Mark Driediger

It is exciting for me to see people serving Christ in leadership positions. I enjoy meeting people, and my biggest encouragement is the realization that a full roster of elders and council members has become involved in the work at Central Heights.

My three brothers and I grew up on a poultry farm in the Abbotsford area. When I was six during our family devotions, my mother described the way of salvation to me.  I became aware that I had a need for Christ in my life, and at that point I became a Christian. After graduating from Mennonite Educational Institute, I spent one year in Australia with Youth With A Mission; then I attended Fraser Valley College in the agriculture program. For six years I worked as a milk inspector for B.C. Dairy Herd Improvement Services. Then, in 1992 I took a sales job with Ritchie-Smith Feeds in Abbotsford. In 1998 I felt it was time to move on with my career and took a financial planning position with Assante Financial Management.

From the age of five I was brought to Central Heights Church by my Christian parents and I grew up “between the pews.” Over the years I have assumed various responsibilities: leadership in Boys Brigade, teaching primary Sunday School for five years, leading a care group for four years and being class leader of the Witness class for nearly three years. I would describe my Christian growth as "steady", and I find that the lack of purpose in many lives around me makes me thankful that I have a purpose for living.

It was at M.E.I where I met Sandra. We were married in 1986 at Central Heights. We have four very active boys: Bradly, Brent, Lucas, and Jeffrey. They're great kids and I'm proud to be their dad.  I look forward each day to getting home to my family and to work on my chicken farm that has grown from the broiler and poultry farm that I began in 1989. Our family enjoys summer camping in the Okanagan Valley and skiing in the winter.

With many demands on my time, I find that as the spiritual leader in my home it is mandatory that I set goals for family, job, and church. I can look back over the past number of years to see the accomplishment of specific objectives, something that "doesn't just happen." Even in my job, I strive to be a leader – a salesman who pleases his employer. As a fairly driven person, I like to push myself to do everything with gusto. Mindful of Philippians 4:13 – "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (NIV), I commit to Christ even the routine details of living, such as placing a new batch of chickens on the farm.

My vision includes Central Heights. I think the people like to see where a church is going; they like to see a direction – where we hope to be in three years. I'm excited about the energy in this Elder Council, the vision we have, and the fabric of the plans that we will present to the congregation over the next few months. God has to have his hand in what we do for it to be successful. This group is committed to Christ and to following the Lord in whatever direction he may lead.