Proclaiming The Good News Of Jesus Throughout The World
The Ichthus Family Overseas is made up predominantly of individuals trained by Ichthus and then commissioned to serve Jesus in a variety of nations around the world. Many of our workers are engaged in church planting as well as ministries among street children, refugees, children and serving in churches led by nationals.
The countries we are presently serving in are France, India, Lebanon, Nepal, Norway, Thailand and Turkey. In Ichthus we also send out short term teams; sometimes this may be a team drawn from our London congregations, or may extend to our link churches. Short term teams will have a focus for example on evangelism or supporting a week of children’s ministry. Sometimes we send out prayer teams to support the ministry of a church, or worker. We also respond to requests from our overseas workers for Ichthus leaders to speak at church conferences, to attend ‘in nation’ meetings, to preach, teach, minister to leadership teams and offer pastoral support where needed.
Ichthus is a member of Global Connections and Abi Willetts who heads up the Ichthus Overseas Work is on the GC Council. In Ichthus we also support Tearfund and the Integral Alliance. The Ichthus Prayer Community are committed to praying for the work of Integral as they serve the international Christian relief and development alliance of agencies.
The Ichthus Overseas Strategy Team meets monthly and is chaired by Abi Willetts. At present those serving on the team bring their experience of many years of church leadership, apostolic ministry, member care, health care, prayer leadership and recently returned overseas workers. The team takes responsibility for prayer cover, member care and organises our annual Overseas Conference in the UK.
Giving to our Ichthus family
If you wish to receive further information on how to support world mission through Ichthus please contact Abi Willetts, our Overseas Co-Ordinator abi.willetts@ichthus.org.uk
Overseas workers respond to Covid-19
Report by Abi Willetts, April 2020
The response of our Overseas Workers to the present Covid-19 crisis has been very moving. We see our workers doing all they can under different national lockdown restrictions to help distribute food to people with no means of feeding themselves and families having lost work. This includes trying to feed street children who have been temporarily housed and those who have no financial support without basic jobs and caring for those who are the poorest of the poor and often in nations with healthcare systems also rated low by international standards. In Ichthus we are standing with our workers still serving in nations under lockdown restrictions where at times there are fears over ‘foreigners’ and where there are also threats from political instability as well as the virus and long term pressures from the rise in refugees.
Reflections on Church Planting
Henry & Lydia George, January 2020
In August 2015 we moved to Thailand as a church planting team. This is was an experience like no other! All the challenges of adjusting to changes in culture, spiritual atmosphere, language and climate made us rely on God in a way we have never done before. The joy, however, of seeing God use us in our vulnerability, and touch people’s lives, built our faith incredibly.
Nepal Mission
Report by Phil Tate, February 2019
I was privileged to visit our good friends and partners in the Gospel – Milan and Shusma for 9 days along with Dan Holland. I can only describe this as a truly amazing and inspiring experience, where I was able to gain so much from observing and serving among the Nepalese believers. The main focus of the trip was to for Dan and I to speak at a conference in a region called Hedtauda for around 200 Nepalese. The title was ‘Serving the Lord Joyfully in the Holy Spirit’ and let me tell you there was so much joy released through the gatherings of praise and worship. We also had the opportunity to visit some believers and speak at the Annandit Church in Kathmandu and at some of the newer church plants.