Five Islands
Christian Ministries Inc.

About 5icm

5icm is an umbrella organisation for ecumenical ministries that serve the Illawarra region of Australia (Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama local government areas). Follow the links above to find out more about the member ministries: Revival Ministries, Illawarra Christians Connect, Illawarra Seniors Band, and Illawarra Christian Choir.

5icm member ministries accept the teaching of the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds and see Christ’s indwelling Holy Spirit as the basis of Christian unity. 5icm supports the churches' work towards greater visible church unity as expressed in the National Council of Churches in Australia Covenant. Illawarra churches can covenant locally using the Illawarra Interchurch Covenant. Already 4 churches participate.

Christians believe that God loves people unconditionally. God wants to save them and give them new life. We become a Christian by responding in faith to Jesus’ invitation to be one of God's people. Although there are differences in the teaching, practice, and government of the various churches and denominations, the apostle Paul wrote that we should be “making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Christians believe that Christ's Spirit dwells within each of them and that he desires to reach out to everyone with the love of God.

5icm seeks to assist ecumenical ministries so that they will be more effective in serving others. Member ministries benefit from joint incorporation, charity status, insurance, Internet exposure, a contacts database, and prayer support. All Illawarra ministries and churches benefit from the prayer and support of a region-wide Christian network. If you would like further information or are interested in joining, please contact us.

5icm History

In 2005 the team starting Five Islands Healing Rooms found it took them a whole year to set up the incorporated organisation and obtain charity status. On 21/9/2005 the fortnightly Clearing the Way for Jesus email prayer letter commenced with a distribution of 77 email addresses. The Healing Rooms team also found that they could share the organisational status and public liability insurance with other ecumenical ministries. So, in 2006 the name was changed and other ministries were included starting with Wollongong Gospel Choir, Illawarra Prayer Network, and Revival Ministries.

The healing rooms ministry closed down in 2008 and other ministries have come and gone over the years, notably the Illawarra Prayer Network (2006-2020) and the Wollongong Gospel Choir (2006-2023). The Clearing the Way for Jesus distribution is now over 4,000.

Frequently asked questions

  • Do you ask for money?
    No, and 5icm does not charge for service. 5icm, itself, is somewhat self-funding through returns from investments. All funds received go towards the costs in running the ministries and progressing the aims of 5icm. If you want your donation directed to a specific member ministry, just let us know.

    Direct deposits may be made within Australia into the 5icm IMB account (number available on request). Alternatively, cheques made out to “Five Islands Christian Ministries Inc.” may be sent to "The Treasurer", 1 O'Gorman St, Albion Park NSW 2527

    Five Islands Christian Ministries is a not-for-profit charity. The Australian Taxation Office classifies 5icm as a religious organisation, and donations are not tax deductible.
  • How to become a Member?
    Membership is free of cost and open to both individuals and ecumenical ministries. Anyone wishing to join 5icm needs to be a Christian and agree with the aims of 5icm. There are many possible areas of support including participation in meetings (2 each year), the 5icm website, Facebook Group "Illawarra Christians", the Clearing the Way for Jesus newsletter, the member ministries.
  • Who to Contact?
    Public Officer: Derek Thompson
    Phone: 02 4256 5780
    Postal: 1 O'Gorman St, Albion Park NSW 2527
  • What is the 5icm Privacy Statement?
    Personal information held on the 5icm database may include name, address, email address, phone number, mobile number, church, Christian organisation, ministers and church prayer contacts, and Facebook and LinkedIn details. No financial account information is included in the 5icm database. Your personal information stored on our database is available to you to read and will not be passed on to a third party. Your personal information may have been obtained from someone else and is usually obtained from publicly available sources on the Internet. You can have your details removed from our database by sending us an email although a record of your name will be retained on the 5icm database to prevent the information being added again in future.
  • What are 5icm's Organisational Details?
    ABN 28 067 194 840
    Incorporation No. INC9885093
  • Charity Status
    Download the Charity Status Certificate here.
Contact

admin@5icm.org.au

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