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STATEMENT OF NEED Our supply of manuals has become critically low in most of the 15 countries we serve. We need to reprint significant numbers of these teaching tools so to put them into the hands of young people and their leaders. Tomorrow's leaders need these materials today. There is wide interest among more churches to start the Icthus ministry and there is great potential for reaching many more young people, but we cannot meet this need without manuals. THE ICTHUS MINISTRY The basic unit of the program is an Icthus group - young people who meet weekly in a church, a school or a park. They learn lessons about Christian citizenship, play games, study the Bible, and learn good habits. They have camps and they do service project in their communities. They also do hobbies and sports. Icthus has groups in some 500 churches meeting weekly throughout Latin America. We provide a multi-year curriculum that is augmented by camps and other special outings. At least twice a year each group gets involved in helping others through community service projects. At age 15 or 16, young people are eligible to become assistant Guides to teach and train the younger children. Each Guide receives up to 200 hours of quality leadership training and experience. They can then become Coordinators -responsible for several Legions. This is excellent training for future church and business leaders of their communities. There are four Icthus programs: Little Fish - ages 4 to 6 years Icthus helps all denominations to be more effective as they work to fulfill the great commission. The Icthus program helps children to develop their spiritual, social, intellectual, and physical potentials. The Icthus program's main lifeblood are its manuals. Icthus manuals are divided into sections called Resources. Each Resource contains three sections. These are:
Each resource is divided into lessons called Challenges. Every week their leaders, called guides, bring a Challenge to the group. The students will work on the Challenge as a group. Examples of some of the challenges are:
RATIONAL It has been said by Icthus leaders that the manuals and materials for the children and guides are the life blood of the program. Without these materials it is very hard to have the programs. We need to print manuals for all four of the Icthus programs (Little Fish, Benjamin, Legions, and Icthus Youth). In the past we have tried to provide manuals from 2 or 3 central locations but this is expensive because of transportation costs and import duties (in some countries). Also, now the countries are needing larger numbers of manuals as the ministry grows. For a fully functioning program, we have found that it is easiest and most cost effective when the national office can print in quantities of 500 to a 1,000 of the children's manuals at an average cost of $2.50 each. Quantities of the leaders' manuals do not need to be as large. The difficulty is that the national Icthus programs have an extremely difficult time of getting enough funds together to sufficient quantities of manuals at enough of a low cost. The printing of small quantities result in higher costs for the children and their guides. Our goal is to provide funds for publishing to as many countries as possible. They will print the manuals and sell them at close to publication cost so that funds can be recouped to print more. This money will operate as revolving funds so that the countries will be able to provide for publishing needs for years to come. The funds will be administered and audited by each country. Icthus International will provide training and overall supervision of the use of the funds to assure that they are being used for their purpose and maintained as revolving funds. NEED - $10,000 Given the need for manuals throughout Latin America, we need a total of $10,000 to be able to provide grants to 6 to 8 countries of $1,000 to $1,500. Five hundred childrens manuals can be printed for approximately $1,250, - a cost of $2.50 each. Countries that have national Icthus organizations and have the infrastructure to be able to administer the funds are: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic. Other countries with Icthus will be provided manuals from the nearest country. The Icthus program is equipping local churches through its manuals to reach out effectively in life-changing ways to children. All across Latin America, children who have the Icthus manual and program are learning practical and important things that will help them in their lives. From Mexico, through Central America and all the way to the tip of South America in Chile, we are facing the same challenge - we need more manuals and materials to meet the needs of the Icthus groups. For more information contact: Don Weisbrod, President Click here if you want to Donate Online. Note: Icthus International is a 501(c)(3) organization and is a member of the ECFA.
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