International Cooperating Ministries to hold local kickoff event Saturday

Jeff Scott traded coaching and teaching high school for mobilizing individuals and churches that have a heart for seeing the church grow around the world.

Scott, a former social studies teacher and wrestling coach at Jackson High School, now serves as the Midwest area director for International Cooperating Ministries, a church-planting mission agency.

The ministry is hosting a "Heartland 300" kickoff event beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday at Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau. The purpose is to raise awareness and support for ICM's mission of growing the church around the world. The event will feature an informational video about the organization and a presentation of its vision and specific ways for people to get involved.

"There's room for everyone to be a part of it," said Scott.

ICM, according to Scott, works in numerous countries throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America. Scott said he would like to see people from Southeast Missouri connect with Benin, West Africa, and begin to grow churches and equip believers with ICM.

Benin was once the center of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and was often a point of no return for individuals captured and sold as slaves. Scott believes 300 people in the area who are willing to partner with ICM and raise the funds to plant 12 churches can have great effect on the area. According to Scott, ICM will take a church plant and disciple, nurture and equip the congregation to plant five more churches, which in turn will do the same.

"The church building is a tool by which God grows the church," said Scott.

According to Scott, the name, "Heartland 300" refers to the biblical account of Gideon, in which God commanded Gideon to whittle the number of his army down to 300 men to fight the Israelites' enemies so only God would be glorified in the victory. Scott said he would like to find 300 people to partner with ICM.

Individuals can work with ICM anywhere God leads their heart, according to Scott. He said the organization is planning four to five vision trips this year. Scott described the trips as different from most mission trips. Participants can see firsthand what God is doing in a country and grasp a vision of how to be a part of it.

Leaving teaching and coaching is not something Scott had planned on doing. His father, Ron Scott, worked with ICM in his retirement. When he died unexpectedly, Scott met with several staff members with the organization at the funeral. Eventually, Scott found himself with a stronger desire to work with ICM.

"I met with my pastor, Ron Watts, and asked God to take the desire away if it wasn't from him. Instead it got stronger," Scott said. "I never thought I'd leave teaching and coaching, but I know I am doing what I am supposed to be doing."

According to Scott, ICM began in 1986 when Dois Rosser, a businessman, started traveling oversees to see how charities were spending their donation money. He saw that many organizations he supported were run inefficiently. When Rosser started ICM, he found ways to be more efficient. Part of his effort was using his own resources to begin a foundation that covered administration costs. This allowed 100 percent of donor funds to go to projects.

Part of ICM's strategy is to equip indigenous partners to plant churches and nurture believers, rather than only sending western missionaries. To date, ICM has worked on 3,600-plus projects, including churches, schools and orphanages in more than 56 countries.

Scott describes ICM as a "transdemoninational" organization. He gave an example of Southern Baptists giving money and working with ICM to plant Assembly of God churches in other countries.

Scott said ICM subscribes to the Lausanne Covenant, a declaration of faith agreed upon by over 2,300 Christians at the 1974 International Congress in Lausanne, Switzerland. Lausanne details their belief as being intentional about evangelization and the call to work together to make Jesus Christ known throughout the world.

Scott is available to speak with churches, Sunday school classes, Bible study groups, mission boards, campus organizations and other groups to share the vision of ICM.

For more information, call 986-7509, email jscott@icm.org or visit www.icm.org.

apicar@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

104 Vantage Drive, Cape Girardeau, Mo.