As Chris Okoth walks around the Kariobangi slum, he greets people he knows and calls out to a group of children, who respond with delighted shouts. He pauses and shares a Bible story with them, then they pray together. Then he’s off again, eager to check in with more members of the community.
Chris Okoth is a pastor who works with slum and rural communities. He runs a church and a children’s day care centre in Kariobangi, Nairobi, Kenya, and also reaches out to street children from Laki Sama, Baba Ndogo and Dandora (which is home to a huge rubbish tip). 
The church is a key part of the community, helping those who need food, childcare, schooling, and those who feel lost or are struggling. “The community has needs and we have the solution,” says Chris. “When I go there to do evangelism, door-to-door, or on the streets, I get a response.
The church used to be a club – a place for gathering and drinking – but when it became vacant Chris saw the opportunity to turn it into a church, so that he could share good news in the community, and also have a base for discipleship and practical support: “They need teaching the Word of God and they need follow-up. 
They also need moral support,” says Chris, referring to the daily struggles that people face of poverty, ill-health, lack of education, and low-paid jobs.
It’s because of these essential needs that the church is also a centre for childcare and family support, offering a safe space for children while their parents go out to work. “The parents who have to go and work in the city hotels so they can come home with money to feed the family, where do they take the children? I created an environment for mothers and single parents, so they can have the opportunity to work.”Chris and the church also support the many children who live on the streets. “I talk to them,” says Chris. “They are not easy to talk to because they feel that they are in another world – they run away. I pray to God for favour and grace. Then they hear me. They welcome me. They listen to what I have to tell them.”
Chris’ ministry is about putting God’s Word into practice and also sharing it with others. “Lifewords has helped me because I can teach confidently, show the story through pictures in the booklets. And, I can reach out to anybody, to any age, to any life situation. There is a booklet for everyone.” As he makes friends with street children and introduces them to Jesus, he shares You Matter. He helps them feel that they do matter to God and also to people, like Pastor Chris. “The children pray, some feel sorry for what they have done, and have been doing to their parents, siblings and friends,” says Chris. “The booklet really touches them.”
The practical support together with the invitation to connect with God is making a difference in this community. 
Last Christmas, Chris and the church gave out gift packages to people. “Pastor Chris brought us a gift pack,” says Naomi who lives in Kariobangi. “I loved everything there, but the greatest thing was the OUTSIDE/IN booklet. It helped me know that I am invited to be in God’s family.”
