused and scarred. Putting hope where hopelessness abound. Seeing value where others, without the inner eyes that Charles and Darlene have, see worthlessness.

NGCS takes in students who are 21 years and above only. Alexander is merely 18. His fate rested now with the principal. I held my breath and Tom looked like he was praying over all this. We have a policy, God what do we do? And then the principal spoke. “Alexander, you are mature. We will overlook your chronological age and zero in on your spiritual and experiential age. Congratulations, we will admit you.”

Alexander Atema is a chick that will grow into a cock. He will be a great student. He will be a great leader. Pray for him and for all who will join the Nairobi Great Commission School in 2012.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

WINYO MISSION CENTER

Winyo Mission Center has a church, a school and church leadership training programs. These classrooms are used by the pupils of Winyo Christian Academy during regular school term, When the school is out on recess they are used as dorms and lecture room for Nairobi Great Commission School's leadership training by extension program.

Auditorium which is the school's chapel and church's worship hall. It also serves as a multipurpose hall for seminars and other community programs in the area

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

REPORT FROM SOUTH NYANZA

To the Principal Ngcs and other stake holders,

On Saturday July 16, 2011, the registrar Mr. Tom Opondo accompanied me to a meeting with the leaders of 24 churches of Christ in South Nyanza. A total of 27 leaders attended the meeting which also brought in 10 alumni of NGCS in the area. The meeting was held at the Homa Bay's Farmers Training Center. The delegates at the meeting contributed 100 shillings each which provided lunch, drinks and also paid for the conference hall. That is how these leaders are responsible.

The theme of the meeting was, "Leadership Training for Sustainable Church Growth." Prior to our meeting the leaders took time to give reports on their congregations and this preliminary sessions informed the two us most effectively and even served to validate our meeting. In their reports the following concerns were explicitly experessed:

1. Need for grounding of churches and leaders in Biblical Doctrine
2. It was observed that there is general gross ignorance on Restoration Heritage thus a need for training in the tenets of our heritage (non denominational Christianity, top down leadership structures, congregational autonomy, priesthood of all believers, dispensation theory, Simple Christianity etc).
3. Desire for a biblical and yet culturally relevant redefinition of congregational autonomy was expressed.
4. Lack of all phases of church growth among certain congregations was also registered as a concern. Etc

I called for this meeting because of the above challenges which they themselves tabled even before we took to the floor.

Leadership Training in South Nyanza, has been wanting. The training is conducted at the Winyo Mission Center every April, August and December. Training takes 7 to 10 days at each session. However, enrolment has been below average. There has been sessions where only 4 students have turned up for training. The students have not been paying the small amount of money that they need to pay for their upkeep while in session. The coordinator is mostly stressed when the dates for training draws near.

It was also observed that the management of the training was not representative as our policy requires. All members of the board hail from the Winyo Church of Christ. Our policy demands that members of the board be drawn from different congregations in the region. A prompt intervention was necessary.

The Church of Christ in South is growing very fast and it is observable, as confirmed by the leaders reports, that scriptural edification is lacking, there is general spiritual famine. I believe that NGCS alone has the answers to these needs. And so a need to revive strong, authentic and credible leadership training program became indispensable.

After a long deliberation we agreed:
1. That there is serious need for revamped formal and informal leadership training program in South Nyanza.

2. That we will reconstitute the board to oversee South Nyanza Training Program to include leaders from other congregations in South Nyanza.
3. That we will meet in the course of the year with the alumni of NGCS in the area and other leaders to draw a workable strategic plan for leadership training in South Nyanza.
4. That beginning January 2011, the training here will kick off with strength.

Also at the meeting, we encouraged the leaders to send students to NGCS main campus in Nairobi in the next intake. That it is such people who will in turn come back and help train other leaders in the region. 20 applications forms were issued.

We then presented the resolutions reached to God in a corporate prayer as we held hands in solidarity.

South Nyanza has not had a well structured training program since the missionaries phased out. Mariwa extension center diminished into extinction due to lack of students and managerial challenges. The one at Winyo has not been any better unless this grand radical surgery is administered in its management and structure.

God bless Nairobi Great Commission School

Charles Ngoje
Program director

Thursday, July 7, 2011

HEALING HANDS INTERNATIONAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NAIROBI GREAT COMMISSION SCHOOL

Healing Hands International has come to help NGCS give a practical answer to the persistent question of "How does a graduate of a Bible School make a living?"

Participants at the workshop

We have talked and taught about 'Tent-making' in ministry. Through lessons in Agriculture, our graduates will be able to engage in productive/commercial agriculture while evangelizing. They will be qualified as trainers. Hunger is an enemy to development. They will be able to feed the flock with spiritual food as well as teaching them how to raise food for their physical bodies. In June 13-17, 2011, our coordinators from 13 centers in Kenya went through Drip Irrigation for Food Sustainability Workshop at the Nairobi Great Commission School. They were thankful for the training and word is reaching us that most of them are already putting into practice what they learned. Ebenezar Uduofia and Tom Opondo are coordinating this program. -Charles Ngoje