But how might the Church Look like? This was the big question on 23^rd October, when we held a core group meeting to continue  discussion on the Kikuyu Plant.

We did a recap of the previous meeting : Spiritual mapping of Kikuyu area.

• Social-economic status of the little-town, challenge of gambling, drugs, prostitution, extreme poverty and very rich people, lots of value attached to owning rentals.
• Need of a bible centred church. People are seeking faithful Bible teaching churches and they have to travel to the city or long distance to access one.
• Plan to begin the public gatherings in June/July 2017. Closed gatherings can begin as early as February.

How then might such a church look like? Those present made the following observations…

• Singing and preaching to be Christ centred
• A cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic church that welcome people from different backgrounds.
• A church with its focus of Gospel, living out the gospel.
• A church encouraging small group meetings (cell/home group) to encourage more intimate fellowship/community.
• A church that is deliberate about key ministry areas e.g Children, music, youth etc.
• A welcoming church-that people attending it have a witness of it to outsiders who would come on being invited.
• Deliberate on replicating-with deliberate training and mentorship and encouraging people who are able and convicted to plant churches.
• A church with a culture of welcoming active community e.g a cup of tea after the service to encourage members to get social.
• A church with a focus on preaching/proclaiming the Word.
• A church with true community-a place where there’s genuine care on members as members of one family, e.g when a members misses to come to church, the others members find out where they are.
• A church keen and deliberate on discipleship and discipling many others to ensure that discipleship is an ongoing process.
• A leadership keen on mentorship, such that the leadership are not the only custodians of the word.
• A church not described as “kanisa ya fulani’- we ought to be careful to have an identity in Christ and a group of people rather than a one man’s show eg, pastor.
• A church leadership that keep’s its word.
• A church that will keep time.
• A Church that wisely and carefully stewards it’s resources.

What do you think?

Other Emerging Issues for the next meeting…

• Is it wise to target a particular niche or group of people even as we think of community?
• What about Doctrine? This was the big elephant in the room.

Prayers were held for the matters discussed.

Next meeting to be held on 20/11/2016.