Every Place You Set Your Foot

There are dried out maple leaves on the mantle of my office fireplace. I collected them on a prayer walk at Queens Park in October of 2008.  Our ministry board and a few friends came to Ontario to launch Leading Influence Ontario.    After the launch celebration we went to Queens Park and did a prayer walk around the perimeter of the building.  We asked God to give us every place we set our foot believing that He would grant us favour and blessing in Ontario.  We had great faith, hopes and dreams.   The leaves were a memento of our time there.  

Things did not turn out as we had hoped and shortly after we started, we chose to withdraw.  Sometimes things don’t work out like you expect.  The leaves stayed on my mantle as a reminder of where we had been, what we had prayed and where we believed we would go again.  In the meantime, we strengthened BC and launched Alberta and Saskatchewan.

This fall our board formally approved a change in my role giving me the freedom to take on the challenge of launching Ontario.  I booked my first flight for late November, exactly 7 years and 1 month after I gathered those leaves.

I was more than a bit excited as I walked through the front door of Queens Park on Monday morning for my first set of meetings knowing that it was a new day and that rather than being outside praying for open doors, I was inside watching them open.  Over the course of the week , I walked many halls and through many doors and deep in my heart was the constant prayer that God would give me every place I set my foot!

We have great faith for what God has in His heart for Ontario’s leaders.  We are confident that as we reach leaders, we can shape Canada’s largest province one step at a time.  Thanks for praying for us and with us!

Across the Provinces....

We have some exciting changes happening within Leading Influence!  From West to East, here’s what’s happening.

Pastor Jason Goertzen has officially joined our team in BC and will be taking the lead role at the BC Legislature in the 2016.  Jason has been interested in our work for some time and has spent the last half of 2015 job shadowing Tim and building relationships with BC MLAs.  He is being well received and finding great favour.  We are excited about the possibilities as Jason takes on this new opportunity.

Jason is married to Christine and serves a campus pastor with LifeTree Church here in Victoria.

Pastor Murray Coughlan continues to serve as our chaplain in Alberta.  Murray continues to find open doors and a warm reception to his ministry at the Alberta Legislature.  Most of his success has come through cold-calling new MLAs after the election, introducing himself and building relationships.  Murray’s hard work has resulted in the development of a strong network in Alberta.  We are very grateful for Murray’s hard work and willingness to serve in this way. 

When Murray isn’t at work, he enjoys riding his Victory motorcycle in the summer.  In the winter, he thinks warm thoughts and wishes it was summer! 

We have bittersweet news coming out of Saskatchewan.  Barry Berglund has announced that he would like to retire after the upcoming election.  Barry has been a tremendous pioneer for us and has done an exceptional job of establishing the ministry in Regina.  We will miss him.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Scott Francis will be joining our team in the New Year to take on the role of chaplain at the Saskatchewan Legislature.  Scott has recently completed his doctoral studies in leadership at Gonzaga University and will be a great fit in Regina.  Scott is married to Janelle and they have two children.  He is also an Executive Coach, podcaster (LeaderFM) and volunteer firefighter. 

He’s got a professional picture, but we really think the firefighter picture shows off his movie star good looks! 

Tim’s role in Leading Influence is changing from ministry delivery to ministry development. As part of that new role, he will be launching our work in Ontario at Queens Park, mentoring and coaching our chaplain team across the country and seeking new opportunities to both resource and grow Leading Influence into a strong presence within the leadership community of our nation.  It’s a huge challenge filled with opportunities and possibilities to impact our nation in significant ways. 

Be sure to read: Everywhere Your Place Your Foot Article for more info on Ontario.

Oops... He Showed Up Again!

I'm convinced that Jesus has no time for decorum and protocol.  His entire history underscores that He is the Master of the Unusual, Unconventional and Unexpected!  Don't count on Jesus to play by the rules other than the ones He decides on!  Here's a case in point.... 

A few weeks ago, I attended a Christmas 'Light Up' event.  For the most part, everything was as it always is.  A gracious host, several speakers bringing greetings, 2 choirs and then the big countdown to the moment the lights came on.  

I enjoyed the speeches, even the inclusive one that reminded the children and adults in attendance that 'there are many celebrations' during this time of year. (Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and others).  The message was that we should be respectful of other celebrations.  I don't disagree at all.  The same freedom that gives me the privilege of celebrating Christmas full on, is also freely extended to my Jewish friends who celebrate Hanukkah and those who celebrate Kwanzaa and the many other celebrations that coincide late in the year.  The reminder ended with 'Happy Holidays' and then things got interesting...

It was announced that the choir would sing 'Go Tell It On the Mountain' and that it would be a sing-along number.  My intended subtle smile at the irony of the moment turned into a full blown grin bordering on suppressed belly laugh as I listened to several hundred people led by an amplified choir joyfully singing 'Go Tell It On The Mountain That Jesus Christ is Born!' My favorite was the man several rows in front of me who was full on singing, head back, and arms waving as he sang the verses and chorus never missing a beat!  

I LOVE this stuff!!!

I'm tired of the church fussing about red coffee cups, the never ending stream of 'share' if you believe that 'Jesus is the Reason For the Season' or 'Keep Christ in Christmas' because I have come to the conclusion that Jesus doesn't need our help to take centre stage!  He takes it when He pleases and how He pleases!  He breaks the rules to suit His purposes! 

While we might share the timing with other faiths and groups, this is the season we remember that God became flesh, that God was born of a virgin and that God interrupted regularly scheduled programming for His own special event.  This is a season of miracles and surprises.  Expect Him to surprise you this season!

Have a great Christmas!

Skin in the Game

I might be one of the few people in Canada who was able to watch the Cabinet Swearing In Ceremony and call it work!  The 'changing of the guard' brought with it new faces, fresh ideas and for many Canadians the sense of a a new day in Canadian politics.  My attention was captured when I heard the commentator make reference to the Hon. Jane Philpot's involvement in her local church as both a board member and 'song-leader' and I was reminded, AGAIN... that God always has 'skin in the game'.

Technically, to have 'skin in the game' means to have a money in an investment.  In this instance, I take the expression more literally, in that God always has people strategically placed within the our culture and society.  Consider that of all of the people who ran for office, that the Hon. Judy Philpott, a devout follower of Jesus would not only win her nomination, but also her seat and then be given the very significant and strategic position of Minister of Health for all of Canada.

In 8 years of serving leaders, I've come to the conclusion that despite what we may think, expect and inevitably conclude from an uninformed distance, God always has 'skin in the game'.

I recently spent 3 days at Queens Park in Toronto.  A few days before I arrived, I was encouraged to make contact with a particular member who I was told would be quite helpful to me as I sought to establish our work there.  When given the information, I made some quick and broad assumptions about how this person might receive me.  I was proven wrong in our initial phone call and even more wrong when we met face to face.  During our conversation, the member said, 'We need to make this a spiritual place!'  Once again, I discovered that God had 'skin in the game' in an important and significant spot and needed to repent and recalibrate my thinking and perspective.

At this time of year, we remember the most incredible 'skin in the game' event in history when according to John's gospel, 'the WORD became flesh and dwelled among us.'   Jesus took on humanity and in every way became God's most significant investment.  Nothing says 'I'm committed' more than God becoming flesh!  He came to model, to teach, to live, to die, rise again  and most importantly make a way for us to find forgiveness and eternal life.  You would think that would be then end of  God having 'skin in the game', but God always has 'skin in the game'.

The Bible is filled with the accounts of ordinary men and women who served as 'skin in the game' so that God's purposes and plans could be fulfilled through their lives.  From every walk of life, God called them, empowered them and used them in strategic ways to impact the lives of countless others. He still does!

Being 'skin in the game' isn't so much about knowing all the answers or even understanding all the questions.  It's more about saying yes to God and going with His plans and purposes.  The biggest part of being 'skin in the game' is just showing up, watching and listening and then letting God do the rest through you.  

Have a great Christmas!

A Prayer for Our Leaders

Here's a list to PRAY for Godly Leaders that would care about the things that you care about. I pray for all men and women having authority over us in any way.  Praying for thirteen Premiers of Canada, currently three are women. The longest-serving Premier is Brad Wall of Saskatchewan, who has held the position since November 21, 2007; the newest Premier is Rachel Notley of Alberta, who assumed office on May 24, 2015. The oldest Premier, Greg Selinger of Manitoba, was born in 1951; The youngest Premier, Brian Gallant of New Brunswick, was born in 1982. There are thirteen incumbent Premiers, of which six are from a Liberal Party, two are from a New Democratic Party, one is from a Progressive Conservative Party, one is from the Saskatchewan Party, one is from the Yukon Party, and two are non-partisan.

Transitions and the Power of Prayer

Courtesy of our friends at 'Nation At Prayer' People woke up Tuesday morning to another new day - and a nation in transition.  A new Prime Minister had been elected; the Third Party has become the party in power; the Official Opposition has become the Third Party; the party in power has become the Official Opposition; the Green Party lost a member; the Bloc increased from 4 to 10; and the sitting Prime Minister resigned as Party Leader.      1,792 candidates ran for office, 1,454 unsuccessfully, including 106 incumbent MPs; 338 were elected, of which 197 are new to Ottawa.     Transition does not only impact the party standings; it impacts the life of every candidate and his/her family. Every candidate is in process of closing their campaign offices; in addition, defeated incumbents may be moving from accommodation in Ottawa while dealing with the sting of defeat and contemplating their life after politics; successful candidates are looking for new constituency offices and waiting to be assigned their Ottawa offices, while making living arrangements in their 'home away from home'.    Those returning to Ottawa are going through transition - to new roles in Parliament, new seating arrangements (in many cases on the opposite side of the House), and unfamiliar colleagues. Many of them are experiencing varying emotions as they adjust to the reality that some of their colleagues are not returning, even as they adjust to new personalities and changed balances of power. Families are preparing for the long absences from home that accompany elected office; some are weighing the relative merits of moving to Ottawa where they can be together throughout the week while maintaining a presence in the constituency. For those of us who know and trust the transforming power of prayer, this transition is much more than a time of change; it is the time to invite the unequaled and extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit to infuse the hearts and minds of those who now govern our nation, so that God's purposes for Canada will be served.  Whatever our thoughts and feelings about the outcome of the election, we have the great privilege and even greater responsibility, as the apostle Paul instructs, to give priority to praying for all who govern.  What confidence is ours that God can be fully trusted; that He is at work in ways beyond our knowing, for our good and the good of the nation; that He can use every elected representative for His purposes; and that there is nothing in all creation that He cannot transform or beyond which He is not more powerful!

WHAT TO PRAY FOR... THE PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE: Wisdom and discernment as he assumes the role and in appointing the Cabinet Capacity to understand complex issues Energy and endurance Adaptability in responding to rapidly changing circumstances and events Protection for him and his family ALL MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT: Wisdom as they assume their new responsibilities God's grace to use their position wisely with integrity and strength of character The power of the Holy Spirit to overcome any sense of entitlement  Their families, as they make the adjustment to new realities Guidance in finding suitable accommodation and office space Courage to do what is right and grace in doing it THOSE DEFEATED, PARTICULARLY INCUMBENTS:  Pray that the Holy Spirit will: Remove any residual bitterness, depression, or sense of personal rejection Guide them into new occupations with a renewed sense of call and fulfillment Guide their families in making any adjustments All now need refreshment from the grueling schedule of a 78-day campaign, and God's grace to return to a more normalized life. Above all and for all, may this time of transition be a time of transformation when the Holy Spirit awakens or deepens relationships with the living God, the source of transformation. Because we pray, their lives - and our nation - will be impacted and transformed.

A Prayer For Our Nation

“I urge you first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them, intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way kings and all who are in authority…” 2 Tim 2:1-2

Father, I thank you for Canada and our new Prime Minister elect, Justin Trudeau. Lord, I pray that you would infuse him with humility, courage, honesty, and integrity. I lift up all our elected MP’s. I pray that they would call on you, seeking your grace and wisdom to fulfill their roles as our elected officials. I ask that you would protect the marriages and families of all 338 Members of Parliament.

I declare our prayers of blessing wield far more power than words of disappointment or complaint. We choose to respect and honour our leaders as your word clearly instructs us to do.

God keep our land glorious and free, from sea to sea to sea. AMEN.

Across the Country

We've got some great things happen across the country!  Here's the latest....

BC - A welcome to Jessica Pool who has assumed leadership for PrayBC.  This is an important ministry for us that really forms the foundation for what we are doing.  God has blessed us with a strong team of prayer writers but there is always room for more!  You can reach Jessica at jessica@leadinginfluence.com to tell her of your interest in writing prayers.

The Legislature resumed in BC at the end of September and we are off to a great start.  We host a weekly prayer gathering and this past week was our largest gathering ever.  It's so exciting to hear leaders pray on behalf of the people of the province!  

AB - The change of government in Alberta has opened a tremendous door of opportunity to us. Murray Coughlan is doing a phenomenal volunteer job for us in Edmonton and has met with a number of MLAs already.  One MLA said the following in his meeting:  'I don't think you'll do any harm here and you might even do some good!  Welcome aboard!'  Best welcoming line ever!!

Our ever faithful prayer coordinator in Alberta is Elaine Baillie.  We are blessed to have her on our team.  Thanks for your hard work Elaine!

SK - Barry Berglund is having great success in Saskatchewan.  God has given him real favour with a number of Saskatoon based MLAs especially.  The Saskatchewan Legislature resumes in late October.

Dr. Scott Francis is leading PraySK.

MB - Pastor Weldon Yeo (Morden) is coordinating PrayMB.  We have an opening for a chaplain in Winnipeg.

ON - PrayOntario continues to grow under the leadership of Pastor Garry Fess.  We are very thankful for his willingness to serve and his commitment to the vision and ministry.  We remain committed to launching a chaplaincy in Ontario as soon as possible and continue to actively seek a suitable candidate.  For more information on our plans for Ontario and how you can help us, please see our most recent update article.  

Maritimes - We are having conversations with a pastor in the Maritimes who is interested in partnering with us.  We are eager to see how God will lead us in this regard.

Pursuing Our Vision

Our vision for Leading Influence has always had a national focus.  We see chaplains in every province and territory providing ministry care to elected leaders.  It's an enormous challenge that continues to stretch us.

Several years ago, our board went through a visioning process.  We created a strategic plan that called for Tim's role to change within the ministry so that we could move forward in pursuing the vision that God has put in our hearts.  In light of the challenges and opportunities before us as we seek to establish Leading Influence in Ontario and Eastern Canada, it's become apparent that we have reached the point for Tim's role to shift from ministry DELIVERY to ministry DEVELOPMENT.

While Tim will remain connected to BC, he will do so in a diminished role as Jason Goertzen has joined our BC team.  Tim's new focus will be twofold.  His first responsibility will be to ensure that our team of chaplains are well supported, resourced and equipped to effectively and capably serve our elected leaders.  His second focus will be to ensure that we successfully launch Leading Influence in Ontario.

Ontario is a significant challenge for us.  It is crucial for us to plant a strong successful chaplaincy in Toronto.  While we are confident that God has prepared someone to serve MPPs in Ontario, we have yet to find him/her.  In the short term, Tim will commute to Toronto one week/month in order to establish the ministry at Queens Park and to create awareness within Ontario as a whole but particularly in the Greater Toronto Area.  

This is an enormous task that will require tremendous resources.  We need your help!  We would like to invite you to consider partnering with us in the great cause of reaching out to elected officials through relationally based ministry.  You can help us financially by clicking here!  

Thanks for your support!

Welcome Jason Goertzen!

We are excited to announce that Jason Goertzen has joined our BC Team as co-chaplain at the BC Legislature.  He will serve in a volunteer capacity and will remain on the pastoral team at LifeTree Church, here in Victoria.  In addition to his strong pastoral skills, Jason also brings with him a keen interest in politics, excellent people skills and a warm and engaging nature. He is being well received by members and staff alike.  

Jason is married to Christine and is the proud father of three children. (Melia, Zach and Ben) 

For the Gold!!!

Last fall or winter, I shared about an opportunity Barb and I had been given to participate on the chaplaincy team for the 2015 Parapan Games in Toronto. The opportunity came as the result of a polite challenge from then MLA now Hon. Michelle Stilwell to come and cheer her on as she competed in the games.  It was an honour to do so!  

I confess that I haven't followed Parapan events in the past, but the week that we spent serving athletes, coaches, officials and staff has really impacted me.  These people are inspiring on so many levels!  We watched a young runner on training runs with her guide in the village.  It was amazing to watch her run.  By the time the games were over she had collected 4 gold medals all while running tethered to her guide.

While we were waiting for Michelle's race, I started chatting with two athletes who were in the stands.  While we were talking, I noticed the one was sipping on a can of beer he had hidden in his jacket.  When I asked about their event, they told me he was a javelin thrower.  What could possibly go wrong with an impaired person throwing a sharpened pole?

There's a bit of a story coming up to Michelle's race.  On the Monday prior to her race, the weather was terrible. At one point, the rain was so heavy they stopped competition until conditions improved.  Michelle stopped by the Faith Centre to say hello and suggested that I do speak to my Friend about the weather for the next day.  We prayed with her for a safe and successful race before she left and I promised it wouldn't rain....

The next morning broke bright and clear but quickly clouded up.  As we were on our way to the venue, we experienced several rain showers.  By the time we got to the stadium, the rain had stopped and the track was drying.  I was feeling confident until about 45 minutes prior to race time when it started to rain again.  I may or may not have looked to the sky and said 'stop it' with my inside voice. :-)   About 15 minutes before the race the sun broke through, the rain stopped and the conditions were perfect for Michelle to win a gold medal in the Women's 100. There's nothing like singing O Canada when someone you know has just won gold!

While these are rare opportunities, our participation at the Games is an example of what we do to support and walk with those we serve.  While this particular moment is high profile and exciting, we also walk with people through difficult situations involving their health, personal and family issues.  Our commitment is always to provide gold medal level ministry to those we serve whatever the need may be.

For those of you who partnered with us in our Ironman of Golf event to make this possible, we want to say thank you for your generosity and support.  We could not have done this without you!

PUBLIC POLICY AND DIVERSITY OF VIEWPOINTS

Every day that the Legislature is in session, various members make 2 minute statements on any topic they choose.  Gordon Hogg is the member for Surrey-White Rock.  Gord and I have become friends and I always enjoy his statements.  This one was so unique, I asked for his permission to publish it here.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Most of us know about Humpy Dumpty. He sat on a wall and subsequently had a great fall. But like so many mishaps, in life and in policy, there are many things that we don't truly understand about Humpty — like how did he get in that precarious position anyway? What was he thinking? Why did he go up there, anyway? How did he get up there?

Like so many of us get into difficult positions and then wonder: "What was I thinking? How did I get into this mess?" And why was it that all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty back together again? I assume the king's horses and the king's men were pretty good at fixing things that didn't go the way that was expected, so what was different about Humpty's injury that was so challenging, that he couldn't, even with help, get it together again?

It seems that our ideas about how things work can fail us. Humpty was, I assume, the only one on the wall. If so, he had a different vantage point from everyone else — or every egg else. I wonder if he knew that sharing similar views was part of being socially and intellectually acceptable? What if Humpty's view was so different, yet correct, and everyone else's view was wrong?

It seems that no one challenging the prevailing view of a group is deemed credible. Maybe the king's horses and the king's men didn't tolerate different approaches and really didn't want to save Humpty because he was just going to see things differently anyway.

It seems that to get agreement that Humpty should have presented information in a way that confirms rather than threatens his group's values. He probably should have found some validators, experts with diverse views. Then, just then, perhaps he could have solved his differences. He should have focused less on facts and more on social meaning.

It seems that it's only when we perceive that a policy bears social meaning congenial to our own values that we become receptive to evidence, because culture is cognitive prior to facts, and in policy disputes culture is political prior to facts as well.

[1030]

Humpty's story has so much to teach us. Seeing the world from different points and different vantage points helps us to better understand ideas and to better understand each other has so much to teach us. Seeing the world from different points and different vantage points helps us to better understand ideas and to better understand each other.

Plum Overloaded a.k.a. 'What To Do With Abundance'

From my friend Aleece Laird in Kamloops.  Posted with permission.

The plums on our tree this year have been ridiculous! I've never seen such abundance and it's amazing. What do you do with abundance though - do you embrace it or do you complain about it?

Our plum tree has made me think over the past few months, ever since I first saw the blossoms on it, I knew we were in for a record setting plum season. So here's how I think our plum abundance ties in with life and the best reactions:

1. Focus on the good - too many times, people look at work and an abundance of things to do as a curse. Like the plums, it's easy to get overwhelmed and think "what on earth am I going to do with this?" I say, focus on the positive and the abundance - it's a really good thing. There have been times with limited plums and that's kind of a bummer - I'd rather abundance over no abundance.

2. Make a plan - how many times have we looked at our calendars or life and thought thoughts of defeat before the situation even happened. "I can't do this" or "I'm not capable" are thoughts so many of us have. I find if we make a plan, we can do so much better with situations presented to us. So when the overwhelming comes, we've got at least a strategy for the future (my financial planner guy should read this - he'd pat me on the back for listening... finally)

3. Enlist help - our 12 year old made about $4.00 in the course of 30 minutes last night as his responsibility was to pick up the mushy plums (earning a penny each) that had fallen already and were better suited for the compost (or our dog we found out and put a stop to that). People are generally happy to help when you express that you can't do it all on your own. Give them the opportunity to show their skills and ingenuity.

4. Share the wealth - we did the big plum cull last night. Prior to that, I was the ultimate Plum Pusher. Friends, co-workers, etc... if I knew you, likely I asked how many lbs I could deliver to your house. (for the record, our team at work has never been more regular). We had major plum abundance and this morning, I took them to the New Life Mission to share with some of our community members who were so grateful. So sharing in the abundance was not only a joy for me, but was a real blessing to countless others.

So embrace the abundance and keep a positive attitude. I'll keep you posted after I deal with the Apricot Abundance which is already upon me!

The Church and the LGBTQ Community

I've been thinking about the controversy around same sex marriage approval in the USA. I'm a bit puzzled about why my Canadian friends are so upset. In some cases, same sex marriage has been legal in Canada for 8 or 9 years so it's not like this is some sudden infringement on our rights, freedoms and privileges.

When I think about Jesus and who he engaged with and how He did it, I think I see a path that we need to follow as the church in responding to the LGBTQ community. The most common accusation against Jesus was about who He spent his time with. If you are even a casual student of the scriptures, you'll know that Jesus spent considerable time with 'sinners, drunkards, tax collectors and prostitutes.' The Pharisees (the religious right of the day) hated him for it.

Some of the conversations that Jesus had with these people were recorded. Like the time, he encountered the woman caught in adultery. His response to her, after quietly rescuing her from certain death at the hands of the 'righteous' was 'go and sin no more'. His encounter with the woman at the well (multiple divorces, and at least one common law relationship) was to offer her Living Water after which he told her all about her life and ministered to her deepest needs. He met her where she was, offered her truth that set her free and gave her hope for a better day. I could go on, but the pattern is always the same.

Here's the difficulty with what I hear/see many of my friends posting and reposting. There is no hope, no mercy, no grace, and no love on this issue. There is only fear, outrage, anger and judgement.

To say that God is going to bring His judgement on American/Canada because of this particular issue reflects how messed up we really are. God doesn't need this to judge our nations. He can judge us for anything from the way we have treated First Nations peoples to the way we treated Jews and Sikhs who were seeking to flee persecution in their homeland to the way we treated the Chinese or the Japanese or the way we treated children in Residential Schools. The list is long and we are guilty on all counts.

We need to stop looking to politicians and judges to either save us from or solve our many difficulties and challenges. It might be better for us to weep for our nation and the mess that it is in, not because our law permits same sex marriage but because we, the church have been lax in fulfilling our mission and mandate to serve, love, go and give.

Perhaps once we own our sin and become 2 Chr 7:14 people, our nation will find healing, wholeness and the blessing of God.

Spying Out The Land

G

I've just returned from a 5 day trip to Ontario. While I'm a westerner at heart, every time I'm there, I'm reminded about the significant place that Ontario and Toronto in particular has in our nation.  Ontario is our largest province with over 13 million Canadians.  Almost half of them live in the Greater Toronto Area.  Ontario is a centre of political and economic power not to mention a social and cultural leader.  

I felt a bit like one of the 12 spies from Numbers 13 as I walked up both Bay and Yonge street on my way to my hotel.  I kept looking up at office towers and thinking about what the view would be like from the very top.  I expect that I would look smaller than a grasshopper from the top floor of any one of those buildings.  

The height of the office towers in Toronto is really meaningless in light of the significant spiritual, philosophical and social challenges that await.  Without a doubt there are giants in the land!  It would be easy to be overwhelmed, discouraged and to take the stance that the challenge is too big, and that would be completely the wrong position to take. 

What happens in Ontario eventually becomes the norm across Canada.  This is why we must invest in the leaders of Ontario through providing intentional and purposeful pastoral ministry.  Over the past 8 years God has helped us to establish meaningful relationships with political leaders across 3 western provinces using the ministry of presence.  Simply put, we show up and we build relationships.  Those relationships become platforms of ministry where we are able to serve, speak and engage with leaders around the most important issues of life and leadership.  

7 years ago, I walked the grounds of Queens Park with a group of friends who also believed that God was calling us to establish Leading Influence there.  We prayed around the buildings asking God to give us every place where we set our foot, expecting that we would see Him answer in due time.  I believe that the time to see the fulfilment of that act of faith is NOW  and so we are investing heavily in terms of time, energy and resources to see a full time chaplaincy established in Ontario in 2015.

We need your help to make this happen.  

If you would like to sow into Ontario, we would greatly appreciate it!  If you would like to do that through supporting our IronMan of Golf or simply through a donation through our secure donor portal or by giving through cheque or online banking, we are grateful for your support.  

Ironman of Golf - 5.0

It's our 5th annual IronMan of Golf!  

We took a break last year and you told us you wanted to do it again.  The IronMan of Golf is our summer fundraiser.  This event supports our travel budget through the summer months.  Our goal for this summer is to raise $5000 and iti's important that we reach it!  Our summer ministry travel plans depend on these resources and we need your help to make it happen.

The IronMan of golf works as follows:

1.  Make a pledge.  You can pledge/hole or simply make an event pledge.  

           

           $10/hole is a $1000 pledge.  

           $5/hole is a $500 pledge.  

           $2.50/hole is $250

           $1.00 hole is $100 

           

           Or you can pledge another amount of your choosing. 

           Click here to make a pledge.

2. Follow Through.  

         You can pay your plege immediately by credit card, online banking or by cheque. 

         If you prefer to wait until after the event, that's fine with us.  We will contact you after              the event.

3.  Watch Tim's progress on our Leading Influence Facebook Page on June 22.

2015 MLA Prayer Breakfast Video

Legislative Prayer Breakfast - 2015 from Online Discipleship on Vimeo.

Faith, Fear and Everyday Living...

I've been thinking a lot lately about the tension between fear and faith.  

A dear friend got some very bad news yesterday.   Another is waiting for a doctor's report next week. I want to be full of faith for them and their situation, but fear is doing it's best to have it's way in my heart and mind.  

If you watch the news, you'll know that ISIS is doing it's best to create fear by executing Christians for their faith.  

The fear of terrorism (which is all about creating fear...) has impacted government, social and transportation policies throughout the Western world.  Our freedoms and personal privacy are slowly eroding away because of the fear of what a few might be capable of doing.  

How do you live a life of faith in a world where the fear of what might happen is ever on the rise?

At our recent MLA Prayer Breakfast, our speaker said this:  'We cannot let fear dominate our politics.'  I agree completely.  I would take it one step further and say that we cannot let fear dominate our everyday lives.

The antidote to fear isn't higher walls, bigger guns, better drones or more cameras.  The antidote to fear is always faith.  Everyone has faith in something or someone.  The Western world is putting it's confidence in military strength and prowess, tech based 'intelligence' gained through sorting through countless emails, phone calls, 'chatter' and Terrabytes of video gained through the ever present cameras.  Terrorists have placed their faith in their ability to create chaos through their words and actions.  I am confident that both of these options will ultimately fail.  Despite our best work, those committed to instilling fear in the hearts and lives of good and free people, will find some success.  At some point, those same good and free people are going to grow weary of hyper security and the growing loss of freedoms and privacy and make a clear and concious decision to step away from being dominated by fear and choose again to live in freedom, in spite of what terrorists may choose to do.  

Fear is exhausting financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually.  Fear robs us of peace.  Fear doesn't come from God.  God gives us power, love and a sound mind so that we can overcome the power of fear in our lives.  Fear lives in our imagination and is mostly False Evidence Appearing Real.  Those who overcome fear in the very core of who they are have learned to focus their hearts, minds and lives on the ONLY ONE who cannot and will not fail them.  His name is Jesus.  The Prince of Peace!

Great Expectations...

The Legislature resumes next week with the Throne Speech.  Along with the Throne Speech comes pomp and circumstance, protesters, parades, cannon fire, an Honour Guard and the list goes on and on.  My favourite ‘outside’ throne speech moment was the year a protester ran to the front of the marching military band and pretended to be leading the parade himself.  It was great entertainment, especially when he missed the corner where the band turned and was half a block away when he realized his leading had turned into a solitary walk…. But I digress….

Throne Speech day always feels a bit like the first day of camp or school for me.  While MLAs return from every part of the province to do the business of government, I know that God has His own business that He wants to accomplish in their lives.  While the business of government may change laws, tax rates, speed limits and a hundred other things, the business that God has in His heart will change the lives of leaders and as a result impact the lives of 4.3 million British Columbians over the course of time.

I am filled with anticipation about what God will do in the lives of BC MLAs in the next 3 months.  I expect that He will open doors of ministry into previously closed lives.  I expect that there will be opportunities to sow seed in the lives of some and to bring the warmth of God’s love and grace into others.  Most of all, I anticipate that there will be opportunities to see lives impacted in powerful and profound ways by God’s grace and mercy. 

I meet with a group of MLAs who pray together on a weekly basis.  One of them almost always prays and asks God for a revival among his peers and colleagues.  His request has stretched my faith in days gone by, but I am anticipating that I will see God begin to answer what has become our request over the next weeks and months.

As we begin this session, would you pray for us?  We need wisdom, grace, strategies, sensitivity, boldness and discernment as we engage with the leaders of our province and nation.  Thanks for remembering Leading Influence!