We had the awesome opportunity to spend the summer of 2024 in Kenya. God provided for our whole family to be on mission together, and we are so thankful for the ways God moved. Jack was invited to be a guest lecturer with the Kenya Baptist Theological College for their summer term, and we were glad to say yes to this open door!
Our Family
God answered many of our prayers! In our last month in Kenya, God helped us...
Develop meaningful friendships!
Loren and the kids were able to develop friendships with a few locals including Esther, one of our Kenyan neighbors. She loves children and said she’s been lonely. She spent most of our waking hours the last couple of weeks with us.Source clean drinking water!
Every few days, a local man on a "boda-boda" (small motorbike for hire) would arrive with two 20-L bottles at strapped to the back. Teddy was delighted to find our “boda-boda friend” could also bring him fresh sugar cane bought off the street vendors.Help our kids begin to process all they experienced!
Their young minds are muddling through what God is doing inside them - no small feat for anyone who has been involved in missions! He is giving us peace that as Lord over All, we can let him be Lord over their minds and hearts as well.
Thank you for praying with us! Please keep it up.
The KBTC
The KBTC has three levels of degree programs for students: Bachelors is the highest, Diploma is the middle (like an Associates degree), and Certificate level is the lowest.
The Bachelors students are seasoned servants who think well, understand their local contexts, are respected in their churches, experienced ministers.
The Certificate students are generally younger and with less exposure to academic study. The Certificate program is a leveling program, helping students who did not finish high school to gain core Bible knowledge and basics of theology. Those who perform well can progress to the diploma program.
The school and its leadership have been through some trying times the past several years. They have faced numerous challenges, but God has provided and brought them to where they are now.
Through God's provision and some wise stewardship, the school is now debt free.
The school has many needs. They need more qualified teachers. They need more buildings to accommodate growing students body. They need more books to update their library. And, they need more local partners.
The KBTC really needs our prayers. Please join us in praying for the school.
The Bachelors Class
Bachelors students were older, wiser, more seasoned in ministry, and more prepared academically to critically and meaningfully engage. Almost all of them were senior pastors leading congregations.
Jack lectured and facilitated robust dialogue for 2 hours each morning on the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. His lectures focused on the background, purpose and core themes of each books, taking care to elucidate how each book highlights certain aspects of God’s character and mission.
They paid special attention to each of the covenants, with each student writing a research paper on a covenant of their choosing. Jack has just received all their research papers, and he is looking forward to reading what they have learned
Both the preparation and the class discussions were a real joy. Jack’s already scheming about when and how he can do more of this! Please pray for more opportunities to do teaching like this.
The Certificate Class
The certificate class was on the book of James. These students (on the whole) were much younger and were newer to both academic study and vocational ministry. Most were youth or childrens ministers.
Jack approached this class like a hands-on workshop where the students approached James as the testbed for developing skills of reading, interpreting and teaching of the Bible.
How to identify themes, how to construct a teaching outline, and how James aligns with and complements the teachings of Jesus and Paul were all frequently discussed.
In this class, Jack was intentional to bring discussion back to the central message of James – Jesus gives joy in the midst of trials for those who trust and follow his teachings.
Many of these students come from areas with no trained pastors at all. The needs are great, but the students are motivated!
Thank You!
You equipped us with books and study resources. You gave generously to send us to Kenya. You prayed for us and encouraged us. You are a part of what God is doing.
The needs for untrained pastors are immense, but together as the body of Christ, we can strengthen God’s church and enourage our brothers and sisters across the globe.
“When are you coming back? Will you bring more friends to teach us?”