Carol was Ordained on April 7, 2016.  This decision was based on her academic background, her service, and her total life experience as per our ‘Standards of Ministry.

Church Growth

The main part of my ministry is conducting weddings for non church members in the wider community via Life Celebrations – Covenant of Marriage hoping to add them to the Fellowship.
I also serve in the following ways:
House Church Ministry
Counselling Ministry
Ministry to the Earth Religions

Ministry of Life Celebrations – Covenant of Marriage

Conducting wedding ceremonies for people who have no minister has been a fruitful way to witness to the Christian faith and help the Fellowship grow and expand. At planning meetings, I always show both my church and government credentials. This leads mostly to what I call ‘the church hurt me stories’. These are long pastoral care sessions in which complete strangers pour out how they feel a church let them down. These are great opportunities to invite couples to our house church.

As a life celebrant, I do not remove the spiritual aspect of the sacred union of the couple whether it is in the words or in the intent of how they are spoken. The feeling and energy generated in that moment of proclaiming love and commitment is not something you can measure and is a deep spiritual act of worship.

Pastoral Care

Ministry to the Earth Religions

Along with my regular ministry I also own and operate the Silverbirch Spirit Connections store. It is a store that carries Christian material and material from other religious traditions.

House Church Ministry

We also have a small group that meets as a House Church at the store on a week by week basis. This fellowship is always open to the public via word of mouth and a prominent sign in the store.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t have an opportunity to minister pastoral care and witness. Customers come to me not always necessarily to buy a product but to get assurance and reassurance, comfort and closure. They offer me much opportunity to exercise my training in a counselling ministry.

Examples of Pastoral Care

Counselling Ministry

Recently a client came in and shared her grief story. Her husband had been found dead by her daughter on her front lawn unexpectedly of some illness. During this grief counselling she was able to deal with the shock, the care for her daughter, and dealing with not only the grief but the after-effects of the anger of his family towards her. One session led to several others.

Another customer came in while her son was at a psychiatric appointment. She came in and, during her time in the shop, she began to talk. Through the conversation, I learned of her worries and anxieties of being unable to help her son and being left bereft of her own energy and being sad and emotional all the time with the situation. We talked through some options and energy and spiritual work that could help.

A young lady (18) came in and began to talk. She was in foster care and was about to age out of the system and was in great anxiety. She had a very difficult life growing up in the system, experienced drugs, etc. Her father had died when she was very young. We talked about her desires and all she wanted to do was help people. Not only was I able to engage in counselling but I was able to invite her to come to our house church and have fellowship with us.

People are grateful to find out that I am a minister

In all these cases, and there are many more, people want someone they trust and understand to have a spiritual  presence with whom they can talk to in a safe environment.

Academic:
Qualifications re Clergy Support Church ‘Standards of Ministry’
‘Certificate of Achievement’  Canadian Ministers Institute Oct 12 2015
BS. in Psychology (Dalhousie University)

Hobbies:

Needlecraft, puzzles/puzzle books, reading.

Contributing to my Community

I regularly hold events in which part of the proceeds goes towards a local family in need of support for their child’s cancer treatment costs and other local charities.

I volunteer in the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo every year giving over 60 hours of time every year throughout the 2 week duration.

I have been in charge of fundraising for my daughter’s dance troupe, and treasurer of the local resident’s association for years.

I currently volunteer bookkeeping time to two non-profit organisations and raise money and awareness for the Leukemia Society and their Light the Night Walk – which we have walked in over the past 4 years.

Closing Words

I am so grateful to be part of Clergy Support Memorial Church as it provides the opportunity to provide an uplifting, true connection of Pastoral Care. It is truly humbling to be part of this ministry. It deepens and matures my spiritual journey and further ministry can grow. It is where my inner light truly wants to be.