PRESSING INTO A NEW NAME A NEW CALLING

Twenty-five years ago the mission of Promise Keepers Canada began. The primary focus was to call men to gather at major men’s conferences and challenge them to live out the 7 Promises of a Promise Keeper. Many men will say that some of their most significant spiritual moments have come at these events. God has been faithful to use these conferences to shape the lives of more men than we can possibly count.

Three years ago God began to show the leadership of Promise Keepers Canada something new. We have prayed and listened. We debated and prayed some more. As a ministry, we are convinced God is calling us to something new and more significant than we could have imagined 25 years ago. I wish I could bring you into the multiple stories where God confirmed this was the direction He wanted for men and for us. As a team, we are convinced God wants to multiply His mission for the hearts and lives of men, and it is time to go.

Every man wants his life to count. I have never met a man who tells me he hopes to fail as a husband, father, worker or any other number of responsibilities we have. We all want to know our lives have a clear purpose and have made a difference. But how do we get there on life’s journey?

Some of us are working hard to be good men, but we do not know if what we are doing matters. Many men are tired from the multitude of responsibilities and circumstances out of our control. Some of us are stuck because we have failed, or we are afraid to fail, so we never realize our full potential. Other men are content to not take life too seriously, but end up leaving a trail of brokenness around them.There are men who always need control and power, and they also leave a trail of broken lives.

We have our toys and our technology, but they never really satisfy because we always need whatever else is new.

We are at best overwhelmed and, at worst, confused about what it means to be a man.We have very few coaches to point us in the right direction.

We are excited to introduce you to Impactus. The meaning of this Latin word is to “press closely into something.” Jesus once told us, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Do you see what Jesus is saying to us? If we want our lives to count, the

only way is to press into our walk with Jesus and receive Him pressing His life into ours. Through Jesus we get clarity of what it means to be a real man (Romans 8:29). He gives us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). As men, if we want to know our lives have a clear purpose and have made an impact – we need to press into the things that matter most. We need to take hold of the eternal life that is ours (1 Timothy 6:12) and train ourselves for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7–8).

It is time for a new generation of men to press in.

Impactus is all about equipping men for a life of purpose and godly impact. It is a new name that will stand side by side with the name Promise Keepers Canada. But it is so much more than a name.This new step as a ministry will reach and support more men than we have ever been able to before. We are no longer primarily about one large men’s conference in a year. Instead, we are standing with multiple generations of men who want to build a life that matters.

We will continue the tradition of the Promise Keepers Canada Men’s Conferences, but Impactus will:

• reach generations of men who primarily learn and interact online

• open the doors to helping men around the world to know and follow Jesus.

What does this all mean?

We have launched a new website www.Impactus.org with incredible tools to equip men for a life of purpose and godly impact.We will be adding new content every day to coach men in different areas of life.When you go to www.PromiseKeepers.ca, it will automatically redirect you to www.Impactus.org. Bookmark this site and come back regularly – share it with other men to help equip them.

• In addition to the conferences and workshops we have come to know with Promise Keepers Canada, Impactus will provide online live events, workshops and small groups for men. It will also continue to feature new videos,

podcasts and more!

• We will begin to use the Impactus name instead of Promise Keepers Canada for many resources that can be used online and beyond the borders of Canada. In short, we have been limited in how we can serve men globally, but we have heard many people in other countries ask us for help. Now we will be able to keep serving the men of Canada as our home, but be prepared to partner with other countries to help men walk with Jesus.

• Future Promise Keepers Canada conferences will use the theme name of Impactus.The journey of these events will help you understand more of the heart and vision behind the name. Bring some men with you.

This is not the end of Promise Keepers Canada – it is the next chapter. From day one this mission has always been about pointing men to Jesus. Our greatest desire is to see every man living as a disciple of Jesus Christ. When this happens families, churches and communities will be stronger and healthier. Ultimately, a name is a means to an end of accomplishing His mission.

We are living in very uncertain days, but we have never been more confident that God wants to help more men have a life of purpose and godly impact.

We are calling all men to press in together to God’s vision for being a man. Kirk Giles is president of Promise Keepers Canada | Impactus. However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel. He is also the author of The Seasons of Fatherhood: Why Dads Matter At Every Stage of Life (Promise Keepers, 2018).

Impactus is all about equipping men for a life of purpose and godly impact