“Every man truly wants to make an impact.”

Matt Charbonneau
Special to Spur Ottawa

Promise Keepers Canada, a national men’s ministry, is hosting the Ottawa leg of their annual men’s conference on February 29, at Woodvale Pentecostal Church. Men from across the Ottawa area will gather to have an encounter with God and further discover and live out their God-given mission.

“We’re trying to teach the basics of what it means to have an impact in this world,” says Rick Verkerk, director of conferences for Promise Keepers Canada.

Every year, Promise Keepers tours their conference across Canada, focusing on a particular idea, such as Fearless, Stronger, or Greater. Verkerk says this year’s theme of encouraging men in living a life of Impact came rather easily.

“Your legacy is to show everyone how awesome God is.”

“God has invested His name in us,” he says. “Knowing that, we can move forward and have an impact. [Men] must understand life is a blessing and how we will be blessed is by living as disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Verkerk says the conference is always geared to provide tools for men to lead a life of fullness and can help them realize their God-given potential. While society often shows a man’s legacy as being identified only after his death, Verkerk stresses that that does not have be to the case.

“Your legacy begins today,” he states. “Your legacy is to show everyone how awesome God is.”

Held at Woodvale for a fifth year, the conference routinely draws strong attendance and participation.

“It’s incredibly powerful to see men wanting to come alive and make a difference in their families, work, churches, and communities,” says Joe Nyenhuis, executive pastor at Woodvale. He points out that the “manliness lessons” available through the conference will help direct men in their daily living and their faith journey.

“Identity is a significant challenge for Christian men today.”

“To be a man is one thing, but to be a Christian man is quite another,” he says. “We want to know we have an impact here on earth, and an eternal impact.”

The conference features messages on obedience to God and living according to God’s teachings with integrity, ideals Nyenhuis says can sometimes be lost on today’s world.

“They’re often not taught and they’re often not caught,” he says, adding that the conference is critical for today’s times. “Morals can be a moving target and situational ethics seem to prevail. If we don’t do something, it doesn’t bode well for us [in society].”

One topic the conference will highlight is the importance of recognizing true self-identity.

“Identity is a significant challenge for Christian men today,” states Verkerk. “We are made in the image of God and must train ourselves to come alive in Christ.”

Mike Gordon, a speaker from Youth for Christ Canada who joins Promise Keepers’ tour for the first time, stresses another key topic: the value of mentorship and walking with other God-honouring men.

“It’s amazing for youth to have a male mentor,” he says. “Young guys often look up to the cultural definition of what a man is, and not necessarily what a biblical man is.”

Gordon attended the conference as a participant eight years ago. He says he is excited to work with Promise Keepers and encourage men of all ages in their walks with Christ, particularly the younger generation.

Describing aspects like integrity, forgiveness, and earthly representation of God’s Kingdom, Gordon says the conference is much more than simply “a one-day man reunion. Every man truly wants to make an impact. Promise Keepers can propel them to do that in everyday life.”