ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2023
2,439 In-person conference attendance
231,940 Online article views
861,496 Daily Devotional views (Email and Online)
349,685 Unique web users from 160+ countries
45,575 Social media followers on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV
The admonition written almost 2000 years ago by the apostle Paul to the Corinthian congregation still reverberates today. In a church facing a difficult and deteriorating culture on the outside and the dysfunction and division coming from the inside, his challenge: be steadfast and immovable. “Steadfast” refers to being firmly established in the faith, while “immovable” refers to being established in the face of temptation, pressure, or persecution. There has never been a more critical time to have an authentic and growing faith while simultaneously having a resolve that will not bend or compromise. That’s where the ministry of Impactus | Promise Keepers Canada comes in.
Paul’s words are powerful reminders of why we do what we do. This year we have been steadfast in our desire to equip men and their leaders as disciples and disciplemakers to live “lives of purpose and godly impact.” As a ministry, we will be steadfastly committed to God’s vision and relentless in seeing “every man become, grow, and live as disciples of Jesus.”
We have reached a significant juncture this year. Our move to become Impactus will be complete this fall, and from there, we will live inside this new identity and renewed focus. God has graciously expanded our reach and impact this past year, both online and through in-person events. But this is just the beginning. There is so much more.
We are grateful for our incredible staff, Board and Advisory Board, Regional and Network leaders, ministry volunteers, faithful donors, and partners. These heroes give, serve, and lead to see God’s work advance.
Paul's reminder to the Corinthians speaks to us today: “Your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” No effort we make for Him will be wasted. What we do matters. With that eternal promise and steadfastness in our hearts, we will “press in” to the person of Jesus and His mission of redemption and transformation.
Soli Deo Gloria! Dean Brenton
This year marks the fruition of a multi-year process as we transition fully this September to become Impactus. The rebranding is a culmination of much prayer and preparation by many over a long period of time. It’s much more than a name change! We have transitioned from what was historically an event-centered ministry to an online and global discipleship ministry, although live events and workshops in Canada are still very much a part of the ministry.
I continue to learn from my own ministry experience,as well as hearing it from countless other leaders and pastors,thattheneedscan seem overwhelming. We continue to live in such interesting and challenging days (an understatement). The chaos we seenear us and around the world is a constant reminderof the darkness and brokenness that is our reality.I continually remind myself that none of this is new. It started in Genesis 3. I am grateful, however, that we have the finished work of the cross and an empty tomb.I remind myself often thatthese realitiesbring us certain hopedespite what we hear about, see, and experience.The moment I let myselffocus on chaos I am reminded ofthisC.S. Lewisquote.“God can’t give uspeaceandhappinessapart from Himself because there is no such thing.”(MereChristianity).
Itcontinues to remainmy extreme privilege to work with the ministry’s corporate body which is made up of the elected Board of Directors and the Advisory Board. Casting vision and protecting that visionremainsvital responsibilities of the corporation.
The ministry is so thankful for the countless volunteerswho give time, energy, and financial support to makeImpactus a fruitful ministry for God’s Kingdom. Volunteersare the backbone of all Christian ministry. This ministry is also deeply appreciative of those whospecificallysupport us financially in significant ways.
Thesmallstaff ofImpactus, while continuing to be in some transition,is a gifted and committed group that directs our mission: toequip men for a life of purpose and godly impact.This staff iscommitted tomoving all areas of the ministry forward.
Every day I lean into God’sgoodness, grace, mercy, andsovereignty. As a ministry, we can do the same.He is sovereign over thisministry, His ministry to men!
Grace and Peace!
James G. (Jamie) McArthur
Our vision is to see every man become, grow, and live as a disciple of Jesus. Men’s Ministry Leadership Training equips men’s ministry leaders to share the vision of discipling every man in their church and community. It moves ministry to men from being events focused to becoming discipleship focused, helping shape men to be like Jesus.
We hosted a Master Class via Zoom this year for nearly 30 men to gather feedback in order to craft the final direction. The response was very positive and helpful. Filming occurred in the summer, with the official launch taking place at the Men’s Ministry Leadership Summit in September 2023.
We piloted our first Small Group Leader Training Experience and received excellent feedback. Small groups are essential to men’s ministry and will be highlighted in our Leadership training curriculum. Our goal is to help men lead transformational small groups as part of their ministry to men. The training is very hands-on and experiential, delivered in 3 levels, based on an assessment that will determine an individual’s needs and experience:
1Basic Course 2 Advanced Course
3 Master Course to train trainers who can teach the course to others
We facilitated coaching with 4 organizations this past year. Coaching will be a core element of our Men’s Ministry Leadership and Small Group Leader Training, helping leaders process and implement what they learn. We anticipate helping many leaders in the year ahead as we launch our training curriculums.
Our second annual Men’s Ministry Leadership Summit in September 2022 was a big success. Hosted live online from the Crossroads Studios in Burlington, Ontario, the event included Jim Ramos, Mark Matlock, Paul Fraser, and JD Hornbacher. The theme was “Building Disciple Making Movements,” with the purpose of igniting leaders to think discipleship first when building their men’s ministry.
Our third annual Leadership Summit will take place on Monday, September 18th calling leaders to “Think Differently” about men’s ministry, through thinking that is deeper, wider, stronger, and longer.
We’ll also launch our new Leadership Training, Men’s Small Group Experience, and coaching for leaders.
The vision of our Leadership Networks is “To see every man becoming, growing, and living as a disciple of Jesus.”
The purpose of our Leadership Networks is “To develop ministry to men in each community through the local church.”
This past year, we have developed a new and more effective leadership structure inviting men’s ministry leaders across Canada to be part of the Impactus Network. This year, community leaders will be added to the team who will work with our regional leaders across Canada. The new structure will remove barriers and provide incentives to join the Impactus Network.
48 Men’s Ministry Leaders
11Regional Leaders
We also continue with our first international test network in Zimbabwe with 4 participating churches and a new network in Michigan, USA.
(Francophone Ministry)
We see tremendous growth in Quebec under the leadership of Bruno Savard, Community Relations Manager (directeur des relations communautaires). Bruno held a number of workshops across the province, ministering to men and casting the vision of the ministry. We continue to deliver new content on the Hommes de Parole website and social media and have seen an increase in financial support from both monthly and one-time donors. God has opened new doors in churches and denominations in Quebec.
Bruno held a number of workshops across Quebec in Amos, Gatineau, Laval and St. Hyacinthe on topics like:
• Laisser un Héritage (Leaving a Legacy)
• L’heure de la conquête (Time to Conquer)
• La Foi Agissante (Faith in Action)
• La puissance de Dieu (The Power of God)
• Prends Ta Place (Take Your Place)
After a four-year hiatus, men were excited to be back together at our four in-person conferences and hybrid online conference. Over 2,500 men gathered in Ottawa, Cambridge, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, as we called them to “Press In” to the life they were meant to lead. We also hosted our first-ever After Party in Winnipeg, complete with food, fire pits, and a mechanical bull. The event was a huge success paving the way for greater fellowship times and relational connections in the future.
Nov 5th, 2022
Ottawa ON
212 Men
Mar 10th/11th, 2023
Winnipeg MB
1,031 Men
Nov 12th, 2022
Cambridge ON + Online
847 Men
Mar 18th, 2023
Edmonton AB
516 Men
Real,
Life-Changing Stories
“This was an amazing story! Sharing this with our youth soon! Thank you, Joshua, for your honesty and godliness.”
- Luis
“So inspiring and an incredible testimony to the power of God! Thank you so much for sharing and blessing little me in New Zealand!”
- G Family“Thank you, Joshua, your story has given my life a new direction. God bless you.”
Workshops equip men in critical areas of their lives. This past year we hosted 21 in-person workshops ministering to 879 men across Canada. We also had 4 churches purchase video workshops reaching many men, including a video workshop in Zimbabwe.
Topics included:
• Becoming a Better Dad
• Becoming A Better Husband
• Building Authentic Friendships
• God’s Vision for Men
• Spiritual Disciplines
• The Value of Time
This year we will roll out 6 video-on-demand download workshops allowing us to minister to men globally, along with half-day and full-day Timeout Events. Churches will select from a series of pre-recorded keynote speaker messages and workshops along with tools and coaching to help promote and facilitate impactful events.
The purpose of our digital platforms is to be a resource that addresses the challenges and questions men face. Living a life of purpose and godly impact is a lifelong journey that is lived one day at a time. We continue to walk with men on this journey through these valuable resources:
Impactus.org is a hub of resources for men and men’s ministry leaders around the world through daily devotionals, articles, videos, podcasts, and more. Over 349,000 unique users accessed resources on the site this past year.
The daily devotional is our most impactful ministry resource helping thousands of men stay connected to God’s word daily. Over 4,100 men receive the daily devotional by email each day.
Developing a more intentional approach to articles this past year, we exceeded expectations with over 231,000 article views online.
We began a strategy of producing short videos repurposed from other content such as Daily Devotionals, podcasts, and articles to reach nextgen men on social media. To date, we have reached millions of users with the content.
The Impactus Podcast continues to address a wide range of issues for men, such as marriage, masculinity, stewardship, mental health, and much more. This past year we had conversations with Giavani Cairo (Thaddeus from The Chosen), Matt Tapley, Jonathan Lewis, James K.A. Smith, and many others, impacting nearly 12,000 men who watched or listened to the podcast throughout the year.
The Young Man’s Podcast, now a monthly resource, is hosted by Jordan Harnum and Andrew Wood, both 30something guys and pastors, addressing the challenges and questions younger men face. Covering topics such as artificial intelligence, quitting porn, and finding freedom from your past, the response has been very positive and impactful.
We are continually refining our social media strategy to meet multiple generations of men where they are. The older demographic tends to be website and Facebook users, while the younger demographic spends more time on Instagram. We also see engagement on LinkedIn, which leans more toward the business community. Our Impactus social following has grown to nearly 17,000, while our This Is Me TV following is nearly 29,000.
"Impactus/Promise Keepers does indeed have an amazing and fruitful impact! I was introduced to the ministry in 2016, when I was in Canada, and my life has not been the same since. I thank you all for faithful service."
- Hugh
SEPTEMBER10,2023
2022 was the year we originally planned to launch as Impactus; however, the pandemic delayed the transition. In September 2023, we will officially become Impactus.
Returning to in-person conferences this past year allowed us to cast the vision of Impactus to men across Canada while we introduced the ministry to men globally. The launch of Impactus will include a new, fresh look to our website https://www.impactus.org along with a new email domain, impactus.org. We will also introduce new resources for men and men’s ministry leaders, along with a fresh look to our social media platforms.
Our web and social media traffic is very strong, with 349,685 unique web visitors in F23 and 1,365,934 ministry connections.
We continue to reach men internationally and see a strong need for ministry to men beyond the borders of North America.
19.5% From Canada
37.5% From the United States
43% From outside North America
To see every man becoming, growing,
living as a disciple of Jesus.
* Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy
** All Other Revenue includes: Event registrations, product sales, sponsorships and other
GIFTS FROM OTHER CHARITIES (13.1%)
ALL OTHER REVENUE (16.6%)
DONATIONS (70.3%)
GOVERNMENT FUNDING (0%)
$1.12 PER MINISTRY CONNECTION
You are making a difference in men’s lives!
