NIST Field Ministry

 At NIST, we are committed to train and nurture Christian believers into Christ-like servant leaders, who will be able to provide leadership to the church in Africa and the world, primarily through evangelism, discipleship and leadership training. As a result of this practical emphasis, this past year NIST faculty, staff and students were able to expose 48,134 to the gospel. In total, 3,822 people indicated decisions to receive Christ as their Saviour. The NIST community was able to follow-up 2,461 people which is over 50% of those who received Christ and 2,414 people were discipled which is also over 50% of those who received Christ.

 Tesfaye Kamisso Horesa- Mdiv Leadership

One student who excelled in his Field Ministry while at NIST was Tesfaye Kamisso Horesa (M.Div Leadership 2009) and received the top Masters award. As a young man, Tesfaye was imprisoned for seven years for his faith but refused to deny Christ. Since then Tesfaye became a well known and influential Christian leader in Ethiopia.  Three years ago he joined NIST for the Masters of Divinity in Leadership.  He came for further training but unexpectedly found his own life profoundly transformed by the teaching and training he has received at NIST.  He says, “I am committed to bringing the same transformational Leadership Training I received at NIST to the emerging young leaders back in Ethiopia.”

 Jonathan Mutinda

(HD in Theology 2009) received the top Diploma award. He says, “Since I joined NIST I have preached to over a thousand people through one on one, small groups and in large groups. Over two hundred have given their lives to Jesus and many have developed into multiplying disciples. I have managed to reach to street children (chokoras), students both in secondary and colleges, drug abusers and the abandoned people in rural areas of Kenya. I have also managed to train others in evangelism and discipleship. As a result I have disciples who are spreading the gospel in Meru, Nairobi, Kangundo, Machakos and other parts of Kenya.

 Caroline Wairimu- Diploma

I did my internship at the State House Girls. When I went there and spoke to the principal she was excited, she told me she would speak to the head of counselling department. I was given an office, but no student came there. I decided to visit the sick room where the students who are not feeling well are.  Here I got to meet and counsell a lot of girls and some really opened up to me. I discovered a lot of things were going on in the school for example cases of lesbianism, Satanism etc. I prayed for God to give me wisdom and show me what I need to do. I shared with the counselling teacher an idea to organize a day of prayer and fasting. When she shared this with the principal, it was decided that instead of a day we should have a whole week of fasting and praying. During this time even the Muslims in the school had to attend. A lot of the students (hundreds) gave their lives to Christ and deliverance from lesbianism and Satanism took place. I give glory to God. I was even offered a job at the school; the principal said , “We do not want to go on this semester without you.”

 Julia Muganda-MA Counselling                            

I have a passion for the low class people in the society I. For my FM631 Multiplying Discipleship class, I formed a small group with the watchmen and my house help. One of the caretakers heard what I was doing and came to me asking for material that he could use. Instead of giving him materials, I asked him to form a group at Kibera and I would lead it.  When the group was formed and we started meeting, I decided I will not just evangelize but also use my counselling skills that I have acquired at NIST. I have met this group 3 times and they are eager to hear about Christianity and they keep bringing their children and husbands.  Because they also have financial needs, the group I formed in my house has formed a company, for scrap metal. They are now 20 and as a result have improved their living standards.

 George Kinyanjui- MA Leadership

George Kinyanjui has a discipleship group of 7people in Karen and they have established 4 other groups who are discipling 14 people. They shared Christ with 30 others and 9 received Christ in Sept. George says” Evangelism was awesome this month. We all went to a high school, Komothai girls school, and shared Christ in a large group to 800 and one on one to 30 and saw 9 receive Christ one on one and 20 received Christ through the large group!”

  Sebastian Muthoka-Higher Diploma    

Before I came to NIST I used the Four Spiritual Laws traditionally without formulae.  When my class and I went to Kiserian and taught on the four spiritual laws, I was able to know how to use it in the right way and I also discovered it was a great, simple way of sharing the gospel. After the training at Kiserian, I went to a girl’s school of about 200 students and shared on the 4 laws and at the end more that 50 girls received Christ! I did the follow-up on Saturday. On Sunday I went along with my wife to teach her how to share the four spiritual laws, she was very happy. Since I was not able to make regular visits to the school, I gave the names to those girls to be followed up to the principal.

 Faith Kavithi-MA Counselling              

Faith has two discipleship groups, one of six at her church and another of 4 in the market.

In October, Faith reported that her disciples are now leading 4 groups with 3 in each so have multiplied to 12 people. In November Faith and two of her disciples were able to share the gospel with 100 people at Korokocho and 27 received Christ.

She shares, “I had two experiences sharing the gospel this month. The first was with a Moslem man that I kept sharing the gospel with and he began saying that he needed to experience what I was talking about, so he accompanied me to church on Sunday. He said the experience at church was different than the Mosque; he was used to going to the mosque which was a religion. He began to see something different at church. When I heard him say that I shared the gospel with him and he received Christ.” But he was jobless; his shoe business had gone down and he had a lot of needs so I prayed for him and the following day he got a job!

“The second experience was in a bus, where I befriended a young woman and when I said I did counseling she asked if I would counsel her sometime. We agreed and exchanged numbers. But before we could meet, I met her on the bus and she began to open up to me. She shared that she had been planning on committing suicide. I counseled with her and she said she needed to go back to God. She had been heartbroken by a man but as I shared Christ with her she received Christ and Christ’s love is becoming real to her.”  Through this experience I have learned that it is good to integrate my skills of Counselling as I share the gospel.

 Erickson Munyaka-Diploma

I came up with a strategic plan to minister to the technical staff at my church because we assume that they know Christ, but perhaps they do not know Christ. I was able to meet with 15 of them and shared the 4 laws and now I am doing follow up with them. I discovered that they feared sharing the gospel because they thought their ministry is only to handle the technical issues. They are growing in their ministry now more than before and have become more involved in the ministry.

 Lucas Wokabi-MDiv Missions

As we get into an economy that works for 24 hours, we as believers need to also start winning souls for Christ 24 hours! I have been doing this in my multiplying discipleship. I have also discovered that there is potential in people. I shared the gospel with one person who went and shared with four people. I shared with another one person who shared with two people.  We need to equip people and see the potential in them and in this way we will multiply disciples 24 hours every day.

Rachel Bugenimana (M.Div CS) ministered to 200 students in Burundi during her Field Ministry Internship and 50 gave their lives to Christ.

Joyce Odongo (M.Div BTS) trained her worship team in evangelism and follow-up and they went out sharing their faith and saw 20 conversions in two hours.