How do you invite someone to consider the hope of the Gospel when their immediate concern is meeting their family’s basic needs?

This is one of the questions Haggai Leader Fredrick Mutunga faces in Umoja Estate, a densely populated community in Nairobi. Many households face economic hardship, while unemployment, poverty, substance abuse, crime, and family instability place added pressure on the community.

These challenges can make Gospel ministry difficult. When people are focused on meeting basic needs, spiritual conversations may feel less urgent. Some young people, discouraged by unemployment and a lack of opportunity, are drawn toward addiction, crime, or negative peer influence. Skepticism toward churches has also made trust harder to establish.

Yet Fredrick sees opportunities to bring Gospel hope into each of these circumstances.

Through regular evangelism, mentorship programs, discipleship, and acts of compassion, he and his church have been able to build relationships, share the hope of Christ, and witness lives being transformed. 

Fredrick knows that we weren’t made to do ministry alone. His main focus in his ministry is raising disciples who can influence others in their families, churches, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. The ripple effect. And because of that heart towards ministry work, 52 leaders have been trained and commissioned, as well as 260 young people that have walked through a four-month discipleship program helping grow their faith and purpose. 

This multiplication model allows equipped leaders to equip others. It creates a locally led network of Gospel influence that can continue reaching people far beyond what one leader or congregation could accomplish alone.

When Fredrick attended the Haggai Leader Experience, it challenged him to lead with greater vision, integrity, excellence, and intentionality. He came to see that leadership is measured not simply by programs managed, but by leaders developed and equipped to invest in others. 

Fredrick returned home prepared to put these principles into practice.

As part of his ministry, he and other ministry partners regularly organize visits to Wings of Hope, a rescue and rehabilitation center that supports teenage mothers rescued from informal settlements. During these visits, they provide food, clothing, essential supplies, encouragement, prayer, and mentorship. The ultimate desire is to restore hope, affirm their God-given dignity, and remind them that their past does not define their future in Christ.

“I believe that the Gospel is most powerful when it is both proclaimed and lived out through acts of compassion.”

This is especially true in a community where hope is fragile and trust must be earned. By combining the Gospel with practical service, they are restoring dignity, building resilience, and bringing lasting transformation to individuals, families, and the wider community. 

written by Leah Spivak