On March 17 and 18, many business people will descend on Kitale, Kenya to rededicate their business to the Lord. The Kenyan Discipling Marketplace Leaders team is calling this "Commanding the Year" and we will spend hours in prayer together to lay our work before the Lord again as His ambassadors in the Marketplace. We continue to seek reconciliation through our work, as it relates to how we do business before God, with others, and our interaction with creation. Our prayer time will be spent on this quadruple bottom line, with speakers who will guide the prayer time to focus on economic, social, missional, and environmental concerns. As marketing is done for this event, please pray with us that people will give of their time and join us for this important time of prayer.This week Discipling Marketplace Leaders will have a Training of Trainers in California for the development of a US team who will begin to go out with us to the places to which God will call them. The teams we are seeking to build will ideally have person trained in theology and one business person, to be able to reach both pastors and business people. I'm happy to share the names of a few of those who will be joining this team:
- Michael Thomson - as Michael has his M.Div, he will be a great partner with me, and we are hoping that the Lord will allow us to team teach together in the future.
- David Graf - a businessman who has been a prayer partner, encourager, and advisor to me since 2004. I've wanted Dave to get directly involved in this work for 16 years and finally he is taking that step!
- James Nowell - a businessman who has been working with us since we were in Liberia, James has also been an advisor, prayer partner, and encourager in this ministry since 2007. He has taught in Liberia and we are thankful he is joining this team now!
- Kent Ringger - a pastor and entrepreneur from Indiana, Kent has been teaching at the Africa Bible College in Liberia for many years. I met him while in Liberia and have stayed in contact every since. He started a large church and refused to hire anyone to be a pastor unless they had worked in business, as he wanted pastors who could relate to his members. Business as Mission has been near and dear to his heart for many years!
- Jim Ippel - a businessman who went on a trip with us in Liberia in 2008 and has wanted to get involved in a more direct way for some time. We are thankful that God provided a way for him to join us for this trip.
- Dave Champness - a pastor and businessman from Bakersfield CA, who also serves on the Board of Directors for ICM-USA. Dave travelled with us to Guatemala last September and believes in the message of DML, wanting to take to other places.
- Mel Fox - a businessman from Bakersfield CA, who has been involved with ICM-USA for some time. Mel is feeling led by God to get more involved in the ministry of DML and also travelled with us to Guatemala last September.
There are a few others who will be joining us as well. Please note that this is mostly a male team thus far! If you are a female pastor or business person and would like to get involved, please email me at renitar@icmusa.org and I can send you the information on how to become a trainer. Please pray for this team to have a time of learning, sharing, and unity this week, that God may be lifted up in the Global Church.
Soon after that, the trips will start to Kenya (March 13), then Uganda (March 19), and then Ethiopia (March 26). We continue to covet your prayers for this work as we seek to join God where He is already active.
We also were able to come up with our numbers from 2016 and wanted to share that with you as well, especially those of you who are contributors to this ministry, both in prayer, encouragement, and financially. We are excited to see the growth but know that growth is about more than what we can share in numbers. [Please note that different countries are at different stages of implementation and sensitization, as this is an evolving process.] Please pray that God will continue to raise up an army of believers who know how to be transformational for Him in their place of work.
Activities
|
Totals
|
Pastors who attended two-hour introduction (Kenya,
Ghana, Ethiopia)
|
183
|
Pastors and Church Leaders who attended Two Day Training
(Kenya, Ghana, Guatemala, Nigeria)
|
524
|
Churches Using "30 Days in the Marketplace"
(Kenya, Ghana)
|
14
|
Churches engaged in twelve-week basic business
principles training (Kenya, Ghana)
|
21
|
Number of businesses who started twelve-week training
(Kenya, Ghana)
|
319
|
Number of businesses who completed twelve-week training
(Kenya, Ghana)
|
314
|
Number of other churches represented by people in
business training (business people attending training who are not members of
the host church)
|
36
|
Number of Commissioning Services (Kenya, Ghana)
|
8
|
Number of Marketplace Ministers Commissioned in 2016
|
314
|
Total Number of Marketplace Ministers Commissioned since
starting in 2013
|
886
|
Number of Trainers (Kenya, Ghana)
|
48
|
Number of businesses involved in mentoring (Kenya,
Ghana)
|
215
|
Number of businesses involved in advocacy (Kenya, Ghana)
|
478
|
Marketplace Ministers involved in Prayer Walk (Kenya)
|
104
|
Marketplace Ministers engaged in Subject Matter
Expert: Dr. Marsha Vaughn on
Boundaries (Kenya)
|
81
|
Cities where DML is being disseminated
|
14
|
Denominations who are using DML
|
20
|
Amount of Solomon Funds Passive Investments through DML in
Kenya and Ghana
|
$130,227
|
Number of loans given
|
172
|
