About Total Advance
About Total Advance
Total Advance is a non-denominational Christian organization that looks to offer relief and strategic assistance to start, maintain, or expand businesses that lead to sustainability. We do this by awarding two types of grants:
- Assistance grants are awarded to self-motivated individuals to start, maintain, or expand their businesses by providing financial, technical, and spiritual resources. Grants can also be awarded to nonprofit organizations with these same intentions.
- Relief grants are given to people who are in poverty or who have experienced a natural disaster.
Our members form a group of like-minded individuals who have the desire to serve God by using their experiences in business and ministry to partner with these individuals and non-profit organizations to serve Total Advance’s purpose and mission.
“It’s not a transaction. It’s discipleship.” - Tim Harley
We meet people where they are and walk with them. These customized mentorships aren’t just about business. They’re also about the Spirit. We build the gospel into our relationships with the business owners, providing a holistic approach, hence the name Total Advance. We aim to advance their businesses, their families, their faith, and their service. We expect all of our mentees to give back to their churches and communities, tithing with funds and time, just as our organization does for them.
“We aren’t the source of help. We’re the conduit of help. The source of the help is God, so they need to be praying to God for whatever needs they have. We’re seeing that God can use Total Advance as the conduit or method to get the help to them.” -Tim Harley
In many areas where we are working, it’s easy for individuals to fall into a state of dependency on others, always expecting another handout to survive.
In the Book of Ruth, Ruth goes to the grain fields, asking if she can collect what the reapers leave behind, so that she may have food for her and her mother-in-law, Naomi. Boaz allows her to collect the leftover barley and tells the reapers to leave some behind for her purposefully. He even gives Ruth some bread and water while she works.
When the day was over, she went home, shared the leftover bread with Naomi, and processed the grains to make food for them to eat.
Much like Ruth, those we mentor already have determined and generous hearts. We expect them to put in the hard work and help others with the fruits of their labor. Total Advance just provides the leg up, like Boaz provided Ruth the opportunity to help herself.
“We aren’t the source of help. We’re the conduit of help. The source of the help is God, so they need to be praying to God for whatever needs they have. We’re seeing that God can use Total Advance as the conduit or method to get the help to them.” -Tim Harley
In many areas where we are working, it’s easy for individuals to fall into a state of dependency on others, always expecting another handout to survive.
In the Book of Ruth, Ruth goes to the grain fields, asking if she can collect what the reapers leave behind, so that she may have food for her and her mother-in-law, Naomi. Boaz allows her to collect the leftover barley and tells the reapers to leave some behind for her purposefully. He even gives Ruth some bread and water while she works.
When the day was over, she went home, shared the leftover bread with Naomi, and processed the grains to make food for them to eat.
Much like Ruth, those we mentor already have determined and generous hearts. We expect them to put in the hard work and help others with the fruits of their labor. Total Advance just provides the leg up, like Boaz provided Ruth the opportunity to help herself.
How it all Started
In 2006, Tim Harley & Tom Peters were asked by their church to go on a mission trip to learn about Water for Good (ICDI at that time), an organization that was drilling water wells for communities in Central Africa.
As a full time missionary and pastor Tom was ready to serve through the organization, but Tim, in all honesty, admits he was reluctant. “Really, God? Africa?!” But, as a third-generation owner of a northeast Ohio drilling company (link: https://www.harleydrilling.com), he knew his knowledge would bring valuable experience to this project, so he went. And he kept going.
As they spent time in this ministry over the next 10 years, they would get to know these communities and began to see a need for providing sustainable opportunities for the people in them. In 2015, Tim was approached by an African named Marcellin to help start a farm. Once again, God was calling Tim to minister to the communities of Central Africa.
Tim and Bruce Imhoff (now a Total Advance board member) worked with Marcellin to provide training when he visited Ohio. Then they worked to raise funds to collect a couple tractors and other farming equipment. They had a tractor shipped to Africa for Marcellin! “It was pretty cool how God did that,” Tim recalls.
More importantly, Tim and Bruce also traveled to the Central African Republic to teach Marcellin and support the new farm. This time and training set the fledgling business up for success, and it has continued to grow over the past several years. God used this budding friendship to provide business and spiritual encouragement. Marcellin’s hard work and perseverance has produced a productive operation, even through many challenges and hardships.
Tim and Bruce Imhoff (now a Total Advance board member) worked with Marcellin to provide training when he visited Ohio. Then they worked to raise funds to collect a couple tractors and other farming equipment. They had a tractor shipped to Africa for Marcellin! “It was pretty cool how God did that,” Tim recalls.
More importantly, Tim and Bruce also traveled to the Central African Republic to teach Marcellin and support the new farm. This time and training set the fledgling business up for success, and it has continued to grow over the past several years. God used this budding friendship to provide business and spiritual encouragement. Marcellin’s hard work and perseverance has produced a productive operation, even through many challenges and hardships.
As Total Advance continued to work with this farm, Tim started seeing other opportunities to give people a hand up. He saw what God made possible for one man and his family and wanted to grow that impact and duplicate it for others.
And thus Total Advance was born.
Board Members
Tim Harley
Tim has been volunteering with Water for Good working in the Central African Republic for more than 15 years. God has used this experience to help Tim develop a heart for the people all around the world and build long-lasting friendships.
Tim’s wife, Jeana, is the Executive Director of GROW, an organization that ministers in Thailand, and they have been married for 33 wonderful years. They have 4 adult children who have all grown up in a family culture of service to others and now live that out in each of their own lives. Tim and his brother Steve are the owners of Harley Drilling, a third generation business in northeast Ohio.
Tom Peters
Tom Peters grew up as a missionary kid in the Central African Republic. He met his wife, Sue, in his early twenties when they were both serving on the short-term missionary team. After their marriage and upon finishing seminary, Tom, Sue and their two boys served as missionaries in the C.A.R. for eight years. Upon their return to the US, Tom served as the Minister of Cross-Cultural Missions at their home church in Wooster, OH. Since 2008, Tom has been involved in cross-cultural missions in many parts of Africa and other countries around the world through his current work as Director of Spiritual Care for VisionTrust International.
Bruce & Jamie Imhoff
Bruce and Jamie own a hobby farm in West Salem where they grow produce and hay. Bruce manages the County Line Produce Auction and family farm. On top of supporting their family farm and the auction, Jamie works as the Clerk for the Wayne County Commissioners.
They have been married for 30 years and have two daughters, Valerie (Mitchell) and Melanie. They also have a spoiled little dog named Annie. Both grew up in agricultural families west of Wooser, and God gave them both a heart for missions and a passion for serving God’s people, locally among the Amish and within their daily sphere of influence with the local community, as well as throughout the US and around the world. They have traveled abroad both individually and as a couple (Canada, Australian, New Zealand, Africa, Thailand, and Cambodia) and look forward to many adventures in the future.
Aaron Yoder
Aaron Yoder was born and raised in rural Ohio in a large family of 12. He went on a mission trip when he served as the youth leader at his church when he and his wife Rachel were first married. It was then that they fell in love with missions and thought that God might lead them in that direction some day.
They have supported both local and international mission projects in recent years with Total Advance being the most recent. They wanted to be involved because they like how it’s supporting local farmers and entrepreneurship while advancing the Gospel in rural areas in countries that would otherwise not see these opportunities. They are excited to be a part of this and look forward to serving in this area.
Josh Harley
Josh Harley joined Total Advance in 2023. He and his wife, Emily, live in Ohio with their daughter, Quincy. Josh is a CPA and the Controller at Pulte Group – Cleveland (link:https://www.pulte.com/). Growing up in a small family business, he appreciates the impact faith-based entrepreneurship can have on families and the broader community. He is excited about partnering with business owners globally.
Zac Harley
Zac and his wife Zoi live in Wisconsin with their dog and 14 chickens. Zac is a medical sales consultant for pharmacies and surgery centers in his region. He serves on the worship team at his church and has been involved with missions his entire life. He has been to 15 countries and has a passion for global ministry. He is excited to be part of the Total Advance team and have an opportunity to help invest in people around the world who can better their communities on both a physical and spiritual level.