Mark Cole Personal Timeline Highlights

Here are the main milestones and photos from my adventures so far…

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights

James 1:17

VANCOUVER, BC – THE EARLY YEARS

1954 – Born to Bud & Margaret Cole, December, Vancouver, BC. 9 lbs, 6 oz.

1959 – My Dad took our family on a two month car trip across Canada and the US. Dad sold a taxi he owned, bought a new Oldsmobile convertible and took our family of 5 on vacation.

1960 – Grade 1 – Captain Cook Elementary, Vancouver, BC. My first day of school I fell asleep with my head on a desk watching a video.

1961 – My family moved in with my grandparents, David & Velma Cole. We lived in their basement suite for 4 years.

1961 – Start taking piano lessons from Doug Moody (our Worship Pastor). I continued to take piano lessons with Doug till I was 18 years old.

1962 – Grades 2-4 – Bridgeport Elementary, Richmond, BC. I once had to write 100 lines on the chalk board, ‘I will not chase the girls.’

1962 – Make a decision to follow Jesus at Sunday school (GT Kingsway Theatre). I still vividly remember God forgiving my sins at that young age.

1963 – My parents taught me how to water ski. We used to ski with the Peterson family at Cates Park in North Vancouver, BC.

1964 – My parents build a new house in Coquitlam, BC. I remember helping my Dad put in drain tiles around the foundation of the house.

1965 – Porter Street Elementary, Coquitlam: Grade 5 Chess Champion.

1965 – Porter Street School Sports Day, Grade 5: 6 Gold and 1 Silver Ribbon.

1966 – My father, Bud Cole, passes away in an industrial accident – July 8, 1966. I still vividly remember my grandmother, Velma Cole, coming to the house to tell us the news.

1966 – My mom moves us to Nanaimo, BC and I took ice-skating lessons.

1966 – Water Baptized – Glad Tidings Temple. We weren’t allowed to get water-baptized till we were 12 years old. I remember how nervous I was to go in front of the whole congregation and get baptized.

1967 – I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at GT Kids Camp (Salmon Inlet). Late night prayer meetings were the norm at kids camp, and I remember ‘speaking in tongues’ for the first time there. ‘Speaking in tongues’ is still a part of my prayer life to this day.

1967 – 9000 km return train trip: Vancouver – Ottawa with Mom & Preston/Cole kids. We stayed with my Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Gerry in their house. I still remember how loud the thunder storms were in Ottawa. They scared all of us kids.

1967 – My Mother marries Ron Preston: The Cole/Preston Clan begins. I remember all of us going to the pastor’s office to witness Mom and Dad getting married.

1967 – We move to the Victory Street House – Burnaby – Cole/Preston Family.

1967 – I start working in my parents Dairy Queen. I did this for 5 years. I worked at the DQ most Saturday’s growing up. I would also work there most of the summer and I even helped manage it when my parents went on vacation.

1967 – Grade 8-10 – McPherson Junior High School – Burnaby, B.C. My favorite subjects were band. PE and math.

1967 – I started playing alto saxophone in Grade 8 (I now have a Music Degree in Saxophone)

1968 – I took Gospel Piano lessons from Doug Moody (Worship Pastor & Mentor). I still use the skills I learnt then to this day.

1970 – Grade 11 Burnaby South High School. My extra-curricular activities included gymnastics and band.

1970 – Close friends from church: Steve, Dan, John. From school: Rick and Ward.

1970 – Get my driver’s licence on my 16th birthday

1970 – Go to Hawaii at New Years with John Skidmore (my first time on a plane)

1970 – John and I saw ‘Andre Crouch & the Disciples’ live in Honolulu. This was an amazing concert and it fueled my passion for Gospel music.

1970 – Grade 5 Harmony Honours – Toronto Conservatory of Music.

1970 – Played drums for New Dimensions. The first Christian Band I played in.

1970 – 3 day hike from Woodfibre to Salmon Inlet, BC with GT Boys Club & Wayne Stillings. I remember hiking across the top of a mountain and down the other side to Salmon Inlet where we sere picked up by the camp boat. I also remember camping at Henriette Lake the first night and Ron Millsup falling into the lake as we boarded a row boat.

1971 – Learned how to snow-ski on Grouse Mountain, Vancouver, B.C. I met David Young at the top and he helped teach me. I also remember walking up a ski lift because I didn’t realize my lift tickets were good for all the lifts that day.

1971 – Winner of Glad Tidings Youth Music Instrumental (Sax duet with Dave Young). This was one of the first instrumental arrangements I ever wrote.

1971 – My first driving vacation: I drive to Tijuana, Mexico and LA with Steve Peterson

1971 – Captain of Glad Tidings Youth Camp Team (we won 2 years in a row). The camp was split into 4 teams and captains and co-captains were chosen by the camp directors.

1971 – I joined the Glad Tidings Choir & Orchestra (first as a singer, then as a tenor sax player). The 120 voice choir and orchestra were a big part of my upbringing. They used to do 3-4 songs every Sunday evening.

1971 – I joined the Gymnastics team at Burnaby South. I enjoyed time on the trampoline and tumbling mats.

1971 – I bought a used flute for $100 and started teaching myself to play.

1971 – I drove down the Oregon Coast to San Francisco with Bob Niles and Dan Burr. We got rained out while tenting in Oregon, so we ending up doing an ‘all nighter’ drive to San Francisco and arrived at Fishermen’s Wharf early in the morning.

1972 – Burnaby South High School Graduation (Music, Math and PE). I was part of a huge graduation class of over 800 students.

1972 – I played sax and flute with New Dimensions and Liberty Brass. This group was directed by my good friend, Dan Burr.

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

1972 – First year University of British Columbia. Music (Clarinet, Piano & Math)

1972 – Summer job driving for TransCanada Glass: I remember running out of gas in the middle of Lions Gate Bridge and gliding into Stanley Park. This company was owned by friends of ours at church.

1973 – Vacation in Hawaii with Glenna and Les. We stayed at Uncle Ernie and Ida Rachinski’s. We were attacked by an Asian gang and I received two black eyes and broken glasses after leaving a bowling alley.

1973 – First Class Honours Grade 8 Piano – Toronto Conservatory of Music. I had two piano teachers during this period, Glen Geary and Doug Moody.

1973 – Moody Music ‘Student of the Year’.

1973 – Summer job: Bricklayers helper for John Layzell. That was an intense labor job that included packing bricks and cement blocks, shovelling sand, and mixing mortar. That summer we did a huge job down by Jericho Beach in Vancouver and spent our lunch hours at the beach.

THE WORLD – LIVING SOUND

1973 – November – Living Sound II – 9 month Asia & US Tour. (Sax, flute, clarinet). I left home a month before my 19th birthday and I really enjoyed touring with this 15 member band.

1973 – November – Play with Living Sound in Alaska: Juneau and Anchorage

1973 – December – Week of Asian Orientation: Osaka, Japan

1773 – 19th birthday in Seoul, Korea and we played at the world’s largest church

1973 – Christmas in Hong Kong with Living Sound II. I have a very vivid memory of eating a huge Chinese food feast in Hong Kong and the whole team coming down with the ‘runs’ while staying at the YWCA.

1974 – Played with Living Sound in Saigon, Vietnam for South Vietnamese troops. I remember visiting the US Embassy and seeing bullet holes all over the side of the embassy from an earlier North Vietnamese attack.

1974 – We played 3 concerts per day all over Bangkok, Thailand with Living Sound. We would play at schools and outdoor venues and then perform at an outdoor stadium every evening.

1974 – Play in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia. I remember an amazing day off on the white beaches of Penang.

1974 – Played in Singapore: the team stayed in an old empty beach house. I remember that Singapore had strict policies on hair length and all the guys had to get short haircuts.

1974 – Play on Death Row in Manila, Philippines. When the team showed up in Manila, there was no one there to greet us. Fortunately, our sound man, Peter Sumrall, had relatives who took the 15 of us into their home and then later billeted us out to various homes. I stayed in a beautiful home with a swimming pool.

1974 – Our sponsor in the Philippines, had abandoned us, but God didn’t. We ended up playing for more people and seeing more decisions for Christ in that month than in any other month on that tour.

1974 – Play outdoor concert in Baguio City for Easter weekend in the Philippines

1974 – Living Sound played concerts all over the Island of Java, Indonesia for a month. At the end of that month we took an old yellow school on a crazy overnight 1000 km trip back to Jakarta.

1974 – April – Play on Waikiki Beach with Living Sound in Hawaii. We played in front of the Rainbow Hilton Tower and also at Fort Derussy on Waikiki Beach.

1074 – Traveled in Canada and the West Coast of the USA with Living Sound II

1974 – September, Tulsa, OK. – ‘Dream from God’ about joining Living Sound I. I was about to go home for a break when I had a dream that sent me on a new adventure behind the ‘Iron Curtain, England, South Africa, Rhodesia, US, Canada and Istrael.

1974 – September – I fly to Warsaw, Poland and join Living Sound I

1974 – October – Polish Catholic Revival – 18,000 people accept Jesus in 3 1/2 weeks

1974 – Visit the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland

1974 – Walk thru Stonehenge (England)

1974 – We played on a cruise ship (the ‘Pendennis Castle’) with Living Sound from Southhampton, England to the Canary Islands and then on to Cape Town, SA (13,000 km/7000+ miles). I vividly remember sailing into Cape Town and seeing Table Mountain for the first time.

1974 – Take a bus from Cape Town, SA to Salisbury, Rhodesia (2518 km/1565 miles)

1974 – Christmas & Safari in Kruger National Park, SA. (1st of 3 African safaris) 

1975 – Skydive 5 times in South Africa and Oklahoma.

1975 – Take the Blue Train from Johannesburg to Cape Town, South Africa: 1400 km

1975 – Play on a cruise ship from Cape Town to the Canary Islands (9706 km/5241 miles)

1975 – Take a bus across the US with Living Sound (New York-LA, 4518 km/2808 miles)

1975 – Travel with Living Sound across Canada (Toronto to Vancouver)

1975 – Minister with Kathryn Kuhlman in Israel at the ‘Conference on the Holy Spirit’

1975 – Tour the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

1975 – Dance the ‘Hora’ in an Israeli Kibbutz

1976 – Played flute with Andre Crouch at the Anaheim Booksellers Convention 

1976 – See ‘Tom Scott and the LA Express’ play at the Hollywood Bowl

1976 – Work at BC Packers to save money for travel and university

1976 – Fly to South Africa and read the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy for the first time

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

1976 – Attended University of British Columbia for the 2nd time. Music & English major

1977 – Produced Christian albums for Dean and Cherry Fransen 

1977 – Learn to barefoot and slalom waterski at Samish Lake, Washington, USA.

1978 – Summer 4 month ministry trip to Taiwan: Teaching Music: Best Summer Job Ever

1978 – Brian Rubuliak and I take a motorcycle trip to the mountains in Taiwan

1978 – Buy my first acoustic guitar in Taiwan

1978 – Organize and lead Praise Band Tour in Taiwan

1978 – Drive taxi in Vancouver for Blacktop Cabs to pay for university

1979 – UBC Graduation – Bachelor of Music (sax & piano), Minor in English

1979 – Produced a Christian album for Daniel Paul Burr

1980 – Work for Canadian Linen – I bought a Datsun 240Z – my first and only sports car

1980 – I live in Dean and Cherry’s basement suite

THE WORLD – LIVING SOUND

1981 – Living Sound III – Music Director – US, Canada and Europe

1981 – Slept overnight on a park bench in Trafalgar Square, London.

1981 – Spiritual encounter with God & His Word in Austria

1981 – Begin to read thru the whole Bible yearly (now over 40 x’s)

1981 – Watched ‘How To Find A Wife’ video and made my 19 point request.

1981 – Christmas in Sweden with Living Sound III

1982 – Take a hovercraft in a gale force weather across the English Channel to France

1982 – See the ‘Mona Lisa’ at the Louvre, Paris, France

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

VANCOUVER, BC – GLAD TIDINGS CHURCH & MARRIAGE

1982 – Glad Tidings Church, Vancouver, BC – Choir & Orchestra Director (1st church position)

1982 – Meet Anna Foti at Easter – Engaged in September

1982- Attend ‘Basic Youth Conflicts’ seminar in Seattle, WA with Anna

1983 – February marriage to Anna Marie Foti, Hawaiian Honeymoon: Kirk Duncan officiates

1983 – Produce and conduct ‘Easter Passion Play’ (1st of 12)

1983 – Have dinner with Anna at the top of the Seattle Space Needle

1983 – December – Son born – Joshua David Cole

1984 – Play with Grammy Award winning artist: Phil Driscoll (California)

1984 – Take the family to see the Montreal Jazz Festival & the ‘Tall Ships’ in Quebec City

1984 – Drive to New York City to see Radio City Music Hall and Broadway shows.

1984 – Finish visiting all 50 US states (Bucket List)

1984 – Conduct the ‘African Children’s Choir’ very first performance at Glad Tidings

1984 – Chairman of Music for The Billy Graham Crusade 

CALGARY, AB – FIRST ASSEMBLY

1984 – December, Music Pastor – First Assembly, Calgary, AB.

1984 – Conduct ‘The Singing Christmas Tree’, Calgary, AB (first of 4x’s)

1984 – Lead worship for the first time (age 30) at First Assembly, Calgary.

1985 – Third Anniversary Trip to Hawaii with Anna (pregnant with Stephanie)

1985 – June – Take First Assembly Youth Choir to Hay River, NWT

1985 – July – Daughter born – Stephanie Anne Cole

1985 – Bungee jump off a bridge (backwards) in Nanaimo, BC.

1985 – Pilot an airplane (Vancouver). Introductory flying lesson.

1986 – Produce a children’s album for Maralee Dawn

1986 – Take Youth Choir from First Assembly to ‘EXPO 86’ in Vancouver

1987 – Take a First Assembly Music Team to Kenya and Uganda

1987 – Holiday in Italy and meet Anna’s extended Italian family in Reggio, Calabria

1987 – Conduct and produce a choir & orchestra album for First Assembly, Calgary.

1988 – Experience First Assembly growth from two Sunday services to five

LANGLEY, BC – CHRISTIAN LIFE ASSEMBLY

1988 – Christian Life Assembly, Langley, BC – Music Pastor

1988 – Dad Foti builds us our first home – Langley, BC.

1988 – Visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel – Rome, Italy

1988 – Produce and conduct the Christmas Show at CLA (1 of 12 Christmas shows)

1989 – Record: ‘Silence The Rocks’ – CLA Choir and Orchestra

1990 – Take 5 day onboard sailing certification course with Shawn, Jim & Dave

1990 – Take my family house-boating, Shuswap Lakes, BC (1st of 5x’s)

1991 – Arranged and record 2 Mandarin Chinese Worship Albums

1991 – Organize a sailing trip and we see the Killer Whale Super-Pod

1992 – Take the family to Disneyland & Sea World.  LA Riots start while we’re there

1992 – Take a Christian Life Assembly music team to Kenya and Uganda

1992 – Take the family and band from Nairobi to Mombassa, Kenya by train.

1992 – Take the family of an African Safari – Masai Mara, Kenya

1992 – Fly around the world: London, Kampala, Calcutta, Bangkok, Taipei, Vancouver

1992 – Visit Hulda Buntain and Mercy Mission in Calcutta, India.

1992 – Produce and record 3 worship albums in Mandarin Chinese in Taipei, Taiwan

1992 – See over 372 people water baptized at CLA during this year. (1+ per day)

1992 – Conduct for Dove nominated Alving Slaughter with CLA choir (1st of 3x’s)

1992 – Take acoustic guitar lessons from Tim Olsen

1993 – 10th Anniversary Cruise with Anna – LA to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

1993 – Organize double sailboat trip – San Juan Islands (great water balloon fights)

1993 – Take CLA music team to Buenos Aires, Argentina

1993 – Visit the “Christ The Redeemer’ statue in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

VANCOUVER, BC – GLAD TIDINGS CHURCH (2nd time)

1994 – Glad Tidings Church – Worship Pastor

1994 – Take the family to Rome, Verona, Naples, Capri & Reggio, Italy.

1994 – Visit Juliet’s Balcony in Verona, Italy

1994 – Attend an outdoor opera – ‘Madame Butterfly’ in the Arena di Verona (1 of 2x’s)

1995 – Captain a 40 ft sailboat with 4 couples in the British Virgin Islands. (Top 5 vacation)

1995 – Missions trip with Anna and Pacific Academy to the Philippines 

1996 – 33 km Cross Country Ski Trip to Egypt Lake, Banff, AB. (The night I almost froze)

1996 – Music Director for Canada Arise Worship Conference-Vancouver (1st of 3x’s)

1996 – Write and Produce CD: ‘To You, Lord’ – Glad Tidings Worship Band

1997 – Daytime Music Director (International Worship Institute- Dallas, TX) (1st of 5x’s)

1997 – Write and produce my CD: ‘God Is My Rock’ – Glad Tidings Worship Band

1998 – Fast 40 Days (Canada and the Philippines – Getting ready for the next level) 

1998 – Conduct a Worship Seminar: Watoto Church, Kampala, Uganda

1998 – Take family to Disney World with Anna’s parents.

1998 – Founding arranger of Praisecharts.com, write hundreds of orchestrations for churches.

1998 – Take the family on motorhome & whale-watching trip to Tofino, BC

1999 – March, Anna’s Dad, Giuseppe Foti, unexpectedly passes away from a medical error.

1999 – Our family flies back from a Malaysian missions trip for Dad Foti’s funeral

1999 – Lead worship and go hiking and camping with Josh’s Pacific Academy class

1999 – We take the family to see the Statue of David in Florence, Italy

1999 – Write and Produce my CD: ‘Move In This City’ – Glad Tidings Worship Band

1999 – Hike the Juan De Fuca Marine Trail* (5 days – 47km – Vancouver Island, BC)

1999 – Music Director for Vancouver Promisekeepers

1999 – Experience 50% growth at Glad Tidings and the mortgage paid off.

THE WORLD – CHARLES NDIFON

2000 – Copenhagen Revival with Charles Ndifon – 15,000+ people saved

2000 – Saw my first bona fide miracle in Copenhagen

2000 – 20+ trips to Northern Europe with Charles Ndifon

2001 – Josh graduates from Pacific Academy

2001 – Go sea kayaking and worship leading with Stephanie and her Pacific Academy class

2001 – Complete 10K Sun Run in Vancouver, Canada. (1st of 3x’s)

2001 – Visit the source of the Nile with Josh (Lake Victoria, Uganda)

2001 – 25 trips to Europe & US with Charles Ndifon

2002 – Teach Worship Seminars: Finland, Denmark and Sweden

2003 – Take Anna with me to meetings in Holland and Belgium.

2002 – Take Anna to Paris for Mother’s Day and I walk up the Eiffel Tower

2003 – Stephanie graduates from Langley Senior Secondary

2003 – Record my live CD: ‘Healing In His Hands’ Copenhagen

2003 – Take Anna to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark for our anniversary

2003 – Take Josh to Legoland – Billund, Denmark

2003 – Climb the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral* (London, England)

2004 – Go snowmobiling in the mountains (Whistler, BC)

2004 – Visit Sydney (Hillsong) & Adelaide, Australia – Charles Ndifon

2004 – See an opera in the Sydney Opera House

2004 – Take Anna and Stephanie to New Orleans and Mississippi

2004 – Ministry trip to Iceland and I proof-read the new book: ‘The God of Miracles’

2005 – Personally healed of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Ndifon Crusade, Denmark

2005 – Stephanie & Ryan Iverson married: June

2005 – Visit Edinburgh Castle* (Scotland)

2005 – Watch live jazz with Josh at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City

2005 – Missions trip to Zimbabwe and Uganda with Charles, Josh & Ben

2005 – Anna and I meet in Italy and visit the Amalfi Coast

2005 – Lead my neighbour in Walnut Grove, BC, to the Lord

2006 – Play at the largest church in England: Kingsway International Christian Centre

2006 – Josh graduates from Capilano College with Music Performance Degree-Bass

2006 – Lead worship and tour Berlin, Germany by bicycle

2006 – Lead worship and ride an Icelandic Horse* (Reykjavik, Iceland)

ALBERTA

2006 – Midpark Assembly, Calgary – Worship Pastor

2006 – Hike Black Tusk (18km – Squamish, B.C.)

2007 – The Park Church, Edmonton – Worship Pastor

2007 – 24th Wedding Anniversary, Dog Sledding in Canmore, AB.

2007 – Yacht vacation with the Holcombe’s – Princess Louisa Sound, BC (1 of 4x’s)

2008 – 25th Anniversary 10 day cruise from Puerto Rico – Southern Caribbean

2008 – Conduct ‘O Canada’ – Calgary Stampede (220,000 people) (1st of 3 times)

2008 – November – First grandchild born – Berea Anne Iverson

2008 – Musical Arranger for ‘Heaven’s Rehearsal‘ – Toronto

CALGARY – EASTSIDE CITY CHURCH

2008 – Eastside City Church-Worship Pastor – Anna organized the Senior’s Ministry

2009 – Cross-country ski to Skoki Lodge, AB (28 km return)

2009 – Hike the Iceline Trail (23 km- Yoho National Park, BC)

2009 – Jog and Hike Cinque Terra, Italy

2009 – Drive from Rome, Italy to Avignon, France and Barcelona, Spain

2010 – Church Consulting for one month at Victory Church, Singapore

2010 – Visit the Night Safari Zoo, Singapore

2010 – Celebrate our 27th Anniversary with Anna in Phuket, Thailand

2010 – Do the ‘Grouse Grind‘ in under 60 min* (West Vancouver, BC -853 metres/2,800 feet)

2010 – Overnight Cross-Country Ski Trip to Bow Hut, AB. Scariest night of my life.

2010 – Arrange & conduct ‘O Canada’ at the Calgary Stampede with a marching band.

2010 – Complete a Sprint Triathlon (swim, bike, run)

2010 – Hike the West Coast Trail (7 days-72 km) – first of 2 times

2011 – March – Grandson born: Ezra David Joseph Iverson

2011 – Stephanie graduates from Athabasca University- Psychology Major

2011 – Anna and I visit Naples and Pompeii, Italy

2011 – Climb Temple Mountain with my neighbor, Dave. (Lake Louise, AB) 11,624 ft.

2011 – My son, Josh & Sonia married

2012 – Conduct ‘O Canada’ nightly at the Calgary Stampede 100th anniversary (280,000)

2012 – Hike the Chilcoot Trail – Yukon Gold Rush (5 days – 53 km)

2012 – Go to the top of Mount Etna, Sicily (active volcano)

2012 – Go to the Blues Festival in Chicago with Anna

2013 – Teach a Worship Seminar in Haiti. Anna teaches on dating.

2013 – 30th Anniversary Caribbean Cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

2013 – Oakridge 3.0 Tennis Champion

2013 – Knock out my four front teeth on a mountain bike trip in Banff National Park

2013 – Experience 50% growth at Eastside City Church.

2014 – Celebrate 31st Wedding Anniversary Cruise from Miami (Anna wins free air tickets)

CALGARY – CONSULTING

2014 – Start blog: markcole.ca – ‘Following God: The Grand Adventure’

2014 – Publish Book: ‘Leading Worship: Notes from a Grand Adventure’

2014 – 320 km bicycle trip from Jasper to Canmore, AB with Tom Hall

2015 – C3 Church Calgary – 10 month worship and staff consulting

2015 – Mountain Bike from Banff-Canmore return* (43 km – Rundle & Goat Creek Trails)

2015 – Cumulative sales of over one million dollars in Worship charts & CD’s.

2015 – The whole family vacations together in Reggio, Calabria, Italy

2015 – Watch an outdoor opera in Sicily: (Carmen – Teatro Antico di Taormina)

2015 – My brother Shawn makes guitars from the church pews my late father constructed.

2016 – Josh and I do a worship seminar and training in Chennai, India

2016 – Interim Worship Pastor & Choir Director at ‘Centre Street Church’

2016 – Producer and Conductor: Centre Street Christmas Production

2017 – Experience Centre Street Church go from decline to growth

2017 – Worship Leader at Evangelical Missionary Canadian National Convention 

RED DEER – LIVING STONES CHURCH

2017 – Living Stones Church: Worship Pastor and Anna was the Woman’s Pastor

2017 – 7 day hike on the West Coast Trail with 5 friends – 72 km (2nd time)

2018 – #1 Player: ‘Regular Guys Squash Ladder’ – Red Deer

2018 – Lead Worship at FCA Canadian National Pastor’s Convention, Richmond, BC

2018 – Go to Toronto and Niagara Falls to visit with Josh & Sonia

2019 – Red Deer Tennis Club 3.5 Champion

2019 – Anna’s Birthday Cruise: Sicily, Malta, Greece, Croatia, Venice, Rome

2019 – Travel to country #72, Slovenia (on the way to my goal of 100 countries)

2019 – Experience 16% growth at Living Stones Church – their best church year ever.

2019 – Lead outdoor worship at the Canada Winter Games, Red Deer, AB

2020 – Launch Covid Online Services at Living Stones Church

2020 – Worship blog, markcole.ca, reaches over 1 million readers in 180 countries

2021 – Drive from Red Deer, AB to Kenora, Ontario. Lake vacation with the whole family.

2021 – Start a ping-pong club in my garage during Covid

2021 – Josh and Sonia move to our home in Red Deer to have their baby girl

2021 – January – Granddaughter born in Red Deer to Josh & Sonia: Josephine Grace Cole

2021 – Lead Special Night of Worship at Red Deer Dream Centre

2021 – Win 4.0 Tennis Tournament, Red Deer

Calgary: Love City Church

2021 – Join ‘Love City Church’ staff, Calgary, AB.

2021 – Teach piano & guitar to my grandkids, Berea and Ezra.

2022 – Dad Preston passes away at the age of 92. Beautiful ‘Celebration of Life’ service!

2022 – Blog: markcole.ca has 3.2 million visits from over 1.2 million visitors

2022 – Love City Church Sunday attendance almost doubles

2022 – Climbing Mount Yamnuska (3rd time) with my grandson and neice

2022 – I buy a used Yamaha bass and start learning and playing at church

2022 – Lead worship with my daughter and granddaughter on Father’s Day 2022

2022 – Celebrate Thanksgiving with the whole family in Calgary

2022 – Anna and I celebrate our 40th Christmas in Toronto and Calgary

I said to the LORD, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from You.”

Psalms 16:2