For two weeks in March I was part of an international team assessing how well SIM is doing in Kenya and whether we are focusing on the right areas of ministry, given the state of the Church and needs within the country.

Dynamic seems to be a good word to describe Kenya today. It is growing economically. Political leaders are in the midst of rewriting the country’s constitution. Some 75% of Kenyans identify themselves as Christian.

Islam and Hinduism are visible minorities among the Christian majority. However, Christian does not equal a personal faith in Christ alone for salvation or a life guided by the Word of God.

	Our assessment team conducted in-depth interviews with more than 150 people over 10 days, then identified key elements necessary to strengthen SIM's ministry in Kenya.

Does that characterization of Christian sound familiar? Often during conversations with pastors, mission leaders, and church lay leaders, I found myself thinking, “That could be said of the Church in the U.S.”

Kenya’s porous borders and shores have made it home to peoples from the neighboring countries of Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania, plus a strong population from south Asian countries such as India, making the coastal areas and Nairobi very culturally diverse.

It is into these dynamics which SIM believes God is calling us to serve His Church in Kenya at this time.

There are many people still to be reached. We will continue to focus our efforts in our four-fold ministry thrusts of evangelism, discipleship, ministering to human need, and strengthening the Church in Kenya.

Two SIM ministries for which Kenyan pastors regularly expressed gratitude are the Pastor’s Book Set, which was distributed to 20,000 pastors across East Africa, and our focus on better equipping pastors and laity to live and minister among their Muslim neighbors.

Thank you for your partnership in helping to extend the gospel and strengthen the Church in Kenya and throughout the world.

*Note: This article was originally published in Serving In Mission Together, issue 127.