Christian Mungai
9 min read ⭑
“Some of the furthest people from God seem so near, yet some who seem far are actually closer. You never know that God is all you need until you discover that God is all you’ve got. And there is no better way to explore these fundamental truths than to engage life in community and, to a deeper extent, a diverse community in every aspect….”
Christian Mungai is the global movement pastor at Mariners Church in Irvine, California, where he has been on staff since 2007. Christian is a native Kenyan who serves as a missionary to the United States. He is passionate about deploying the global church into what God is doing around the world. His book People are the Wealth: An African Vision for a People-Focused, Missional Christian Life releases in October 2025.
In this interview, Christian shares his passion for seeing the gospel lived out in community. He shares with readers his weekly practice of “fireside chat discipleship” that provides a space for vulnerability among the men in his life. He dives into the topic of solitude and how, even as an extrovert, he craves time alone to ground himself so he can be fully present to the people in his life. Christian also opens up about certain failures he experienced and how they’ve led him to a deeper understanding of the grace of God.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
Food is always about more than food; it's also about home and people and love. So, how does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?
There was a staple food I grew up eating: ugali and sukumawiki. Ugali is a type of grits and sukumawiki is kale. We ate this almost daily. I had sworn to myself that I’d never eat it when I “grew up.” Needless to say, it’s now my go-to meal. I could have it every day. See, I grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, on the east side — a place called Eastleigh. To me, it was home; to many, it was “the hood.” Life was both great and tough; but it was our life, and we were super grateful. So ugali and sukumawiki was the cheapest and most accessible food. On some occasions, we would add some type of meat to make the meal a delicacy. I ended up in India for college, and Indian food stole my heart. The tantalizing flavors are so rich and mouthwatering in comparison to my bland Kenyan food. So Indian food is my favorite cuisine. But ugali is my heart language; it’s nostalgic — especially after not living in Kenya for the last 28 years. America is now the land of my home, but Kenya will always be the home of my land. The soil calls its son, and ugali and sukumawiki allows me a taste of its soil.
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QUESTION #2: REVEAL
What “nonspiritual” activity have you found to be quite spiritual, after all? What quirky proclivity, out-of-the-way interest, or unexpected pursuit refreshes your soul?
Every Sunday night, when I am home, I gather around a firepit at my home with seven guys who are my boys. We enjoy a great drink, and we prepare the most decadent wagyu steak on a crackling, almond wood fire. What that creates is the perfect intentional environment for the most raw and real conversations that I’ve come to call “fireside chat discipleship.” In fact, some have called me the pastor of burnt offerings and communion. Yes, we light up a burnt offering as a sweet smelling aroma unto the Lord. To date, the smoke always goes up, so I feel like the sacrifice is accepted.
This is my refill, refuel, relax moment of my biweekly sabbath rhythm. Most want to rest from their work; I’d rather work from my rest, and this allows me to do exactly that. Rest isn’t necessarily doing nothing, but it’s a change of rhythm. The firepit conversations are exactly that. Once you light up the fire, put meat on it, and grab a drink, it says, “I am here for a while, and I am here to stay.” Watching a fire is really inexplicable. The potency of it in a controlled environment can’t really be fathomed. Any question asked is followed by the most raw, real, vulnerable response that allows each of the guys to put his guard down and basically allow heaven in. I wish I could tell you how many things have happened from these conversations, but I’ll leave that for your imagination. I promise some of it will surprise you.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness; every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So, what’s your kryptonite and how do you confront its power?
As a kid, I dreamed of becoming the first professional soccer player from my tribe. See, I grew up in Kenya, which has 44 tribes. My tribe, The Agikuyu, was not known for soccer prowess. But I was determined to break that reputation. However, my incredible Christian academic parents wanted me to make much of my life and not give myself to a “hobby.” They sensed I had more to offer than my fledgling soccer skills. One of the incredible sacrifices they made was to live on the east side of Nairobi, which was affordable. But they sent us to school on the west side, which bragged of its great schools. As a result, I grew up not being “east” enough for the east, nor “west” enough for the west.
This has served as a metaphor for one of my fatal flaws. I have an inherent and insidious need to be needed and to be significant. I don’t want to be ignored or be irrelevant, even if it means creating chaos so I can be noticed. I am a loud person by nature, but I amplify the noise to be un-ignorable. Needless to say, this has lent itself to a myriad of failures — moral, behavioral, mental — all of which have led me to a deep reliance on God and made me treasure God’s grace. “He who has been forgiven much, loves much.” Inadvertently, I have wound up wanting to desire for others what I so desperately wanted but sought out in the wrong ways: to be known, to belong and to be valued. Isn’t that what we all want?
Today my life’s mission is “to excavate the image bearer in every human being for the sake of building bridges globally.”
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
I was born in Kenya, educated in India, and moved to America. I belong to all and, at times, have been rejected by all. But the grace of God finds me no matter where my locale is. I have made it my life’s mission to invest in and engage people, no matter how bad it seems. And I’ve also discovered that all that glitters isn’t God. In fact, some people are so poor — so, so poor — that all they have is money. And the most important things in life aren’t things.
Some of the furthest people from God seem so near, yet some who seem far are actually closer. You never know that God is all you need until you discover that God is all you’ve got. And there is no better way to explore these fundamental truths than to engage life in community and, to a deeper extent, a diverse community in every aspect: race, temperament, gender, social structures, generations, etc. My dad always told me this Kikuyu proverb (paraphrased): “Son, money will make you rich, but it will never make you wealthy. You are only as wealthy as the people you have around you because people are the wealth.”
This is the topic of the book I have just written. It explores the untapped potency of the inherent value and dignity in every human being and the depth that is realized in community for the sake of cultural renewal of all things. It explores the life of breath from the breath of life in community — juxtaposed with the grand narrative, the greatest story ever told. The Bible is mainly embodied by someone for something together.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Whether we’re Cashiers or CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need God’s love flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
One of my favorite places in the world, surprisingly, is the Sinjar Mountains in Iraq. It’s not only beautiful, but it’s home to some of the most hospitable people in the world — the Yazidi people. I remember the first time I went there. We were to see them in their humble camps after they had been displaced from their homes by the terrorist group ISIS. When we arrived in their temporary tents, they immediately went and made us hot bread and brought us their jam, figs, fruit and cheese. We were all flawed as we sheepishly ate this meal, which may have been their last. One of the elders told me that in their tradition, you have to eat what is offered to you so you can give them a chance to be a blessing. There were five of us, and there wasn’t a dry eye as we imbibed this sacrificial meal.
Over 70 genocides have been attempted against the Yazidi people, yet they remain hopeful, kind, hospitable and connected in community. I asked the elder about his aspirations and dreams for their kids, and he immediately said, “To farm our lands and eat with our kids.” My pressing him for more only yielded the same response. After a while, it hit me. Isn’t that what we all want — to work and then eat with those we love?
This is one example of what makes sense and gives meaning to my life: knowing people, valuing them and making them belong. When I do this, I feel God’s presence — like Eric Liddle in “Chariots of Fire.” I come alive as I engage the image of God in his most excellent of creations, his people, and then connect them globally. As I do this, I get a glimpse of the glorious future where there will be no more genocide, hunger or any form of brokenness. Back to shalom, heaven — nothing missing, nothing broken. And we can get a foretaste of it now as we engage his image bearers.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So, let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?
A friend of mine usually says the delta between information and transformation is reflection. I have gotten into the spiritual discipline of solitude for reflection. As an extreme extrovert, I have been confounded by my insatiable desire to spend time alone, which allows me to look back and look forward and hence be present with people as much as I can when I am in their presence. I love people, yet to be with them, I need to “put on my own mask first.” I need to reflect on my learnings and also check my ego. The ego can be so fleeting, and, if not engaged, it can lead to a hopeless end. But when checked, it leads to endless hope. This is found in reflection with God at the center of it all.
So I do it as often as I can — for sure on my birthday and two to three long fasts a year (not more than 21 days of water only). The framework I use is simple, yet it works for me. I reflect on my private, personal, professional and parking lot aspects of my life.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and changed your heart?
When I went through a moral failure as a leader, I disqualified myself. But my leaders at that time invited me into a rigorous, brutal and honest restoration process. That was when it hit me for the first time that failure isn’t fatal or final, and if you let it shape you, it can be great fodder for transformation. It’s the beauty of grace that transforms, but the yoke of duty conforms. I have been changed by the beauty of grace, which is available for all, but it got paid at the most extravagant cost to our Savior. There is nothing more beautiful than a man dying for people like me who put him on the cross.
Certain things can be godsends, helping us survive, even thrive, in our fast-paced world. Does technology ever help you this way? Has an app ever boosted your spiritual growth? If so, how?
The Bible app is my go-to, of course, I must admit, after social media platforms — so sad. But the Bible gives me insight to engage the social platforms. I am learning not just to consume content, but to engage others in what they have. Connecting with their content is connecting with the person and not just spewing my content. The Bible app gives me the right thinking and challenges me to right living. I have started cherishing the Lectio 365 app for reflection.
QUESTION #8: dream
God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So, give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
I love this so much. I am working with many across the globe to create a global family that foreshadows heaven here on earth. The community is comprised of global Christian leaders who are multiethnic, multicultural, multigenerational and mullti-sectoral who disciple the next generation of globally-minded leaders for the sake of societal transformation with the gospel.
Christian has a powerful understanding of community. He says, “This is one example of what makes sense and gives meaning to my life: knowing people, valuing them and making them belong. When I do this, I feel God’s presence….” Christian reminds us that real wealth comes from rich relationships in our lives. How does the gospel make its way into your relationships? How can your investment in the lives of people around you change them for the better? How can you be changed by their investment in you?
Christian Mungai is a native Kenyan who has answered God's call to be a missionary to the United States. He serves as the global movement pastor at Mariners Church in Irvine, California, where he has been on staff since 2007. Christian is passionate about deploying the global church into what God is doing around the world. He is married to Delta, and they have a daughter named Kabi.
