Thank you

Thank you for allowing me to be part of your communities, your church, your faith story for the last 10 years. 

Thank you for being my friends, my mentors, my teachers.  

Thank you for only rolling your eyes a little bit when I came up with another ‘something new’ or moved the pews again.  

Thank you for inviting me to be with families when you were at your most vulnerable. It is a great privilege and honour to walk with you in times of grief and sorrow and I hope that what God and I offer together helps your journey.  

Thank you for the sharing of food and stories. Thank you for the suppers and the care you offered to me in those busy times when I forgot to care for myself.  

Thank you for making me go to Hockey games (I never would have thought I’d say that!). I have had some amazing conversations with folk in the community over excellent fries and hamburgers there. I will miss those opportunities.  

Thank you for supporting my work at Bar Harbour Camp each summer, and for allowing me the great privilege of being part of the birthing of the Pioneer Pastoral Charge and The Chinook Winds Region of the United Church of Canada. Partnerships in faith are, I believe, our best way forward in keeping the spirit and work of God alive in the world.  

Thank you to the children and youth who came and played with me and joined in learning with me. I know your lives are very, very busy and I am truly honoured that you chose to spend some of your time with me.  

Until your new Minister finds you, we will continue to worship together online for a while. My new Pastoral Charge at Camrose United Church has graciously allowed me the privilege of being on call for you during times of grief.   

Continue to support the work of the church. What faith offers in these times of unrest and uncertainty is: an anchor to cling to; a reminder of how powerful working together for the good of all is; a knowledge that no matter how much change life throws at us we are, truly, in this together.  

God put us together but our paths are winding in different directions now. You will always be part of my story.   

Let’s trust in God. God is with us. We are not alone, we never are. Thanks be to God.