Kenya ‹ 36th Street Church of Christ

Kenya

Meru, Kenya

Geoffrey Mwaura Njoroge, a native of Kenya, returned to his home (Makutano, Meru) after working with the South Sudan Project mission effort in Gambella, Ethiopia. He currently preaches at the Kagaene Church of Christ, Machegene Church of Christ, Maua Church of Christ, and teaches at the Meru School of Theology.

Geoffrey received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Nairobi in 2005, and worked as a teacher and counselor in Africa until 2009, when he came to the U.S. to continue his education. He studied at West Virginia University and was baptized into Christ at the Morgantown church of Christ in 2012. Shortly thereafter, Geoffrey decided he wanted to be a preacher of the gospel, with the goal to eventually convert his home village of Meru, Kenya. He enrolled in the Sunset International Bible Institute and graduated in 2015.

Our elders have decided that 36th Street will be the sponsoring congregation, providing the majority of Geoffrey’s support as well as coordinating support from other congregations and individuals. Along with his daily needs, we hope to bring Geoffrey back to the United States to meet his supporters as we begin this work, and from time to time to report on his progress. We also hope to occasionally send a small delegation to Africa to encourage Geoffrey by working with him.

LATEST UPDATES:

Date: September 30, 2023.

Dear Church,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus. My family, the Church, and I, sends you greetings and well
wishes in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We doing well and hope you are doing well too. Glory be to
God.
Purpose:
The purpose of writing this report is give you all an update of the progress of my ministry in Meru as we
strive to serve in the Kingdom all for the glory of our savior Jesus Christ.
Number of meetings:
The Church at Machegene meets twice every week. We meet on Wednesdays (4-6pm) and Sundays
(11am - 2pm). We meet at our Church building though it's not complete.
Number of members:
Machegene Church of Christ has a membership of 42 members. Twenty eight men and forteen women.
Average attendance:
We have an attendance of 30 adult members. Sometimes we get visitors or non members worship with
us.

Preacher:
I, Geoffrey preach and teach the Word of God at this Congregation. Sometimes I invite the preacher
from Kagaene Church of Christ. Mr. Samuel Kanywithia had a deep desire to know the true Word of God.

We studied the Bible with him, teaching him to say what The Bible says. I left the Kagaene Congregation
under his care and only visit once in a while.

Elders:
Machegene Congregation has two elders. Jeremiah and Paul Njati. I taught them them The Word of God
back in 2016. We have been studying The Bible with them and they have continued to help in very many
ways at Machegene Church of Christ. since 2018, Jeremiah and Njati have have shepherded the Church,
edifyed the body of Christ through their faithful teachings, and also serve to protect the Church from
error.
Deacon:
Machegene Church of Christ has one deacon. Andrew Ntoiti has served in this role from the year 2018.
Treasurer:
John Chokera serves as our treasurer. He has helped in this position from the year 2021.
Activities at our Church:
We meet on Wednesdays from 4pm to 6pm for Bible study. Most members do carsual work in their
gardens and sometimes for a pay. Hence they are not available for Bible study before 4pm. Most
members do subsistence farming to feed their families and also suppliment their other basic needs. We
have only one Bible study group because the attendance usually low on Wednesdays.
We also meet on Sundays for worship. The Sunday School arrives early. Most times our deacon also
takes the role of our Sunday school teacher. Other times I teach and share Bible stories with the
children. When possible, we provide tea with milk, and a slice of bread for the kids.
Once in a while, we also provide tea with milk for the members after the service.
Activities Outside our Church:
Outside our Church, on varied days and time, we make home visits to members and non members in our
village. Most times, I am in the company of our Church deacon, or one of the elders. During these visits,
we share our own life experiences, encourage each other in these difficult times, and end with a Bible
study and an invitation to worship with us, for non members.
Other Activities:
At least once every month, with permission from the local authorities, we organize a public Christian
movie show at the market place. These movies are free and for everyone who wants to watch. The
projector and the screen are still in good condition.

What we plan to do in The Future:

Our major future plan is to complete the Church building. From donations and contributions, we have
managed to purchase our own piece of land. The construction of the Church building begun and it's
already at the Lintel level. The building is near a main road and opposite an elementary school. To our
standards and judgement, when complete, the building will serve as the Machegene Church of Christ
building for many years to come. When complete, the building can accommodate more than 200
members and also has an extension for modern bathrooms, kitchen, and a playing ground for children.
When complete, I plan this building to also serve as The Machegene Bible study centre. In my dreams,
the Bible School centre will gradually transform to Machegene Church of Christ Bible School.
Challenges:
But for the struggle we face here traditional doctrines and denominations, our other major challenge
are finances. About 60% of the Church expenses comes from the support funds I get from you. The
money used to purchase the piece of land and all construction materials came from a huge donation
that I received through you Church. The members here were able to provide all the labour, food, and
drinks.
Thank you note:
Allow me to thank you Church for all the support, both financially and in prayers,
you accorded me since I begun this ministry in 2015/2016.
May God continue increasing you all abundantly, both materially and in The Faith.

January 22, 2022

Dear Church,

I Geoffrey, a servant of The Lord, sends you greetings. My family and Machegene Church of Christ also greets you. We hope and pray that you are all doing well in the Lord despite these difficult times.

Year 2021 has been quite trying for my Ministry and the Church here in general. Our Sunday service attendance has gone down from an average of 40 to an average of 25. My Ministry was almost grounded by the restriction of movement imposed by government to prevent the spread of Covid 19. Sunday and any other Church meetings were cancelled and I was completely unable to visit any of the three Congregations I preach to.

I have survived this period by doing home visits. It's my way of door knocking. It worked well for me though I could only meet one individual at a time. I would buy masks, gloves, and sanitizers to give those I would be sharing the Gospel with. Ninety percent of my Church members don't have cell phones. There is no way we could share or meet online. So this way of door knocking was the only way I kept the Church going. I was also able to give communion to the Church members I met at their homes on Sundays.

Through 2020 and 2021, we have managed to purchase a 1/8 acre of land and have built a Church building for Machegene Church of Christ. Through fund raisings, we have built the building using iron sheets for the walls and roofing. The local law though has not allowed us to use the building for Church meetings until we have completed digging and constructing a pit latrine.

Our weekend Christian movie shows temporarily stopped because we were not allowed to congregate. We tried wearing masks but we were unable to keep the 1.5 metre social distance. Hence the meetings were cancelled. I therefore made copies of various Christian movies and distributed them to villagers and friends who have televisions and dvds, for free. This way, I managed to maintain the idea of Christian movie shows going on.

With the lifting of most covid 19 restrictions in mid November 2021, things have a bit returned to near normal. My plan this year is to have the pit latrine completed as soon as possible. Once that is done, I plan we purchase the necessary pews and officially move to our new Church building.

I am hoping and praying for an easier year. I am hoping for a vibrant Congregation this year 2022. My target is an average attendance of 60 adults by end of 2022. I will work hard to teach them The Truth and ensure they grow strong in The Faith.

The Churches at Kagaene and Kanthenge have stabilized but the Church at Mulika is still having teething problems. The Churches at Kagaene and Kanthenge have since constructed their Church buildings but Mulika Church of Christ is still renting a building for Sunday and Wednesday meetings. Through fundraisings and friends contributions, we hope to raise enough funds to purchase a piece of land and construct a Church building for Mulika Church of Christ by end of year 2021.

I will also need to purchase Bibles printed in our local language and also hymn books. Most members have not returned with these items. Lucky for me, Mutare Church of Christ in Zimbabwe recently sent me plenty of pamphlets dealing with different Church topics. These pamphlets have helped me teach on various Church topics with ease. Those who can read English are able to read these pamphlets on their own.

I am therefore kindly requesting for your thoughts, support, and prayers in this mission. God willing, I will achieve my targets by end of year 2022 going forward.

Finally, let me let you know that we also remember you in our prayers. May our Lord continue blessing you all and whatever you do in His Kingdom. Amen.

In His Service,

Geoffrey,

Machegene Church of Christ.

January 12, 2021

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus. I hope you, your family, and the whole Church family are doing well in the Lord. Despite these difficult times. We are doing well and the Lord has been good to us.

Year 2020 has been the most difficult year of my Ministry. I am writing my end of year report on paper because the only cyber that was open has since closed. I hope to purchase my own laptop and comfortably prepare my PowerPoints and other works from my house. This will also help me save on the cost of transport to and from Meru town every now and then. I have also purchased a solar panel, a solar battery, an adaptor and a converter to solve phone charging problems for my neighbors and I, and also provide light at my home.

I will update you on these things and the Congregation's progress here via a PowerPoint as soon as I buy a laptop, hopefully by next week. Pass my greetings to your family and The 36th Street Church of Christ family. We always remember you all in our prayers as we know you remember us. May the love of Christ be with you all...and Happy New year.

In His service,

Geoffrey,

Meru, Kenya.

October 2015 /media/uploads/members/Missions/Oct2015.pdf

January 2016 /media/uploads/members/Missions/Jan2016.pdf

February 2016 /media/uploads/members/Missions/Feb2016.pdf

March 2016 /media/uploads/members/Missions/Mar2016.pdf

April 2016 /media/uploads/members/Missions/Apr2016.pdf

May 2016 /media/uploads/members/Missions/May2016.pdf

June 2016 /media/uploads/members/Missions/June2016.pdf

July 2016 /media/uploads/members/Missions/Jul2016.pdf

September 2016 /media/uploads/members/Missions/Sep2016.pdf