"Toni, do you believe in the hand of God?".

With these words, my journey into parish nursing ministry began....

Working at a children's rehabilitation centre, in Sarnia, Ontario, and living alone, I was content and enjoying life. A colleague of mine approached me on June 1, 2004 with the words above, and my comfortable life changed irrevocably.

Colleen had been having coffee with her parents who live in Goderich, Ontario. They were ready to go when her mom asked if she knew someone who could be a parish nurse in Goderich. Colleen said yes, and my life set out on a new course. Immediately, I felt called.

The ministry description was for a parish nurse to work within three faith communities: Knox Presbyterian Church, North Street United Church, and St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church. When I was offered the position, I felt comfortable in quitting my job, selling my house and never looking back.

I am contracted by the Perth-Huron Victorian Order of Nurses in Stratford, Ontario, who help financially and professionally. It was a pilot project for them, and their assistance will end in October 2007. We are planning how to continue in this interdenominational setting.

I have office space in each of the three churches, and have been contracted for 10 hours a week per church. Each church views this as outreach/mission, and is not jealous of their time allotment. As needs are sometimes greater in one church in a week, the others don't mind.

Programs are offered for all churches and usually the community at large. I have had a health fair; a five-part series called "Reasons for Sadness," dealing with the faces of depression; and an ongoing, bi-weekly, and informal women's forum dealing with women's health issues. It is called "What Women Want." There is a team of caring visitors in each church who are trained and supported with debriefing meetings and interdenominational education. Members of the team are encouraged to see me individually with concerns. They are a visible sign that the churches care for their people.

Another branch of Caring Visitors makes "Care Quilts." A member of the United Church asked if I could use quilts to give to people as a tangible gift of the Church's concern for individuals. In one year's time, 58 quilts have been given out, some to as far away as Ottawa. Each quilt bears a label that says, "Wrap Yourself in Love." Then there is a space for his/her name and the rest says, "A gift from (name of church)."

A perk/blessing to this ministry ... I am privileged to be accepted into each faith community. I attend all three churches, but not on the same day. I usually make two services most every Sunday. I have conducted a service at North Street when the ministers have been absent, and given the reflection for Mind, Body, and Spirit Sunday at Knox. I promote wellness in mind, body and spirit in the call to live our faith fully, both individually and through the Nurses Station in the Sunday Bulletins. These educational blurbs also go out to 5 other church bulletins in the community, as I am part of the ministerial association.

I have a wonderful pastoral care team in one church, an active health council in another, and a supportive minister in the third. I also have a supportive husband. He became one of the perks/blessings of the ministry. I married Bill Schaefer in November. He was and still is a strong advocate for parish nursing and was instrumental in its inception at Knox Presbyterian Church, in 1998, before it was an interdenominational position. He was one of the panel that interviewed me for the position. Who would have thunk?

I look forward to almost every day as a parish nurse. I treasure the fact that it is interdenominational and I have grown because of that aspect. It may be a drop in the bucket, but that drop is better than what they had before, and all appreciate what they do have. The Spirit of God is always being called upon in my ministry, to help me find the words or do the right thing. My motto is "I do my best and God does the rest." I also know that I came to tend, but I was the one tended.