Director's Report: A Year in Review for the ILC
The 2019-2020 ILC program year has been a year of impact and deepening our ministry roots, locally and globally among the nations. We are grateful for the vision laid out before us that continues to strengthen our resolve to stay true to our calling as a ministry and ministers in reaching the nations of the earth by starting in our own community.
International leaders and partners working together to bring the transforming power of the Kingdom of God in multicultural communities around the world.
Let’s take a closer look at the elements that define our ministry and how you, our community, have helped to established, support and strengthen the call of God on the ILC through your prayers and financial support.
ILC Leadership Residency Training Program
The mission of the ILC is to discover and equip international leaders for transformational ministry in global cities. We continued our Monday evening gatherings, that allowed us to do just that, in January 2019 with our local and global ministry leaders, with the vision of sharpening leadership skills and growing local international churches ministries as part of our continual ILC Residency Leadership Training Program. These disciple-making ministries are focused on sharing the Gospel and the love of God with the unreached in Middle Tennessee as well as serving the most vulnerable in our region.
Our Leadership Residency Training Program focuses on developing and reaffirming biblical principles to enrich the minister and his/her leadership competencies, the minister’s biblical message and foundational doctrinal soundness, the strategy for successful ministries and the kingdom focus of the mission of each ministry locally and globally.
Ministry leaders from 14 different nations participated in regular ILC program elements, which lasted from January 2019 until May 2020, saw 13 “graduates” honored in May 2019. These leaders represented over 10 nations from around the globe, who have demonstrated service, leadership and ministerial aptitude in their respective missions. Our next class of “graduates” or honoring of 8 ILC residents will occur in the near future. Since 2018, the ILC has been privileged to train 32 local and global ministry leaders, with missions to reach various international people groups. We have been honored to actively partner with these leaders through our ILC program.
“From prayer, to studying the Word, to the interpersonal care/conversation/encouragement - nothing compares to the fellowship and building up of our souls, minds, and relationships that we receive through the ILC.”
We also launched our quarterly ILC Community Nights, as a way to celebrate the nations of Middle Tennessee, strengthening the relational bonds of unity between Americans and internationals and getting focused in our call and mission to reach the nations with the Good News of Jesus Christ. These community nights were well received amongst the ministers of our region, averaging over 80 leaders from over 20 nations, from multiple denominations and generations, worshipping and celebrating God’s move among His people, both locally and globally.
Local Impact of the ILC
The activity of ministry among our international leaders and pastors is unprecedented. Many working full-time jobs on top of ministering full time, continues to educate us on the grace and call of God on our lives. They have been and continue to be actively involved in pastoring the flocks, growing the Great Commission churches, leading discipleship groups and seeing the Gospel sown among the unreached Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist people groups for the first time in decades. Many have come to claim Christ as Lord and are becoming disciples and witnesses for His goodness and grace because of the prayers and efforts of these leaders.
“I learned how a leader can empower others in the ministry to help with the load and raise new leadership.”
We saw many new churches being planted in Middle Tennessee among the unreached, including ministries beginning by our ILC leaders through the medium of the internet, gaining them access to reach even more people with the Gospel around the world.
We have been humbled to see our impact and reach in Middle Tennessee through the ILC, by representing the international community, which consists of over 91 people groups and over 50 nations, in multiple major regional events, bringing together hundreds of churches and organizations, representing thousands of believers.
In February of 2019 and 2020, Awaken Nashville, a movement which brought together hundreds of churches and ministries in Middle Tennessee into a 30-day time of fasting and prayer for our region, the ILC was invited to represent the international community at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN for the ceremonial kickoff, allowing a handful of these international leaders to be highlighted and recognized with citywide leaders as thousands lifted their voice in worship.
In October 2019, the ILC represented the international community of Middle Tennessee at the Governor’s Day of Prayer for the State of Tennessee at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN. What an incredible opportunity and time for the international community to be represented and affirmed for their contribution to our great state. We were honored.
Our community partnerships this year have continued to grow in number as many have a longing to not just serve international communities but to partner wit the international Church. These services allow for opportunities to see physical needs met but open doors for gospel conversations and relationships to be built as we strategically partner with leaders and pastors from these nations. These partnerships represented 23 international churches, 32 local churches and several partner non-profit ministries (the number continues growing), serving the most vulnerable populations in our communities.
Global Impact of the ILC
Sewing centers planted in remote areas of other nations through the ministry of an ILC Resident, to provide job training and life skills to widows and the persecuted.
We saw new doors open this year in the opportunities for our ILC leaders to go to the nations, including new territories and hard to reach lands. These were strategic, anointed relationships that gave invitations to have these leaders come, not just come but also be given access to platforms, people and purpose in these nations. We can assure you the gospel was shared and foreign ministries were grown, strengthened and encouraged in the coming of these leaders. We continue to hear reports of the fruit that is still being harvested from those trips. Countries including Ukraine, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Greece, England, Kenya, Uganda, Congo, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico and Nepal have all been impacted by the ministry of our ILC leaders this year.
During these global mission opportunities, the impact has provided for:
Ministry leaders were trained to reach their indigenous people groups
Disciple making movements were initiated among college campuses
Job skill development workshops were offered to improve the lives of the most vulnerable in their own native land, specifically among widows and the persecuted
Bibles and resources were translated and distributed in new languages not otherwise available
Sewing centers were opened to teach life and job skills to the impoverished, enslaved and persecuted in nations closed to the Gospel
Underground house churches were visited and encouraged along the journey of faith
Financial resources were sent to assist in very desperate situations all around the world
Our Future Vision, Call and Mission of the ILC
Looking ahead locally to 2020-2023
We are hopeful and encouraged at the continued ministry, impact and release of the ILC and its residents in the coming years. The seeds sown in these last 3 years has provided us ample ground to reap greater harvests and build.
“To be a minister in our multicultural society can be a challenge. I found the way that each teacher has explained the Biblical approach to make disciples in this context very helpful.”
We will continue to:
Train and equip international leaders through our ILC Residency Training Program and hope to reach and raise up more leaders from other nations in Middle Tennessee
Provide an digital platform for our Residency Program online (COVID-19 has shown us not just the need for this but also the ability to reach more people and train more leaders)
Plant more worshiping communities among existing international people groups in Middle Tennessee
Plant more discipleship groups among all existing people groups and especially among the unreached people groups (Less than 2% believers in these groups)
Partner with local churches and like-minded ministries who share the same passion for evangelism, discipleship and ministry among the unreached people groups of Middle Tennessee
We hope to:
Expand our ILC outreach, ministry and Residency Program to the rest of the State of Tennessee.
Prayerfully moving towards the opening of a missionally minded ministry center to serve the educational, economical, social and spiritual needs of the international community in our region
Looking ahead nationally to 2020-2023, we hope to:
Offer our Residency Program in-person in two more cities in the United States
Offer our Residency Program online for candidates from other states
Prayerfully moving towards the opening of a missionally minded ministry center to serve the educational, economical, social and spiritual needs of the international community in our country
Looking ahead globally to 2020-2023, we hope to:
Offer our online Residency Program in international cities where pastors and leaders are in need of bible training
Support our existing ministry efforts in Southeast Asia with humanitarian resources and open 3 new ministry centers in 3 new nations, ideally in areas populated with unreached people groups.
Facilitate ten mission and ministry partnerships between local American churches and indigenous churches or ministries overseas in areas where the ILC enjoy presence via existing ministry partners.
We are forever grateful for the how the Lord continues to meet the needs of the nations. How He continues to identify and affirm the calling of men and women to rise up and take their place in the kingdom and see His plans go forth. We feel it is an honor and extreme privilege to come alongside these men and women and strengthen and equip the saints for the work of ministry.
There are many among us who have yet to hear the Gospel for the very first time. “For such a time as this…” is the Lord’s anointing on His word to go forth throughout the earth, to see many come into saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and heal the earth. We are believing for 91 people groups from over 40 nations right here in our own community to have a worshipping community established among them in their own language and to have native pastors and leaders to disciple and shepherd the flock.
Your support has allowed us to fulfill out mission and see the vision come to pass. We call you friends. Thank you.
We welcome your continue prayers and consideration for 2020-2021, to partner with us in reaching the nations of Middle Tennessee and around the world.
Read some more testimonies from our ILC Residents sharing how the ILC has impacted them and their ministries here.
We honor you.
Till the Whole World Hears,
