Coldwater Canada is a faith-rooted Christian leadership development organization that uses adventure and service to build faith, develop leaders, and engage communities.
We run wilderness paddling and backpacking expeditions, that are followed by student led community service-learning projects. Coldwater envisions and is committed to building a culture of young people equipped, empowered and inspired to live a gospel centered life for God and others.
In October of 2013 Matthew moved back to his hometown of Kitchener, Ontario with his beautiful wife Michelle and sweet daughter Eloise to begin the ministry of Coldwater Canada. Matt spent his undergrad years at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa where he studied Christian Education. Northwestern is where he first connected with Coldwater Foundation and completed Coldwater’s Wilderness Instructor Training in 2009. Following instructor training, Matt was heavily influenced by the work of New Horizon’s Foundation in Romania where he learned first hand the ways that experiential strategies can be used to develop communities, promote sustainable development, and foster civic responsibilities.
Through his formative student experiences and later fulltime leadership role with Coldwater Foundation, Matt realized his passion for using adventure education and service-learning to empower people to develop a mature faith and a lifestyle of leadership. Matt is driven by his foundational belief that our culture needs leaders – leaders with a strong character, a deep faith, and a clear understanding that their lives must be used to build the Kingdom, solve problems, work change, and live the gospel.
When he is not working, Matt enjoys adventure racing, rock climbing, running and mountain biking, taking care of the chickens with his daughter, fishing at his family cottage, and drinking coffee.