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Learn More On the Situation in Kenya: The video to the right is a CNN report from January. If you mouse over the bottom of the video you can access several other more recent reports. On What We Can Do Together: John White sent out the following information to several of his friends as an email. It describes the background to this website and how we can work together to help... |
| All of us have been drawn into simple/house churches believing that Jesus had more in mind for church than what we had been experiencing in the institutional church. At this present moment, we have the opportunity to explore more deeply Jesus' idea of church by partnering with simple churches in Kenya in this time of their desperate need. Let me give you some background. In the Fall of 2006, three of my friends Greg Strand (Indianapolis) and Jan and Tina Cowles (Denver) were asked to come to Kenya by church leaders there to teach on simple church. What they found during their 16 day stay was a situation prepared by God. They ministered in several different cities but here is a comment from Greg following their 4 days of training in one of those cities called Kitale:
Since that trip, scores of simple churches have been planted by the Kenyans in their own country and in surrounding countries. Greg and Jan and Tina have continued to stay in regular contact with the Kenyan leaders through email and phone (Skype). In November of 2007, my friends, Roger and Brooks Thoman (Central California) traveled to Kenya to further encourage the leaders of the growing simple church movement there. Here's what Brooks reported:
Then, this last December, shortly after Roger and Brooks returned to the US, widespread violence broke out in Kenya as the result of a disputed presidential election. Thousands have been killed, hundreds of thousands have lost their homes. Many of our new simple church friends have been deeply affected. Here's an email from Isaac Cheduke to Roger:
This is where simple churches in North America and the rest of the world come in. A number of us have felt that we are to present this situation to the simple churches here so that they can ask Papa how we are to partner with the simple churches in Kenya. Here's what we have done... 1. A Kenya Listening Team has been assembled. This is comprised of Greg Strand, Jan and Tina Cowles, Roger and Brooks Thoman and Dawson Mudenyo (a house church leader in Kenya). Their mission is to listen to what is going on in Kenya and to listen to what God is saying about what to do about it. Specifically, they will direct whatever funds are contributed to help in Kenya. 2. This website has been set up. We will use this website to keep us all informed and to provide a way for those who want to donate to do so. So, here's the bottom line. This is an opportunity for us to step up and partner with brothers and sisters who are on the same journey we are on. We are not working through huge organizations or ministries here. We are working through relationships. I know the people on the Kenya Listening Team and I trust them. They know the house church leaders on the ground in Kenya and trust them. Isn't this the way we pictured simple church working? |
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