Joseph is a first year apprentice serving at PCEA Ngaini Parish in Nyeri, Central Kenya. He serves as the youth and children coordinator. He shares his experience for the past nine months that he has been there…
My name is Joseph Kiguru Mwangi from Gatundu south, Kiambu County. I started going to church in primary school but became a Christian in high school after hearing a sermon during a Christian Union Sunday service.
After campus I had a desire to grow in the knowledge of God and had personal struggles in my Christian walk and many questions concerning the gospel. I applied for the apprenticeship program not sure whether this was the right place for me to grow. But praise God that this was indeed the right place for me to be helped. Many of my questions got answered and it’s been awesome learning the gospel; knowing that I am a great sinner and Christ a great Saviour. Being taught and hearing the gospel over and over has really helped me to grow in gospel convictions and to live a life shaped by the gospel. This has opened my eyes to understand that I was not preaching the gospel formerly but moralism and prosperity.
Through the training, reading my Bible and gospel centered books, I have come to learn that the gospel is for everyone (Christians and non-Christians). I have been challenged on how to faithfully handle the Scriptures in my interpretation and that the Bible is one story from Genesis to Revelation all pointing to Christ. That Christ is our motivation to do any good thing and it is in the gospel that believers grow/mature in faith in Christ and not moralism.
In my placement I am involved in organizing youth and children events like conferences, rallies or seminars. I help in preparing youth and children teaching materials, facilitating Bible studies with the youth, teaching children and training Sunday school teachers. Also, preaching in the church, youth and Christian Union services.
We have been able to do Bible studies from the book of Colossians, Galatians and Romans during the conferences, seminars and normal days which has helped us to grow in the knowledge of God and to love Jesus more. Also doing one on one discipleship and by the grace of God we (the youth), have been growing immensely in our faith.
The apprenticeship programme has had a great impact on me in growing faithful Bible teaching skills thus being able to point sinful men to the great Saviour. All this has awakened in me an overwhelming desire to be a church worker/missionary in future seeing that people are in dire need of the gospel. I have grown in my preaching and communication skills. The journey has not been easy because my family has never understood and embraced what I’m doing as legitimate, and many other challenges. But above all, Jesus is my motivation and reason to continue serving to the end.
