Well Clay and Elijah, I am sorry Daddy’s pictures don’t talk this time . . . didn’t bring the video camera this time. But hopefully these shots will show you that I am doing fine and having fun. I haven’t been able to catch any crabs yet. If I can get a shell I will bring it home, but time is running out. Here are some photos for you guys. Thanks Hon for hanging in there!
I am back in Vancouver and this post is really in response to my kids request for some pictures of Dad’s trip. So here you go Clay and Elijah, this is the view I have walking out my hotel in Grandville Island in Downtown Vancouver. More pics and comments to come.
Love you guys!!
Well I did want to come to this conference anyway, but was surly lured by board post opportunity. However, the Lord continues to have more in store for me as I meet with people - Mike Frost says “all of life is meeting” and it is true.
I bumped into an Executive Director of a large foundation in the lunch line. He chatted with me for a while and then I commented that I didn’t have a chance to get to know him in other settings because his organizations doesn’t get involved with organizations who are not “National”. So as a local organization we were exempt from funding. So he asked me what we were doing in Peterborough and I told him the story of Kids in the City, how it began, the effects it is having on the community around the churches where it is active and what a great leader Melissa Dinesen is for this movement. his comment back to me was, we are now just considering changing our fundring structure and would like it if your organization would continue this conversation with us and see if we can partner for the future!! WOW!!!!
Then, look who I bumped into and then had the joy of having lunch with . . . Brian McLaren!! We had a great chat about YFC, our mutual friend in Michael Frost, Church in the City and our time with Michael Frost and the outcomes of that. He was impressed with the fruit of the YFC/CITC relationship and exited about The Third Space Church and our partnership with the Peterborough Free Metodist Church and the Free Methodist Church in Canada and since I was on a role, I told him about Kids in the City and some wonderful stories that Melissa Dinesen has been telling us and that got him really excited!! Just before he went off to speak he said, “Now that was a GOOD STORY!”
I love being in God’s story and journey. Keep leading Lord!! (Funny thing is, He lead me into the wrong lunch line. I wouldn’t have had lunch with Brian except that I had the wrong dining room. I was in an invitation only lunch . . . I was not invited. But the Executive Director of the CCCC’s, at who’s table I was sitting, graciously didn’t let on. 
)
tim coles
Well, today was the day - the vote or rather ballot. Very interesting process. “Here are the list of names, check the box of 4 of them to determine our new board members.” paraphrasing. No introduction, no description . . . I guess they figured everyone knew everyone else. I think I was the only one to vote for me.
the cool thing is that I hooked up with David Murphy of The Navigators through that meeting and we have a lot in common, both as people and missionally. I now have three other names from him that I can network with for continuing to develop our ministry as well as follow-up for those who move on to University. I would not have met him if I was not at that meeting. God appointment.
The other God appointment I had was with an older man that I sat beside for dinner. He asked me if I was responsible for Fundraising my salary and for the organization. My response was “I love Fundraising!” he looked at me like I was joking and I was not. So I proceeded to tell him several stories of God’s provision and then I heard it again, “Are you writing all these things down?” I keep on hearing that from people, so I think I will need to start writing these things down - maybe a book of HIS FAITHFULNESS will come out of it some day!
Thanks for those who prayed for God’s will on this Board member thing. I know Glenn Duncan will be happy with the result!
Back in June this year I was away at Barnabas in West Vancouver for my Arrow Training. One morning I was out for a walk with the Lord - my favourite morning activity! While I was walking and praying, I sensed that I should pray the prayer of Jebez. I said, “really Lord? I prayed that about 7 years ago and look at all you have done. You want me to pray it again?” I believe He said “yep”, so I began to pray.
“Lord . . . bless me, bless me indeed. Expand my territory and my sphere of influence - but by my hand but by yours, I CANNOT do it myself. Use me Jesus. Amen.”
After breakfast I returned to our class room and noticed an e-mail from a board member of the Canadian Counsel of Christian Chairities. In the e-mail he asked if I would be willing to let my name stand for the Board of Directors of the CCCC’s. It took a second to hit me, then I said “That’s an expanse of territory and sphere of influence!!!!!”
If you are not familiar, the CCCC’s are an organization that advise and offer support in ministry and financial accountability for Christian Charities across Canada.
I am sharing this with whoever is reading along to ask you to pray for me and this vote as it is coming up on Monday September 24th.
I love how God speaks to us in advance of news he is delivering, to prepare us for his plans. I leave this in God’s hands.
Tim Coles
I haven’t taken any time to update my blog since my last Arrow Module in June. Quick update . . . I had a great summer at Muskoka Baptist Conference with my family and we are kicking off an exciting fall at Youth Unlimited . . . how’s that.
Strange things happen some times, the world calls them coincidence, but we know that to be different - it is God at work. There are so many examples of this on a weekly basis, both at home and at YFC.
This week three things happened that were wonderful examples of God at work in our midst.
1. I was driving to an appointment to purchase a display board for YFC, you know one of those trade show booth type things. We actually need three, but I was going to try and see if we could get away with one for a while. While en route, I received a phone call, “Hey Tim, I have a trade show booth that I need to get rid of, do you need one?” Do I need one, what timing! So I cancelled my appointment and headed off to see this miracle booth. To both my surprise and the man who called me, there was not 1 booth he needed to get rid of, but 5, plus a bunch of really cool backlit signs and stuff - not to mention a box of binders and a new chair. Oh, the chair . . . just that morning, I had looked at the desk of one of our new staff members and thought, we need to get her a new chair. God at work.
2. I as out for a prayer walk and I started praying for my friend Rick Kirschner from KAOS Radio. As I was praying a scripture came to my mind and a specific instruction for him about their current situation with their challenging radio signal. So, I e-mailed it off and went on with my day. Later Rick e-mailed me to say that that was exactly what he was looking for and a confirmation on something he was in process with regarding the radio signal. God at work.
3. Carlo Raponi was starting his day at home today when he had an idea lined up with a bunch of scripture to defend two specific aspects of God’s eternal existance. He wrote it all down and then carried on with his day. Later on, a girl came to the Youth Center with her school group and had deep, deep questions about the eternal existance of God! Carlo was able to take her through his discovery and to the Word of God. She concluded that God is “I AM”! God at work.
We are seeing many moves of God by His Spirit these days. Everything from funds showing up, just on the day we need them, to people having the same thought on a subject, one being prepared for the question of the other. God is at work. he is at work in Peterborough, Lakefield, Ennismore, Haliburton, Bobcaygeon, Fenlon Falls - He is at work everywhere! Praise God.
Tim Coles
Though the title kind of looks like one of my earlier posts, indicating that these past two days were boring, they were not! In the first module back in January, Bobb Bhiel stole the show. This time around it was actually the section on Boards!
Our trainer was Bob Andringa. Bob has been the CEO of several large organizations and has consulted with over 200 not-for-profit boards. The whole workshop was one big take-a-way for Paul Kohls and I. We were fitted with tools that will help to bring clarity to the board / E.D. relationship and the role and function of the board.
The word “clarity” would be the single word that I would use to describe what Paul and I gained from this day. Clarity about when a job is a board job and when it is a Staff or E.D. job. Clarity about how to develop a proper Board Policy Manual and By-laws, Clarity on E.D. and board performance reviews, Clarity onboard member recruiting, Clarity on conflict of interest, Clarity on the hierarchy of board policies, Clarity on what to store and how to store it, Clarity on and on and on. It was a GREAT day for Paul and I . . . which leaves us (as a board) a lot of work to do over the next three years. J
Yesterday we covered Fundraising, and it to was exceptional! Karen Wilson of Katchum was our trainer and she really covered fundraising well, also giving us many tools for our tool belt for fundraising. The cool thing is she is a Toronto YFC Board member, so she gave us several YFC Case studies to work on with our groups . . . how helpful is that!
Today is my last day, tomorrow I head home, something Christine, Clay and Elijah are really looking forward to. Elijah has the stomach flu or something and Christine has a proposal to get done and Clay just lost another tooth . . . they need me home.
See you tomorrow night!!
Tim Coles
Well, here is part of the fun I wanted to post last night, but You Tube decided to do maintenance and lost my video. So, I uploaded it again . . . have fun. More on the serious side of my Arrow Experience later today. I come home tomorrow. Can’t wait Christine, Clay and Elijah!!
Tim and Paul getting close to the Straight of Georgia off Vancouver Island. We did see about 8 seals but they were too quick for my camera (which I had to hide under the water proof cover of the kayak.)
This video is pointing out some neat sea traffic and calling on Lynn Bowerman to help with the recycling problems here on Keats Island.
Well today was the day that our board members arrived at Barnabas for the ending of the fundraising session and the beginning of the boards and team track. Paul Kohls has been a board member since september of last year and has just joined me. Paul is a real asset to our board, I was honoured to introduce him to the rest of my class tonight. I said he is a guy who makes me feel comfortable at YFC because he asks all the right questions - a great quality in a board member!
Paul and I had lunch together and then went sea kayaking on the ocean!! It was a lot of fun. We saw about 8 seals doing their thing all along the water way. We took some pictures too (just didn’t get any of the seals). We had a great time to talk and get to know eachother better. I think tomorrow will be a good day for the two of us as we go through the board program.
I have some more video taken from the kayak, but I can’t get it posted tonight due to some changes going on at YouTube, so hang tight for that one.
Tim Coles
Finance . . . boring. Well, that is how our presenters today introduced our daylong session on “Principles of Financial Management”. The presentation was actually exciting, not boring at all! The two men who lead us through the day made Accounting very exciting.
To summarize, I feel a lot more confident in the area of finance. I am not a strong “bookkeeper” like my Dad - I would rather not deal with numbers at all, I am a people guy. However, this presentation helped me to realize that I do have a grasp on the major principles and general practices.
I now look forward to walking forward with more confidence in making financial decisions and in presenting the budget to the Board.
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