CTM Developments

As many of you know, CTM has an ideology that promotes the art of listening to people, places, beauty and affliction before developing a strategy for supporting grassroots leaders. Over the past 2 years, CTM Nairobi has been set up as a “listening post” to get a pulse on where strengths, liabilities and opportunities lie in the slums of Nairobi. This is an extremely foreign concept to us westerners. Can you imagine spending 2 years of your life just being present and discerning what it is that you are called to do in a community?

It seems that we are rounding a corner in how we translate the voices that we have heard over the past two years to something that fills a niche in how we serve leaders that are working here in incredibly difficult situations. While loose ends have been dangling since our arrival in September, the recent election skirmishes have given us permission to look at how we as a small, non profit organization, fit into the bigger picture.

We are excited to report that some really cool stuff is emerging over here as CTM walks through a journey from listening to expressing. Training and networking seems to be our strength over here, and is an image of what people are crying for over here. Networking in that models of inclusion across tribal, economical, denominational and sector barriers are far from common and training in that there is a need for the church to nurture a gospel that runs deeper rather than wider. In addition to grassroots leaders, we see valuable opportunities in acting as a convener among several community-based youth organizations that are serving youth from the informal settlements around the city. This is an exciting element as it draws from Gideon's gifts in serving youth and opens an array of opportunities for organizations to collectively provide holistic transformation by sharing resources, collaborative training and pursuing joint funding opportunities.

Who would have guessed that January, the month of uncertainty, could bear so much fruit? We look forward to learning of how this might emerge and request your prayers as we discern and look for clarity during this time. There is a great deal of planning, both formal and informal, that needs to take place. While exciting, it can also be a bit daunting!