At February's meeting, members of Vestry approved funding for a new pastoral ministry position to begin in the fall of 2010. In the intervening months, the position description was refined and the position was advertised. There were many applications, and from among the applicants, four were invited to a first round of interviews, and two to a second round.

The first interview team included Margaret Brockett, George Southey, Kim Ball and Frank Morewood. The two candidates they recommended were interviewed by a second team - Kim Ball, Colleen Murray and Michael Thompson.

As a result of that second interview, Corporation received a recommendation that Michelle Stanford be engaged in the new position of Coordinator of Pastoral Vitality. The focus of this position is to ensure that all of the pastoral realities among us are part of how we shape our common life. For example, the existing focus on ensuring pastoral care for seniors, and for those in hospital, now becomes part of the focus for our new Pastoral Vitality Coordinator. Job one is to ensure that we continue to do the important things we already do.

Pastoral realities include ages and stages of life, circumstances and particular challenges of health, livelihood and relationships, and the gifts of caring that are so abundant in our midst. Over time, Michelle's role will be to encourage and support initiatives that address the full range of pastoral vitality in our life together and as we reach out with care into the world around us.

Michelle is also a candidate for ordination in the Diocese of Niagara, and we look forward to her ordination as deacon in the fall of 2010, and, God willing, to her subsequent ordination as a priest. These ordinations will allow her to participate in the range of liturgical ministries of our parish, including the vital outreach through Communion services in four Seniors' residences in Oakville.

Many of us had an opportunity to connect with Michelle during her recent internship. We now look forward to her work in supporting and encouraging the pastoral vitality of our parish. Michelle will begin her work in mid-September.