Recently I was in Nairobi attending a workshop and on the Sunday before my return to the country where I minister, I attended one of the outstanding churches in the city.

Valley Road Pentecostal Church has three morning services attended by some 3000 people each. The worship was uplifting and relevant; the service was well planned and the small drama was attractive. The senior pastor spoke from Psalm 133. It was not expository preaching, but warm, well delivered and relevantly applied to the lives of the congregation.

The church was in the middle of “40 days of community” involvement under the slogan, “Better Together.”  The following Saturday, the Pastor asked all the members of the congregation to gather at one of many assembly points throughout the city for three hours of community service. In the notice sheet was outlined the many locations and the activities that were to be undertaken. They included:-

• Clearing drainage and tunnel near police station
• Do a clean and one on one witnessing in shopping centre
• Visit and serve in home for the aged of  … church
• Clear up trenches in neighbourhood A.
• Visit the children’s home in B
• Tree planting and clean up in C and minister to the sick in D hospital.
• Minister to attendants at the city mortuary
• Children’s funfare witness
• Clean Chief’s camp in E
• Clean up along F road
• Visit homes of those infected by HIV in H
• Clean up in I slum
• Clean passage between J and K roads
• Painting at L police station
• Witness to police families in same location
• Repair a section of Route M
• Visit orphans and widows in N
• Team up with youth ministry to minister to slum schools.

Bill Hybels has said that the church is “the hope of the world.”  Valley Road Pentecostal Church is a church involved in their community seeking to transform the environment and bring the healing message of Jesus. I was inspired and encouraged –  the African church is the hope of Africa and the best news coming out of Africa today. I returned to my country with a new hope and confidence that “through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Eph 3:1)