Douglas Otisoand is from Nairobi, Kenya, and is the lead pastor of Umoja Church of the Nazarene, located in the heart of the city. For years, Otisoand had understood ministry as being limited within the church walls and through its programmes.
However, after training in urban ministry, he realised the need to ask a different question: How does a church become relevant to its neighbourhood?
The answer was not to wait for people to walk through the church doors. Ministry also meant going out, sitting with people, listening to the challenges they face and showing the love of Christ in tangible ways.
Otisoand began focusing on young people in the area who were struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. Rather than viewing the young people as a problem to be managed, he began to approach them as individuals made in the image of God, needing love, acceptance and a genuine opportunity for transformation. He began intentionally spending time with them, with no agenda beyond building relationships.
The effort has taken root. Now, 26-30 of these young people meet every Saturday to share a meal, talk about their lives and discuss matters of faith.
“What I have learnt from those Saturdays is simple: Relationships are usually the door through which the gospel comes,” said Otisoand.
Change has been gradual and uneven, but it is visible. Some participants have begun to turn away from destructive habits and are now attending church and listening to the messages—a remarkable progress that seemed almost impossible at the beginning.
Two challenges continue to emerge, food being the first. Many of these young people do not have access to regular meals, making spiritual conversations more difficult than one might imagine. Otisoand is praying for continued resources to provide meals each Saturday.
The second challenge is access to professional support. Addiction is a complex issue, and a church cannot address every aspect of it alone. The church hopes to engage counsellors and rehabilitation professionals with expertise in addiction to join the ministry, either as volunteers or at minimal cost, to help guide these young people towards recovery.