Mission StatementTo prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Ephesians 4 v12. |
International Christian Youthworks links and serves like-minded Evangelical youth ministries around the world.
Our shared heart is to empower and train emerging leaders to reach young people with the gospel of Christ.
Our shared emphasis is to serve the local church in those areas where, for whatever reason, resources are limited and consequently youth ministry struggles.
Our commitment is to release and support emerging leaders to serve the church, by providing them with visionary, practical and Biblical accredited training, and meaningful support structures.
ICY is a relational partnership of like minded Evangelical Christian ministries across the globe who serve the local church in their own areas or nations. ICY doesn’t own any of these ministries, but merely seeks to serve them as they serve local church and young emerging leaders.
Our shared heart is to empower and train emerging leaders to reach as many young people as possible with the gospel of Christ.
Our shared emphasis is to serve the local church in those areas where, for whatever reason, resources are limited and consequently youth ministry struggles.
Our shared commitment is to release and support emerging leaders to serve the church, by providing them with visionary, practical and Biblical accredited training, and meaningful support structures.
We provide models which can be adapted by the local ministry to suit their own culture and context and work on behalf of all our partners in ways each individual partner would struggle to do alone.
So for instance ICY recruits emerging leaders from across the globe, links partners up with training providers, and networks these ministries with one another to help each local work gain a bigger perspective and be a part of an exciting global community.
ICY is registered as a limited liability company in the UK, and an NGO in Uganda and Kenya. It is seeking registration in the USA
ICY’s specific vision is to empower churches to reach young people for Christ, particularly where, for whatever reason, resources are so limited that without help little can be achieved. We seek to develop dynamic partnerships, and through these to offer existing and emerging visionary leaders creative opportunities for leadership, networking both locally and globally, and training and study. We believe that “on the job training” as part of a vibrant, visionary team is both the most effective and fulfilling way to study and train, and the most fruitful and inspiration way to minister.
Vision is important to ICY, but not
as much as values. These values are doctrinal and practical, (and so for instance, they include a commitment to encourage a love for scriptural ministry), but they are predominantly relational. A core value is that each partner should prefer the others in love, based upon Philippians 2 v1-11.
Ultimately though ICY is more than visions and values, it is about virtues. It is about who we are, more than what we do, or even how we do it. ICY is committed to serving a new generation of emerging leaders who demonstrate a passionate love for Christ through integrity and holiness, and who simply seek to know the Father better and give Him pleasure and glory. We aim to be a dynamic community which reflects kingdom principles, each part participating and contributing not for its own sake or benefit, but for what it can give both to the others and supremely to the Lord.
ICY Executive Directors are Colin and Melissa Piper.
Colin is a Global Youthwork Strategist from the UK, whose passions are Jesus, young people and rugby. He has been involved full time in youth ministry for approaching 25 years and now spends most of his time advising, encouraging and supporting youth ministry around the globe. He is also a speaker and author of a number of books including most recently: Patriarch.
Melissa is an Australian, married to Colin and therefore UK based but with a particular heart for Oz. She shares Colin’s passion for Jesus, young people and all kinds of sport. Formerly a political lobbyist from Canberra, Melissa has been a school chaplain in both Oz and the UK.
Colin and Melissa are Associates of the European Evangelical Alliance with a specific responsibility for training church youth workers across the continent.
ICY USA Directors are Lucas and Jody Parry
Lucas and Jody met in India while serving as missionaries. Together they have traveled the world and have been actively involved in youth work for fifteen years. They have a passion for training up young people to be missionally minded leaders around the world. Lucas is also a recording artist who travels and motivates people for mission through his concerts. Lucas hails from Sydney Australia, and Jody from New Jersey. Jody and Lucas join ICY USA to pioneer the bachelors training program in Nashville TN and help grow the network throughout the USA.
ICY Kenya Director is Peter Abungu
Peter is Kenyan and heads up ICY Kenya and its partner work, Praise Youth Ministries. Married to Julie, Peter is based in Nairobi where he heads up a team of ICY tutors and Bible Teachers who deliver the ICY Bible Teachers Course across East Africa
ICY Training Director is David Isgrove and Pastoral Care Director is Linda
Isgrove.
David is an educational consultant based in the UK. He has travelled extensively and enjoys the vigors of the big outdoors. His number one claim to fame is dancing with the Queen Mother. He has written a number of accredited courses and now oversees the links with our training and study partners, including Australian College of Ministry, Birmingham Christian College and Together in Mission. David acts as Study Consultant to students around the globe.
Linda, a trained counsellor, works closely with her husband, David, on training, but has a particular passion and responsibility for Pastoral Care and Prayer. Linda and David live in Birmingham, England, and have four grown up children. Linda is a trained counselor, and serves on the leadership team of Riverside Church, Birmingham.
MNet UK
ICY’s network in Great Britain is coordinated by the Missional Network of Youth Ministers. Ironically while the Brits focus on serving the global ministries it is left to a group of Americans and Australians to focus on the UK. MNet is chaired by Kyle McKinnon. A Masters graduate from Trinity, Kyle hails from Ohio, and is sent to the UK by Reign Ministries. He is married to a Brit, Jane, who has just had their first child, Isaac.
MNet is directed by Charlie Morris, together with his wife, Ruth. Originally both from Canberra, Charlie and Ruth juggle the Youth Pastor role at St Johns Warmley with the coordination of MNet. They have one child, Timothy. Darin and Joy Stevens, also from Ohio, Trinity and Reign Ministries complete the MNet executive. Based in Bicester, Darin and Joy oversee the coaching and the Diploma course for MNet. They have two beautiful children!
ICY Uganda Director Wilson Kabera
Based in Kampala, Aaron and Wilson head up a team who both coordinate missions and carry out youth ministry in the heart of Africa. They receive the Ministry Support teams and Mission Trips sent from other ICY partners around the globe.
ICY Tanzanian Partner: Alliance Ministries
Alliance Ministries is headed up by Simon Chanilla who is a Tanzanian based in Dar es Salam. Simon combines his studies for a Masters in Missional Leadership with a groundbreaking schools and training ministry. He also coordinates the mission trips and Ministry Support Team members sent from other ICY partners.
Other ICY Global Partners
ICY also has partners and associated works in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Finland.
For more details on all these ministries click on the flags below:
Where are ICY
