Listen to the president as he recalls the NICS story...

A need was addressed…

Some missionary kids in Korea needed a school. After much prayer, our founder, Joe Hale, responded to the need and, with the help and support of a few other missionaries, the first school was started in 1983. Little did we know that God would use these humble beginnings to start a movement that would one day touch the world.

People responded…

Expecting 30 students, the first year saw 83 students enroll. Within a few short years the school had grown to be one of the largest international schools in Korea.

God did His thing…

Many students from those first years received Jesus Christ as their Savior. “Open” enrollment allowed children from all faiths to be exposed to the Good News of Jesus Christ. While the first few years saw primarily Americans enroll, by the fourth year of the school, children from many different nations started to show up. These children were not only from varied cultures and backgrounds, but also from a variety of religious backgrounds, including Christian, Jewish, Mormon, Buddhist, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, and animist. Because of the school’s good reputation academically and morally, along with reasonable prices, parents enrolled their children in record numbers, and we began to see tremendous spiritual impact. God was indeed putting something together that was bigger than all of us! This was not originally intended to be a global plan to reach the world, but God’s heart for the world pushed us forward, as He opened our eyes to what He was doing in our midst.

A worldwide strategy developed…

While we were doing our best just to learn how to operate a school overseas, God was laying out before us a plan whereby we could literally touch the world from our classrooms. In Korea alone, we have over 60 countries represented in the student body. We began to see what God already knew:

• He was bringing the world to us
• These people were people of influence in their respective countries
• They were more open to the Good News when they were outside their own culture
• They were willing to pay tuition fees that would enable us to pay our staff and also cover most ongoing expenses
• We could make a tremendous contribution to the greater Body of Christ by helping provide Kingdom workers’ children with the kind of education they need
• This “expatriate” community exists in large numbers in most major cities of the world; therefore the strategy could also work almost anywhere
• By networking and partnering, much more could be accomplished than any individual school or ministry could ever do alone
  

As we prayed and responded to what God was doing, it became necessary to form a new agency. Network of International Christian Schools (NICS) was incorporated in January 1992, and plans began to expand beyond Korea. The first project outside Korea was planned for Bangkok, Thailand.

Growth...

God has blessed far beyond what any of us could have imagined!

In 1993, NICS began to launch new schools throughout Asia. In addition to starting new schools, some existing schools joined the network. Schools were then added in Indonesia, Singapore, China, Japan. Presently NICS has nineteen schools in: Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Brazil, Peru, Suriname, Japan, China, Kenya, Ghana, Turkey, Central Asia, Bolivia, Venezuela and NorthStar Academy (our on-line school) headquartered in the USA.

OASIS International Schools

It soon became clear that the expressed needs in some countries demanded a different approach. OASIS International Schools was formed as a way of meeting needs in countries where there is sensitivity to openly-Christian operations. As a faith-based agency we have found that we can effectively serve others even if the school does not function as a Christian institution.

Progress

We’ve come a long way in a short time…

• Home office established in Memphis, TN, area; presently staffed by 24 people
• Home office primarily supported by overseas operations
• Over 600 staff on the field; 200 new staff per year placed
• Mostly salaried positions (80%)
• Approximate $36 million overseas income (19 schools); $5.1 million stateside income
• Present cost per year in US-generated income to maintain one person on the field: appox. $5,000.
• Fundraising primarily only necessary for:
  a) New Project Start-ups & stabilization costs
  b) Supplemental income for some staff (newer projects and larger families)
  c) Special needs (i.e. technology)

Projections

The future looks bright…

As God allows and provides, we will continue to expand the network.

Praise be to God…. GREAT things He has done!

Thank you for your prayers and support.