Why We Support Leading Influence

My husband Will and I have supported Leading Influence from the time it was just a vision in Tim’s heart.  It has really been a transformation of our hearts and minds. We have moved from a posture of criticizing these leaders, to honour and respect, even if we don’t always agree with the decisions they make.  We are able to see past the politics, and glance upon these men and women, who have a common goal to make our province a better place to live and work.  

Tim has been a pioneer, directed by the hand of God, with an unbiased desire to serve those, who serve us.  He has become the bridge, to help us to honour, care and pray for those who lead us. It has been a privilege to partner with Leading Influence Ministries and we encourage you to do the same.                                                             Donna Pechie

Victoria, BC           

Our leaders make decisions that set the course of our province and nation. They do that in a very stressful and often high pressure environment. Leading Influence ensures that there is a non-partisan pastoral presence that is both present and available to care for them as they work within that context.

We do not seek nor receive government funding for our services.  By choice, we raise our own support through individuals, churches and businesses.  This support ensures we are able to care for those who lead our provinces and nation.  

There are many ways you can partner with us:

If you would like to give by cheque, please mail to:

Leading Influence

626 Blanshard St

Victoria, BC V8W 3G6

If you would like to give by online banking, use give@leadinginfluence.com as the email address for the e-transfer.

If you would like to give by pre-authorized debit, please contact our office for assistance.

If you would like to give by credit card, please click here.  You will be taken to our CanadaHelps giving page.  CanadaHelps is a registered Canadian Charity that provides online giving services to other Canadian Charities.

We appreciate and value your financial partnership with us.  We cannot do the work we do without your support.  Thanks so much for your generosity and partnership!

Leading Influence Ministries is a registered Canadian Charity.

CRA No. 856565767RR0001

In Their Own Words

Just to keep things interesting, I've asked several people to share their thoughts on Leading Influence.  Here's what they have to say.

I have known Tim for over a year now. We met in the public gallery of the B.C. legislative Assembly, where we were both interested in the work our legislators do on behalf of all British Columbians in drafting what is often very difficult legislation.

For Tim, his focus was not only an interest in the legislation, but also how the legislators are doing with their personal lives and the many challenges they face. Tim, as the legislative Chaplain is a consummate listener and has the kind of caring core values and engaging personality that give people an almost instant trust in him.   

While not all MLA’s in the legislature are of one spiritual faith they all seem to have great faith in Tim, and the work he does as a non-judgmental and non-partisan basis when they need a person to just listen.

I am personally privileged to call Tim a friend and confidant

Lynn Klein, Victoria, BC

Tim Schindel has become a good friend of many of the MLAs of the BC Legislature, on both sides of the House.  Tim has a very welcoming personality and he takes a genuine interest in the lives of the elected politicians.  I regularly observe him engaging with MLAs - and legislative staff - and they seem very comfortable conversing with him.

He is especially supportive of the approximately 10-12 Christian MLAs - such as myself.  Tim organizes regularly prayer times for those MLAs when the House is in session.  He is excited about his ministry and seeks opportunity to present the Gospel to the majority of MLAs who have yet to come to faith. 

It has been a pleasure getting to know Tim, as a new MLA (elected in the election of last May) and I look forwarding to benefiting from his important ministry over the balance of this term of office.

Simon Gibson, MLA Abbotsford-Mission

My husband was elected MLA in 2009 and is now serving in his second term.  MLAs work long hours and are often away from home.  Marc and I came to know Tim Schindel when we started coming to Victoria for sessions in the Legislature. He is an encouragement to us both and we are very blessed to have a chaplain like Tim reaching out to us and the other MLAs and their families.  When things have been challenging, Marc has felt comfortable sharing with Tim and praying with him.  Tim is caring, encouraging and is dedicated in his chaplaincy service to MLAs. 

Marlene Dalton (Marc Dalton Maple Ridge-Mission) 

I am very thankful that Tim Schindel is able to support, encourage and visit with members of the BC legislature. Tim has a wonderful sense of humor which is very helpful, he is an awesome listener and is someone I can trust and that is important when it comes to this work. Tim is a real blessing and a shining light who makes me smile even when I think of him, thanks Tim ,may God bless you richly always!

Bill Routley, MLA Cowichan

Looking Back at 2014

One of the highlights of my year is to reflect back on what God has done with and through Leading Influence.  I am never disappointed and almost always have to choose what I’m going to leave out because there are just so many highlights.

In January, we officially welcomed Barry and Stella Berglund to our team.  Barry provides chaplaincy services at the Saskatchewan Legislature.  We had a great visit with them here in Victoria and made plans to be with him in Regina in February.

February … Regina… what was I thinking??  It was a chilly -52C when I got off the plane.  Even the locals admitted that it was a ‘bit brisk’ outside.   However the warm welcome that Barry and I received at the Saskatchewan Legislature made up for the frosty conditions outside.  It was exciting to watch God open doors for Barry as he made new friends and renewed some established relationships.  God is doing something amazing in Saskatchewan.  As a side note, once you’ve experienced -52, -25 feels balmy! 

The BC Legislature resumes in February and for me at least it’s like the first day of camp.  Everyone comes back from their community to resume the business of government for the next 4 months.  It’s a great time to reconnect, hand out hugs and catch up!  The return to Victoria also marks the beginning of our weekly prayer gatherings.  I love being a part of praying with leaders who are positioned in places of influence and listening to them ask God for help and direction.

We held our 8^th Annual MLA Prayer Breakfast in April.  Mark Donnelly ‘Mr. O Canada’ was our guest speaker.  It wasn’t our usual kind of breakfast.  There’s nothing quite like having the Vancouver Canucks anthem singer lead ‘O Canada’ in a banquet room!  There were patriotic buttons bursting across the room!  After breakfast, I toured the building with Mark and we had a series of impromptu mini-concerts wherever we went.  God opened some unique doors that day and we are still reaping the benefits.

In May we hosted our first ‘Leadercast’ event.  Leadercast is a leadership development simulcast that provides world class leadership training and equipping event.  We had a great response and look forward to doing it again in 2015.

June through August are generally devoted to Sunday preaching opportunities, MLA office visits and vacation time.  The pace is usually a bit slower but this year was a bit different.  Through a series of events, we were able to launch PrayOntario and shortly after, PrayMB.  Today our ministry footprint extends from BC to Ontario and we pray daily for the leaders of just under 30 Million Canadians.  We also added a new chaplain for Alberta to our team. Uve Knaak is well qualified to do an incredible job for us.

The BC Legislature resumed in October.  My personal highlight was welcoming back a member who has been fighting cancer for the past year.  I told him I was looking forward to a bear hug!  He willingly obliged!  We had been praying for him and staying in touch so it was especially rewarding to see him back in Victoria.

In November, I visited Edmonton to be with Uve during his first few days at the Legislature.  (As a side note, I’m becoming more and more in favor of adding a Caribbean island to Canada ) We had a marvelous time together and he is on his way to a successful ministry!  There are bright days ahead for our work in Alberta.

The BC Legislature breaks for the winter at the end of November.  This is a time to catch up on administration, write Christmas newsletters and finalize our plans for 2015!  Thanks for your partnership and support!  We see exciting things on the horizon.  Check in with us in January!  Have a blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year!

It's National Giving Day

It's National Giving Day.  (I checked it out, Dec 2 really is National Giving Day) NGD is a way to bring some balance and perspective to the general excess of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  If you don't know what Black Friday and Cyber Monday are, that's probably a very good thing! If you do, you'll know why National Giving Day matters.

Leading Influence is entirely funded by the generosity of individuals, churches and businesses that believe in what we do.  This gives us tremendous freedom because our funding is subject to political strings and influence.  We made a concious decision when we founded the ministry that we would not seek government funding to do our job.  Instead, we would share our story and trust God to provide for us as we are faithful to serve those God has chosen to lead our province and nation.  7 1/2 years later, that decision continues to pay dividends!

There are multiple ways you can partner with us financially.  While the secret of our stability is found in monthly/bi-monthly giving, there are many people who give annually, periodically or through one of our fundraising events.  We are tremendously grateful for generosity of the many who make what we now do in 3 provinces through chaplaincy and 5 provinces through our prayer networks possible. Our ministry footprint extends from BC to Ontario and none of it would happen without the faithful partnership of our donors and supporters.

If you are new to us, or would like a bit of a 'refresher' on giving options, pay close attention as our options have changed.

1) You can give electronically through interac etransfer.  After you login to your online banking account, choose the interac transfer option, choose the amount you would like to give.  Follow the instructions on your screen.  Make the question, 'Who is this for?' and the answer 'Leading Influence'.  Use 'give@leadinginfluence.com' as the email address for notification.  We will receive your gift promptly and you will be receipted at year end.

2) You can give by Credit Card through CanadaHelps.  CanadaHelps is a Canadian Charity that provides Credit Card processing services for other charities.  If you give through CanadaHelps, your information is secure and you will be receipted through CanadaHelps at year end.  Click here to visit our CanadaHelps Donor Page.

3) You can give by Pre-Authorized Debit.  Contact our office through the secure form by clicking here.  We continue to see many people opting to give in this manner on a monthly basis. 

4) You can give by cheque simply by mailing to our office at Leading Influence, 626 Blanshard St, Victoria, BC V8W 3G6.

If you'd like to speak with us about how you can give, please contact us directly using this form or call our office at 250-483-5934.

Fall Session Comes To An End

The Fall Session of the Legislature ended 'early' last Thursday.  By 'early' I mean it ended at noon instead of at 6 PM.  It's been a long 7 weeks.  One of the security staff said it looked like a fire drill as MLAs were hurrying to get to their cars in time to catch the 1 PM ferry.  One member told me that he intentionally backs his vehicle in so that he can get a few second advantage lead on the way home.  

I had the opportunity to speak with a retired MLA from another province early in the session. When he heard of my role as a chaplain, he described the work of an MLA as 'soul crushing'.  I think it's a good description.  It's a unique kind of work that can be tremendously rewarding while at the same time, be perpetually exhausting.  It's soul crushing for a lot of reasons.  The combination of workload, the stress from the unrelenting expectations, the separation from family and friends and the emotional drama of the politics can make you weary.  Some days, it's beyond absurd.  Just today, I visited with an MLA who told me she received recent criticism over the colour of her hair and in the past over her choice of wardrobe.  Sometimes it's a bit hard to grasp why people pounce on the things that they do.

At the same time, there are some remarkable rewards.  Last week a member showed me a Thank You card he received from a family he had been able to help.  What made this card special was that he received a duplicate card that he was able to deliver to the Minister who assisted him.  Nothing feels better than knowing you've made a genuine difference in someone's life.

This has been an incredible session for Leading Influence.  Here are some highlights!

1)  Every week, I met with a group of MLAs to pray and encourage one another in their faith.

2)  Watching God answer the many prayers that we prayed week by week.

3)  Every week, I had the opportunity to connect with a member that I had not met previously. I love being able to tell people that my only purpose in being there is to encourage and support them as they do their work.  It's especially rewarding when they realize that I'm able to do it because many people partner together financially so it can happen.

4) God has opened some incredible doors of ministry into the lives of people He has added to my network at the Legislature.

5) Giving a 'welcome back' hug to an MLA who has overcome cancer in the past year and nearly died during treatment. We prayed often that God would heal him!

6) Being part of the MLA running group that runs rain or shine two mornings a week.  It''s a phenomenal opportunity to journey along with members in a unique and non-threatening setting

7) Spending time with our new Chaplain in Alberta.  Uve Knaak is doing a great job already!

8) Taking a minute to encourage a member of the security staff whose wife is undergoing cancer.  I felt prompted to give him my card on the last day of the session and told him I would be praying for him and his wife.  I'm expecting an incredible outcome!

9) Being asked why I still have a visitor pass when I should have a regular one because 'you live here'.

10) The privilege of pointing people who know and don't yet know Jesus towards the hope, love and life that He gives.

Transform Your World Conference Report

Someone gently reminded me that I was way past due on a ministry update.  That was 2 weeks ago... Apparently, I came home with a stronger case of 'island fever' than I thought I did.  In any case, I'm here now.

Barb and I had the privilege of attending the Transform Our World conference in Hawaii.  It was the first time we had been there and I may have made several attempts to convince God of the desperate need for chaplaincy ministry at the State Capitol.  He was quite clear that a trip to Edmonton in November was more in keeping with what He had in mind for me!

The conference was an incredible opportunity to meet and connect with people from all around the world who are seeing God do remarkable things both in Government and in the Marketplace.  It's hard to explain how inspiring and affirming the conference was to both of us.  Many have asked what has impacted us the most during our time there.  Having had a few weeks to ponder and process what we saw, heard and learned, I'd have to say that more than anything, I took away the clear sense that God is doing much more than most of us think He is in transforming the marketplace and government.  

While many people think of ministry in this area as unique and 'outside the box', the truth of the matter is that the Early Church found it's traction and growth in the marketplace.  The Book of Acts is almost entirely a record of the Holy Spirit at work through the church in this sphere of influence. The good news is that He continues to work just as powerfully as He ever has and that lives, businesses, communities and nations are being impacted as a result.  This is an exciting place to serve Jesus and to partner with Him as He transforms our world!