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on through his protg Dr. Yambayamba and a capable by Sheryl Giesbrecht, Executive Director, ICM USA staff. Deos new assignment For ten years, Deo Mwamba served ICM DRC Congo is Field Staff missionary. As a on many levels: in the refugee camps of Goma, former Muslim cleric, he has the remote pygmy villages near Lake Victoria, consented to offer his services reconciliation leadership training for pastors, outreach and insights for training to Muslims and much more. So when Deo called country directors, conducting me last April to let me know he and his family had seminars and speaking in the been approved for immigration to the USA, you can Deo Mwamba USA and Africa or wherever imagine my feelings of loss to our ministry in the DRC it is needed about how to best Congo. It seemed the Mwambas work there had just reach the Muslim population. We are excited about begun. Our ICM USA office staff prayed and now we the way God is allowing His workers to expand their see Gods answer. influence. At our International Council meetings in Uganda two weeks ago, we discussed how to best shift gears, now that Deo and Sarah Mwamba are becoming American citizens. Deo Mwamba has been released as ICM Country Director for the DRC Congo, but his work goes Deo Mwamba is an example of how our faithful God provides for His faithful servants. If you would like to invite Deo to speak for your church or missions conference, please send an email to me at sherylg@icmusa.org. 4

Shifting Gears in the USA

International Christian Ministries

Training Thousands to Reach Millions

Transitions: A New Generation

By Dr. Phil Walker, ICM President CM seems to be in perpetual transition. This, for the most part, is good. October 2012 marked a special switch at our International Council meeting in Tororo, Uganda. Every year the ICM leadership from each country gathers to share and plan for the coming year. This year we had eight countries participating.

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One test of an organizations strength and sustainability is how and when it transitions to new leadership. ICM Kenya has transitioned its leadership a number of times but now three other countries are passing on the baton to new leaders. This is especially significant in light of the fact that two of the new leaders are women. Dr. David Omalla is turning over the reins of ICM Uganda to Grace Koelewijn, who happens to be his very qualified daughter. Also, ICM USA has turned over responsibility for day to day operations of ICM USA to Dr. Sheryl Giesbrecht, Executive Director. Finally, Rev. Deo Mwamba, Director of DR Congo, has turned over leadership to his long time protg, Dr. Leopold Yambayamba. The Mwambas have immigrated to the USA.

read the other articles that reveal ICMs growing maturity. Dont miss finding out about our newest ICM missionary, Renita Reed, and her explanation about Business as Mission or Greg Snells article on the recent 200-plus alumni gathering for a two day conference in Kenya. Transitions can be difficult, but when oiled by your prayers and the Holy Spirits leading, they will make a significant and eternal difference. Thanks for your part in history. Check out my blogs at www.ICMUSA.org! 4

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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

ICM, founded in 1986, is an interdenominational nonprofit organization, dedicated to the training and equipping of men and women in Christian ministry and service. ICM exists to serve the church by discipling and equipping her leaders through providing quality, in-service, culturally relevant theological educational and training.
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Like Africa, ICM is coming of age.

Like Africa, ICM is coming of age. We are seeing ever greater maturity and focus. Our past graduates are now Bishops and leaders of national ministries. They are changing their communities and starting to change the nations. Take time to

IN THIS ISSUE
BUSINESS AS MISSION
Reclaiming the marketplace for God

ATS GRADS IMPACT THOUSANDS

Discipleship is a lifelong process

SHIF TING GEARS IN THE USA

How God provides for His ser vants

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www.icmusa.org

Spotlight on ICM Missionaries

Business as Mission
Transition In Community Focus Felicia is a small business owner and Christian, living and working in the Greater Accra area of Ghana. She was raised with the idea of doing business and after working for others began to branch out on her own. With 50 Ghana cedis (about $25 USD) in her hand, she started a business, now named Twelve Baskets,

Renita Reed

Felicia is the perfect example of a business person with a Business as Mission mind set. She has a quadruple bottom line: economic, spiritual, social, and environmental. Felicia has accepted the mantle of being a Marketplace Minister, i.e., someone who has been called to reclaim the redeemed marketplace for God. She believes that God has called her into this work and has blessed her with the talents to do this for His glory. The Business as Mission movement is spreading throughout the world as business people re-evaluate their place in the Church at large, their particular God-given gifts, their role in the community, and most specifically in the marketplace. In the process, lives of individuals and families are being transformed as sustainable income enters the home. Communities are transformed as business owners become leaders in the community and understand their social responsibilities. Churches are being transformed as business owners who are marketplace ministers begin to pray for their employees, customers, vendors, and competitors and the Holy Spirit starts reaching those people in new ways. Churches are being transformed as business owners begin to flourish and tithe. The world is being transformed as business owners consider their environmental footprint and the call to stewardship of Gods creation. I look forward to joining the ICM team in January and working specifically with pastors and ministry leaders to be intentional in equipping, empowering, Renita Reed teaches students how to be Marketplace and releasing Ministers. their business members as marketplace ministers! Send your financial or prayer support to Renita Reed at renitar@icmusa.org. 4

ATS Alumni Impact Thousands

Greg Snell
Africa Theological Seminary Conference Every school that trains pastors desires to be involved in the continuing education of those who attend and yet, for many reasons, are not able to do that very well. To that end, Africa Theological Seminary (ATS) is staying involved in the lives of its students and alumni. ATS believes God has given us men and women not just to educate and give degrees but to change their lives on an ongoing basis so they may lead and disciple others. Discipleship is a lifelong process. Today there are 907 ATS students and graduates and

ATS Alumni Conference drew hundreds of students and alumni.

a place where hearts and minds are transformed and melded into the heart and mind of the One we serve. It was invigorating to see the animated discussion groups formed to reflect on the teaching. Next year we are planning on holding multiple meetings at a half dozen centers throughout Kenya. Please pray with us to see God provides for our needs. Thanks to the Bible League, 5,000 Bibles were given away for attendees to share in their home churches. For every free Bible a 75 training booklet had At ATS Alumni Conference, The Bible to be purchased so that League generously provided free Bibles. those receiving them could be trained how to read them. That means that these students, 90% of whom struggle to pay their school fees, paid out $3,750. They value Gods word and want to get Bibles into the hands of their members. Two of our graduates were awarded motorcycles for use in their ministries. These were also donated to the ATS . We look forward to staying in touch with all ATS students and alumni and we need your help. If you would like to be part of praying for or financially supporting the ATS Alumni Association, please send an email to Greg Snell at snell@usa.com. 4

Renita Reed congratulates a graduate of her Marketplace Ministers program.

focused on recycled materials. This business is named for the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand and then collecting twelve baskets of bread and fish after the feeding. Felicia asks us, Why did Jesus ask his disciples to collect the leftovers? He must have had a plan to recycle and not waste. So too, I want to recycle and not waste. Felicia has focused her efforts in several areas: collecting fabric scraps of material from local tailors to sew into shopping bags and Bible covers; collecting sawdust from area carpenters and compressing the sawdust into wood briquettes that can be used for cooking fire; and collecting used bars of soap from area hotels and melting them down for laundry soap. Felicia not only runs a successful business, she has taken in a number of young women whom she is training in this work. She ministers to them through daily Bible studies and invests into their lives. Additionally, Felicia mentors two other business people in the aspect of product presentation and quality control.

Small groups were a big hit at the ATS Alumni Conference.

we at ATS know every one of them. We strive to contact each one on a monthly basis; they hunger for what ATS can do in their lives. To provide ongoing life change, ATS recently held a student and alumni conference entitled Teaching Like Jesus in Kitale. Over 300 attendees, 33 percent of our total student body, came to hear Dr. Phil Walker and Rev Darryl Bowe teach. Phil and Darryl worked hard to create

Phil Walker communicates transformation through storying.