#AbillionchildrenforChrist—these words are inscribed on the cornerstone of All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi, Kenya, a stunning new addition to the historic property, dedicated in 2022.
The story behind the inscription is remarkable. The Anglicans of Nairobi dreamed of creating a space just for the city’s young people. The cost? One billion Kenyan shillings (converted to 7.7 million US dollars). As leaders prayed over the task, they felt Jesus say, “This is not about a building; this is about the children who will hear about Me. Each one of those shillings represents a soul.”
The building now stands complete, but the mission has only begun. In the same year, Jesus Film Project® started to dream about JESUS—a new animated film about the life of Christ based on the New Testament Gospels—hoping to give every child and their family the chance to see Jesus in their heart language.
Today, we rejoice in partnering with the Anglicans of Kenya and 1,800 other mission agencies who share the same vision: every child deserves to know the One who loves them.
I held a Kenyan shilling in my hand during our visit to All Saints’ Cathedral. Tiny, light, two-toned—it almost feels like nothing. I even asked when I visited a café if I could exchange my bills to bring some shillings home, but the young man laughed: “We don’t have shillings.” Worth 0.007 of a penny from the United States, the coins are easily overlooked, and yet we serve the God of small things—the One who laid it all down for every child, every heart, no matter how far off. And that’s the heart of #AbillionchildrenforChrist. Every child yet to hear about Jesus is priceless. Together, we are working for the day when one billion children know and follow Jesus, and the hashtag becomes reality!
