Personal Information

I am enthusiastic about worship, spiritual growth/formation, and small group topical studies (especially exploring areas of prayer, spiritual types, spiritual formation, etc.) Areas of study I would like to continue to explore are the spiritual formation of congregations, the spiritual formation of youth and of families, liturgy/worship and preaching (especially for fomation).

My Faith
Before returning to university, I worked for many years as a secretary, mostly with the Federal Government. Like many people my age, I have been through a lot of ups and downs and experienced many changes. It gives me a sense of peace in difficult moments and an overall sense of joy in quieter times to look back over my life and see God's presence woven into the very fabric of my life. It is this sense of joy and peace that comes with the certainity of God's abiding love and presence which I seek to bring to people in my preaching and teachings. My task, as I see it, is to help others uncover God's footprints in their lives that their faith might be increased and their lives enriched by the awareness and reality of God's love and providence and interaction.

On occasion I use my imagination to write "story sermons". An exmple of one can be found at: http:/ /members.tripod.com/MGayle/sermon-2.html

Pastorates
2001-present, Red Bank Pastoral Charge, Red Bank, N.B.
1994 - Admaston Pastoral Charge, R.R. #2, Renfrew ,Ontario

1993 - Intern Supply, Murray River,PEI
1992/3 - Emergency Candidate Supply at St. Andrew’s-by-the Lake, Kingston, Ont.
On the Charge

Some of the highlights at Red Bank have been:
- helped design curriculum for a Vacation Bible Day Camp 60+ children aged 4 - 12 attended the last two years and say it is the "best day camp ever", though I have to give the success of the camp to the many, many volunteers)
- led an inquirer's class open to all ages. Sixteen attended and the nine who weren't already full members became full members. The new members ranged in age from 13 to 71
- called a Joint Board of Trustees Meeting to review insurance coverage, resulting in better coverage and reduced rates
- held a study on "Praying in the Midst of Life" which was enthusiastically attended by 22 people
- organized an M&P workshop for the Presbytery (it was led by the Conference Personnel Minister)
- currently working on organizing a training session for the Pastoral Oversight Committee, but open to other Presbytery members who would be willing to assist in oversight visitation (again to be led by the Conference Personnel Minister)

Some of the highlights of years at Admaston have been:
- supervised and worked with a Grade 12 Co-op Student from the regional high school. This was a lot of work/ time--but well worth it. The School was very pleased by the placement and student, his family and our congregation were pleased as well. He is now considering ordained ministry as a vocation.
- created a web page for the Admaston Pastoral Charge. - Grace United, Admaston spearheaded an ecumenical Foodgrain’s Bank Project which doubled its size the second year. This is an ecumenical project. My main involvment has been to express my enthusiastic support of this project which is now in its third year. In three years the farmers in this small congregation, along with their colleagues, have sent in excess of $130,000 in grain to third world countries.
- began Easter Sunrise Services followed by breakfast - began a Christmas Sunday afternoon Service with communion and followed by a potluck supper for seniors and shut-ins; transportation provided
- began a youth group

Studies I have led: - The Gospel of Mark; Who is Jesus Christ; Lenten Study on Prayer using Henry Nouwen's "With Open Hands"; Lenten Study on Spritual "types" and prayer in every day life; six week AVEL study, "Praying the the Midst of Life", World Council of Churches study on the Decade to Overcome Violence
1995

In the Community & Related to the Pastoral Charge
Renfrew and Area has a large and active ministerial which works together to provide services for the community which individual congregations or ministers may not be able to provide. I was an active member of the Renfrew Family Enrichment Committee; participated in weekly in-school Chaplaincy service to the High School; and tok my turn writing for the Spirituality Column in the local paper. In 1995, helped organize the ecumenical Vacation Bible School

Positions held At Presbytery
2001 - present, Chair, Pastoral Care and Support (Oversight) 2000 - 2001 Chair, Division of Stewardship 1998-June, 2000, Coordinator of the Course for Licensed Lay Preachers
1996-97, Chair, Renfrew Presbytery
1995-2000, Youth Ministry Committee, Division of Mission in Canada
1995 - organized a Presbytery Weekend Youth retreat at Golden Lake 1995, Presbytery Task Force on Youth Work
1994-6, Clergy Adult Advisor to Renfrew Presbytery Youth Council

At Conference
2002 - Present, member of Petitions Commitee
2000 - Secretary, Division of Stewardship
1998 - Present, Chair, Bay of Quinte Conference Youth Iniative’s Project
1997-98 Chaired Ad Hoc Committee on Conference Youth Work
1997-98, Member at Large of Conference Staff Committee. (Though I enjoyed this position, I resigned because I was asked to stay on the Youth Committee and I felt one Conference Committee was enough.)

Education
1994 - Ordained, United Church of Canada, Bay of Quinte Conference 1992 - Master of Divinity & Testamur, Queen’s Theological College; 1st year prize, rankine no. 2, 3rd year Kirk prize for New Testament Theology
1988 - Bachelor of Arts (English Language and Literature) with distinction

Continuing Education
2003 - two-day workshop with Rosemary Dougherty on Discernment and Awareness in Spiritual Direction 2003 - five-day workshop in the Leadership of Retreats, Tatamagouche Centre 2001-2003 - Atlantic Jubilee Program in Spiritual Guidance and Spiritual Deepening (see website for details: http://www.atlanticspiritualguidance.org/ 2000 - Youth Ministry Conference, sponsored by Brougham Books, to be held in Toronto. Workshops in the spirituality of young people and teaching the Scriptures to teenagers today
1999 - Used remaining study leave (with Pastoral Charge permission) to organize a liturgy write-in retreat for Women in Ministry in Renfrew Presbytery. At the two-day even we jointly put together liturgy for part of Advent and the two and a half months following Christmas
1999 - Summer reading course on rural/small church ministry
1998 - Summer Institute in Spiritual Direction at the Ottawa Centre for Spiritual Growth
1996 - Conference Stewardship Event at Alliston
1995 - Bill Easum Small Groups/Small Churches seminar/workshop

Interests & Activities
a little writing - member of an closed on-line group for serious poets
recently took classes in hand drumming and use it for relaxtion and meditation a little gardening--flowers and herbs in pots

References

Rev. Eileen Hepplewhite >BR> R.R. #2 Clayton, Ont. K0A 1P0 1-613-256-7618(h)