THIRD FISH ACADEMY
Know Exactly What God Is Calling You To — And Have the Confidence to Step Into It
22 sessions to discover your calling, build practical skills, and prepare to walk it out.
Whether God is leading you to launch a business, strengthen an existing venture, or recognise that entrepreneurship is not your path, Third Fish Academy will help you move forward with greater clarity.
The course, Faith-Driven Business Planner, and 24/7 Online Coach are offered as a genuine gift.
Free. Online. Start anytime. No credit card required.
Success means clarity. Launching a business is a win. Discovering that business is not your calling is also a win.
Built from more than two decades of practical biblical entrepreneurship training across Africa, Indonesia, and Central Asia.
A Personal Welcome to Third Fish Academy
Third Fish Academy was created to help followers of Jesus discover how faith, calling, work, and entrepreneurship fit together.
This is not simply a collection of business lessons. It is an invitation to listen, learn, practise, and take the next faithful step.
You do not need to arrive with a perfect business idea. You do not need to know whether entrepreneurship is your calling. You only need to be willing to explore what God may be asking you to do.
What You’ll Experience
Third Fish Academy combines biblical formation, practical business education, planning tools, and ongoing online support in one guided journey.
22 Sessions · 5 Modules
Your Transformation Journey
- Discover through Modules 1–2.
- Build through Modules 3–4.
- Multiply through Module 5.
Move from biblical foundations and calling clarity to practical business skills and a complete faith-driven business plan.
Faith-Driven Business Planner
Build your plan as you learn through 19 integrated planning sections.
This is not disconnected homework. It is a living document that grows alongside your understanding of calling, customers, finances, purpose, and impact.
24/7 Online Coach
Ask questions about business, biblical principles, course content, planning, and decisions you are working through.
The Online Coach is built around Third Fish Academy standards and course content created by experienced IBAM trainers.
Discover. Build. Multiply.
The Academy is organised as a progression from personal clarity to practical preparation and then to Kingdom multiplication.
STAGE 1
DISCOVER
Modules 1–2
- Who am I?
- What is God calling me to do?
- Is business the right path for me?
Explore biblical foundations, calling, purpose, success, failure, discernment, and your deeper reason for building.
STAGE 2
BUILD
Modules 3–4
Develop real skills in marketing, sales, customers, competition, budgeting, funding, financial stewardship, and partnership.
Every practical lesson is grounded in Scripture and connected to your developing business plan.
STAGE 3
MULTIPLY
Module 5
- Complete your plan.
- Prepare to launch with confidence.
- Build relationships and systems.
- Measure what matters.
Create community impact and a legacy that extends beyond you.
The goal is not to force every participant into entrepreneurship. The goal is to replace confusion with clarity and help each person take the next faithful step.
Success = Clarity
Launching a business is a win.
Discovering that business is not your path is also a win.
The only failure is remaining stuck in confusion when a clear next step is available.
A Formation Experience Disguised as Business Training
Across 22 sessions, practical business skills and spiritual practices work together to help form the whole person.
Participants learn how to build, market, finance, and operate a business. At the same time, they examine calling, stewardship, obedience, integrity, relationships, and the way their work can serve God and others.
22 Sessions, Proven Globally
Built on more than 20 years of curriculum used with entrepreneurs across Zambia, Indonesia, and Central Asia.
Real Skills, Real Clarity
Learn marketing, sales, finance, operations, planning, and decision-making skills you can use whether or not you ultimately launch a business.
Formation, Not Just Information
Every session brings Scripture, reflection, practical learning, accountability, and action together.
Internal formation and external practice become one journey.
Free. Online. Start Anytime.
There is no course fee and no credit card requirement. Study at your own pace from wherever you are.
The training is offered as a gift. Begin when you are ready.
How Each Session Works
Every session follows the Third Fish Academy Look Back — Look Up — Look Forward method.
LOOK BACK
Review
- Review your previous commitments.
- What worked?
- What did not?
Begin with prayer, reflection, and accountability.
LOOK UP
Learn
Learn through video teaching, reading, case studies, quizzes, and additional resources.
Explore God’s wisdom for business and apply it to practical decisions.
Inside Look Up, participants may encounter:
- • GROW Wealth video
- • GROW Impact video
- • Reading
- • Case study
- • Quiz
- • Supporting resources
LOOK FORWARD
Act
- Create practical commitments for your business, faith, and personal development.
- Decide what you will do next.
- Share what you are learning.
Move from knowledge into faithful action.
Case studies and illustrations are based on experiences from IBAM trainers or adapted from real-life situations. Some identifying details may be changed for clarity, privacy, or security.
Build a Business Plan Rooted in Calling and Purpose
The Faith-Driven Business Planner begins during the course and continues growing with you.
It helps you build a practical, professional business plan while connecting your strategy to your calling, values, stewardship, and Kingdom purpose.
It is not simply a collection of numbers on a page. It is a living guide for the business God may be calling you to build.
During the Course
- Build your plan session by session
- Clarify your mission and purpose
- Define your market and customers
- Develop your products and services
- Create financial projections
- Connect business decisions to biblical stewardship
At Launch
- Export a professional PDF or Word document
- Present your plan to appropriate investors or partners
- Guide your 90-day launch
- Track priorities and action steps
- Use the plan to support decisions and accountability
As You Grow
- Return to the planner when challenges arise
- Update the plan as the business develops
- Use the Online Coach to think through new decisions
- Revisit your mission, impact, finances, and strategy
- Continue using it as a faith-driven guide
It starts in the course and stays with you.
Whether you are discerning, launching, growing, or navigating a difficult decision, your planner remains available as a practical guide.
Support When Questions Arise
You are not expected to navigate the journey alone.
The Third Fish Academy Online Coach is available anytime to help you work through course content, business questions, biblical principles, planning decisions, and platform navigation.
Business Questions
Explore marketing strategies, pricing, customer challenges, financial decisions, planning, and operational questions.
Biblical Business Principles
Consider how Scripture and biblical stewardship apply to the specific situation you are facing.
Decisions You Are Wrestling With
Work through options, identify trade-offs, organise your thinking, and gain greater clarity before acting.
Platform and Course Help
Get help navigating sessions, understanding assignments, and using the Faith-Driven Business Planner.
About the Online Coach
The course teaching was created by experienced IBAM trainers who follow Jesus and have spent decades helping entrepreneurs honour God through business.
The Online Coach provides 24/7 digital support based on Third Fish Academy content, standards, and faith-aligned guidance.
It does not replace prayer, Scripture, pastoral care, professional legal or financial advice, or a trusted human business mentor.
The Five Modules
The Academy contains 22 sessions across five progressive modules.
Time commitment:
Each session takes approximately 1.5–2 hours.
A typical session may include approximately 30 minutes of reading, a 10-minute case study, 20–40 minutes of video, a quiz, reflection, and action planning.
Participants can work at their own pace, and course progress is saved automatically within the Academy platform.
Understand God’s design for business and begin discerning your calling as a faith-driven entrepreneur.
- 1. Business Is a Good Gift from God
- 2. Business Leaders Work Together with Church Leaders
- 3. God’s Guidelines for Managing a Business
- 4. Faith-Driven Business — The AVODAH Model
Equip the Marketplace Professionals in Your Congregation
Many believers spend most of their week in workplaces, businesses, and professional environments—but have never been equipped to connect their faith with the work they do every day.
Third Fish Academy can help churches and ministry organisations develop faith-driven entrepreneurs, professionals, leaders, and disciple-makers.
Organizational use may include:
- Offering the Academy to members of your congregation
- Facilitating the course through small groups
- Assigning trained coaches
- Tracking participation and progress
- Helping marketplace professionals connect work and discipleship
- Developing business leaders who support local ministry
- Creating a pathway for biblical entrepreneurship within your church
A Scalable Church Equipping Experience
Third Fish Academy can be configured for churches and organisations, including approved branding, group management, coach assignment, and participant progress tools.
Organizational features are discussed and confirmed through an IBAM consultation.
Let's Explore What's Possible
Organizational features are discussed and confirmed through an IBAM consultation. Reach out to begin the conversation.
Contact us at hello@ibam.org.
Is Third Fish Academy Right for You?
The Academy May Be Right for You If:
- You are trying to understand God’s calling for your work
- You have a business idea but do not know where to begin
- You already own a business and want to integrate faith more intentionally
- You want practical business skills grounded in Scripture
- You want to create income while serving people and supporting ministry
- You are exploring whether entrepreneurship is truly your path
- You lead a church or ministry seeking to equip marketplace professionals
You Do Not Need:
- A completed business idea
- Previous business education
- A large amount of startup capital
- A polished business plan
- Certainty that you are called to entrepreneurship
- Permission to have every answer before you begin
Bring your questions, your experience, your faith, and your willingness to learn.
The Academy will help you take the next step with greater clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Discover What God Has in Store for Your Work?
You do not need to have the whole journey figured out.
Begin with one session.
Ask better questions.
Develop practical skills.
Listen for God’s direction.
Build the plan one step at a time.
Discover. Build. Multiply.
Third Fish Academy
A ministry of IBAM — International Business as Mission