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"ICM Canada was started by Phil Jeske over 18 years ago. I remember meeting Phil and Nancy briefly during the Missionfest in Vancouver Canada. Before joining us in East Africa, Phil launched ICM Canada. Phil is a visionary (something in the names?) and a doer. After a tour as a missionary in East Africa, the Jeskes launched ICM Europe. Phil's perseverance and determination is an inspiration to me and the entire ICM team. Read more about ICM Canada’s unique approach of bringing Jesus to Uganda." Phil Walker
From Phil Jeske:
Some seventeen years ago, when we moved to Africa as a family, I used to travel from our home in Kenya to a border town in Uganda called Tororo in order to teach a few pastors who gathered every week. At the time, this was a bit of a grind due to the bad roads, hassles crossing the border, and the small number of pastors, to name just a few.
Yet for some reason, God had given us a heart to encourage the Ugandan believers. Eventually, we connected with Dr. Omalla (a Ugandan), who became Director of ICM’s ongoing work in Uganda. He and his team have done much more than we ever could have in the country. Yet there always seems to be the need for those early beginning times, when we are just doing our best to be faithful.
This last summer we were able to take about 30 participants from Canada, Europe, as well as a few guests from Nigeria and Congo to take part in our “Good News Festival” in this same city of Tororo, Uganda. This is where we began teaching a handful of leaders in 1990. Besides the joy of introducing my Ugandan friends and colleagues to the Good News team, it was great to meet some of the same pastors that were in my class some seventeen years before. A particular highlight for me was to introduce our mentoring resource and do a seminar with pastors and ministry leaders in the exact same hotel where we taught in 1990.
Who would have thought back then that we would one day be able to make an impact on the entire town and interface with the mayor and other civic leaders in order to see change in an entire city? Obviously with our Festival ministry we are only in a city for one or two weeks. And if this was all it was, then strategically it would be rather short-sighted. However the Festivals are always within the context of partnering with local pastors and leaders who we, as ICM, have been working with for many years. And we’ll continue to provide training and support for many years after a Festival is over.
The Festival is designed to be a catalyst and raise the awareness of the city officials of what the church is doing in their city. The goal is to see partnerships among civic and spiritual leaders carry this on once we have left. This is what occurred over the summer in Tororo.
Phil Jeske
President, ICM Canada
“We had been told about Jesus now we have seen him.”
Pastor Tom Tororo, Uganda
“Many have come and left us naked and poor but the Good News Festivals has clothed and fed us with love.” Mayor Jack Ogalla, Tororo, Uganda.
“I will serve and protect our citizens as unto the Lord”.
Police Officer
Tororo, Uganda
“The Good News Festival has made history in our city. Never before have civic, education and spiritual leaders come together to share the vision of leading this city. This is the beginning of a new chapter in our cities’ history.” Leader’s response to the “Festival Leaders Luncheon.”
“We have been provided with a great example to follow. We headmasters must emulate the actions and attitude of servant leadership with our teachers and students. We deeply thank the education team of the Good News Festivals for all they have done”
Minister of Education, Tororo
Read the full report on the impact the Good News Festival had on Tororo, Uganda.
Since our first Good News Festival in 1996, we have always believed that there is no difference between secular and sacred work. All work is sacred when devoted to the Kingdom purposes of Jesus. Again, it was a joy to see this reality unfold as our thirty-member international team, along with local pastors and church members invaded the city of Tororo, Uganda with the Good News message of love.
Members of our team skilled in construction, medical service, education, music, business development, and most of all a servant’s heart came along aside their peers with service and an uncompromising presentation of the Gospel of love. As the festival week unfolded, the Good News Festival impacted the city of Tororo with love as 12,000 students received education packs, along with the opportunity to make decisions to follow Jesus Christ.
The police department received new uniforms, along with equipment to help them in law enforcement. Out  of the forty-six member force, forty-one made public decisions to follow Christ. The local prison population of five hundred saw over two hundred decisions to follow Christ, and the festival weekend outreaches saw thousands more. Along with decisions to follow Christ, the festival witnessed the deep impact of leaders who stepped into a new standard of servant leadership.
The focal point of ICM’s ministry is on developing leaders who embrace the servant leadership example of Jesus Christ. It is this commitment that brings lasting change to churches, cities and nations. The outreach of the Good News Festival Ministry is an opportunity to impact a broad range of leaders, both present and future, in a given area of the world. It also helps people from the West step into leadership opportunities by using their job skills for kingdom purposes in a cross cultural setting, while birthing a vision to do the same in their own culture.
Dave Hensman, CEO of ICM Canada
Consider joining us for next year's Festival in Nigeria,
March 12-27, 2008
Visit the web site of ICM Canada and learn more about what they are doing in the world!
http://www.icmcanada.org/IcmMainOther.htm
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Hope of Africa Fund
The Hope of Africa is Jesus, nothing more or nothing less. We in ICM are committed to partnering with you and those in Africa to ensure that every man and woman has a chance to hear the Good News of Jesus and to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Your donation to this fund helps make this goal a reality. To donate on-line just click here.
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