A few ways churches have partnered with ISMC

We had over 6 churches collect winter jackets and items for our Winter Clothing Drive, which was a huge success! We will do this next year too!

– Ryanna, Niagara Region, ON

In Kamloops, various churches and Bible study groups take turns preparing and serving our (delicious) weekly FOCUS Club dinners.

– Jeff, Kamloops, BC

Local churches have provided space to hold regular indoor events (like Talent Night) – and we’ve also worked together to apply for Canada Summer Jobs grants to fund and mentor interns.

– Chi, Halifax, NS

Families from over 20 churches in Montreal have been participating in Friends for Dinner to host a dinner gathering with international students over the last 8 years.

– Syncia, Montreal, QC

Members of Streetlight Christian Church joined the Hamilton ISMC team to receive coaching in Discovery Bible Studies. This has led to many opportunities to minister to international students together.

– Gilchrist, Hamilton, ON

At ISMC, we know the value of partnering with local churches to engage the thousands of students God brings to Canada every year. Our effectiveness among international students is multiplied as we join together to meet practical and relational needs and share Christ’s love.

As a pastor, I know that the benefits flow both ways. While partnering in international student ministry gives churches an opportunity for front line global missions, it shows church members how to relate to coworkers and neighbors from other cultures. This ability will be key to the church’s ability to thrive in Canada in the years ahead.

Your church can be part of reaching international students. Start where you’re at! Welcome internationals who visit your church. Invite them into the life of the church and into your own life. Pray for them and pray with them.

If international students aren’t already in your church community, then reach out to them where they are. This might mean preparing a FOCUS Club meal, participating in Friends for Dinner, becoming a language partner, or helping with airport pick-ups, city orientations or furniture giveaways.

If your church is ready to dive deeper, consider options for mentorship programs or Bible studies designed for international students.

ISMC can equip you and your church to minister to international students. Your local ISMC city director can help you determine the needs of international students in your community and how you and your church can take the next steps to impact them – and see your church impacted in return.

We are so thankful for churches that welcome internationals into their families. Think about it: international students are alone in a new country and looking for connections. You and your church can be part of their lives and lead them to draw closer to the God who loves them more than we ever can.

Jakob Koch
ISMC President

For the past several years, our church has partnered with International Student Ministries by hosting monthly International FOCUS Dinners. Students are invited to the church for a potluck meal, and what started with just a few tables has grown to our auditorium full. It’s been pretty exciting.

It’s provided our church family with an excellent opportunity to get to know these students, to hear their struggles of living in a new country, to laugh together about putting ketchup on potato chips and milk in bags. But also to celebrate their victories and to know how we can better pray for them.

Many of the students are not followers of Jesus, but I have yet to meet one who wasn’t open to us praying for them. And the reality of it is, these conversations and prayers wouldn’t have taken place apart from these FOCUS Dinners. So I thank God for the simple act of sharing a meal together to develop friendships with students from all over the world. It’s not uncommon to hear the students say that this is the first time that they’ve had a meal with a Canadian. This is a great opportunity we have to share the love of Christ with these students through this act of hospitality.

One of the beautiful results of these dinners has been friendships that have resulted between those in our church and international students. We’ve had the privilege of helping them with everything from rides to speaking English to invitations to spend Christmas together. As a church, we’re also involved in the Friends for Dinner initiative where families open their homes to students for special holiday meals. Sharing meals around the holidays like Easter and Christmas provides a natural opportunity to talk about what we are really celebrating.

So I love the opportunity that we as a church family have been given of coming alongside international students and loving them in the name of Jesus. I thank God for the doors that He has opened for us to be able to share, in relationship, the gospel of Jesus Christ with students who have never heard it before because they come from countries that are closed to the gospel. So I thank God for the partnership that our church has with International Student Ministries, that through this we are able to participate in the work that God is doing in drawing the nations to Himself. And that, I think, is pretty exciting.

Mark Farrow
Lead Pastor
Stoney Creek Baptist Church

The audit of our fiscal year ending June 30, 2021 is complete and we can report that we had a surplus for the year. Our expenses for 2021 were almost the same as in 2020, while our income increased. The surplus in our National Ministries Fund has allowed us to build up our reserve funds and put us in a strong position for the coming year.

As you can see, our funding comes primarily from donations. Your gifts to support our staff, city teams, National Ministries Fund and special projects enable us to minister to international students. How grateful we are for increased donations this past year that allow us to confidently plan and deliver programs to serve international students across Canada!

We aim to keep our fundraising and management costs to reasonable levels so the majority of your donations go into ministry programs.

Thank you for your financial support of our vision to “enable international students to impact the world through Jesus Christ!” If you would like a full copy of our audited financial statements, please email finance@ismc.ca and the auditor’s report will be emailed to you.