Seminar Description: God has placed an incredible mission opportunity and obligation before us in our very own country. Each year in Canada, there are approximately 600,000 international students, the majority of whom come from the 10/40 window. That God in His grace would send future leaders from these countries to our doorstep can only be seen as a move by the Holy Spirit; similar to what we saw in the book of Acts where God gathered people from every corner of the world to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, and through this, the gospel was spread to places the disciples had never imagined they could reach. How can we engage these international students and mobilize them to return to their countries with the gospel?

BIO: Jakob Koch was a missionary in Cameroon for several years, and he has helped prepare and support new missionaries for the Liebenzell Mission of Canada in his role as Executive Director. Always involved in serving the local church, Jakob reentered full-time church ministry in 2012 with The People’s Church. Later on as a pastor in Hamilton, Ontario, Jakob began a partnership among the international student ministries in the area and the local churches, laying the groundwork for the Hamilton International Students Network, which grew into a provincial and now a national ministry strategy. In 2021, Jakob took on the role of President of International Student Ministries Canada (ISMC). Jakob and his wife Lorie live near McMaster University, where they have developed ongoing friendships with international students through family dinners and informal gatherings. Jakob and Lorie have three children and four grandchildren.

Contact:  jakob.koch@ismc.ca

Website:  www.ismc.ca