Reverend-Mike-Muthengi-left-with-former-Citam-Presiding-Bishop-Boniface-Adoyo./ PHOTO ;Courtesy
Imara Springs Life Chapel, a newly merged congregation formed from Lifespring Chapel and Lightwing Chapel, was officially inaugurated on Sunday, November 16, in a ceremony presided over by Nairobi Chapel Presiding Bishop Oscar Muriu.
The event brought together church elders, founding leaders, and long-serving members who celebrated what many described as a historic moment and a continuation of God’s work across generations.
The merger marks a significant milestone for both congregations after years of prayer, discernment, and organizational transition.
Bishop Muriu, drawing from Ephesians 2:19-22, affirmed that the foundations laid by past generations were not being erased but strengthened. “We are seeing, embedded in history, a continuation of God’s work in the church,” he said.
Reverend Mike Muthengi, now leading Imara Springs Life Chapel, shared a vision focused on discipleship, spiritual maturity, and replicable models of ministry that help families grow in faith.
“We want simple, biblical ways of discipling people so we can expand what God has entrusted to us,” he said.
Bishop Peterson Rukenya, who closely accompanied the merger process, pointed the congregation to Haggai 2:9, reminding them that the promise of greater glory ahead still stands.
He encouraged the leaders to trust God for speed, unity and growth.
“You are the shoot the Lord has planted—the work of His hand,” he said.
A Call Back to the Great Commission
In his sermon, Bishop Muriu delivered a deeply challenging message centered on the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20.
He reminded the congregation that Jesus’ final command was not to build churches, accumulate members, or grow assets, but to “go and make disciples of all nations.”
Using a vivid illustration of Jesus ascending into heaven, repeatedly asking the disciples what He had instructed them to do, Bishop Muriu emphasized how easily the modern church confuses its priorities.
“We are doing everything we can to build the church we want; bigger numbers, more land, more assets,” he said. “But the one thing the church does not do well is make disciples.”
He warned that the church’s fixation on size and status has often come at the cost of genuine spiritual formation, resulting in “Christians by name” rather than disciples who follow Christ with conviction and sacrifice.
Bishop Muriu outlined five marks of a true disciple:
- Loving Christ above all else
- Carrying one’s cross and dying to self
- Obeying Christ’s teachings
- Loving fellow believers
- Bearing spiritual fruit
He explained that spiritual formation happens in stages and that only a small minority, “no more than 10 percent,” he estimated, ever reach the fourth stage: the journey to surrender.
This, he said, is where believers truly yield their lives to Christ and become willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of the gospel.
“The church’s success must not be measured by its numbers or assets,” he cautioned. “It must be measured by the depth of commitment and Christlikeness in its members.”
Turning to the new church’s leaders, Bishop Muriu issued a clear challenge: “Reverend Mike, the question Jesus will ask at the gates of heaven will not be how many people you had in your congregation.
The question will be: Did you make disciples?”
A Church Rooted in Legacy, Moving Into Purpose
The service closed with blessings from elders and founding leaders, many of whom were present at the earliest gatherings of Lifespring Chapel decades ago.
They reaffirmed their support for the new congregation, committing to nurture it as it grows.
For many, the day symbolized both a culmination and a beginning a merging of histories, callings, and communities into one church family.
As one elder reflected, “This is a new child with two parents. But ultimately, it is God who has formed this child. May He bring it to maturity, stronger than before.”
