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MISSION STATEMENT _____________________________________________ TO BUILD, INSPIRE, AND SHARE SPIRITUAL GROWTH, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, and OUTREACH in OUR CONGREGATION and WITH GOD'S WORLD. Goals of Chetwynd Shared Ministry Congregation 1. Develop and nurture private and public Spiritual Life. 2. To engage our congregation in Christian Education. 3. To participate in Outreach programs. 4. To inspire members of the congregation to Share the Faith in everyday life. Adopted May 8, 1999 About Us __________________________ 
Rev. Mary Parslow
I was born in 1946 in the market town of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England, the middle child of five. I went to the local Primary School until the age of eleven and then passed on to a Grammar School for my High School education. I was involved and interested in learning and especially enjoyed Art, Choir, History, Scripture, Biology and Phys. Ed. I wasn’t the best student in the world but I really enjoyed socializing at school. I participated in the school field hockey, tennis and swimming teams and enjoyed singing in the school choir. At the age of eighteen I went to an Anglican College of Education in London where I spent three years training to be a primary teacher. My major was art, with minors in creative dance and biology. I played for the college hockey team too. I really enjoyed living in London and being able to go to art galleries, theatres and museums as part of my training. It was a time of growth, learning and fun. At the end of my second year at College I married Charlie, my childhood sweetheart and we lived in an apartment just down the road from my College. He was a biology teacher by this time and traveled to school, not far away, by train. The next adventure in life after graduating, getting a job not far away, and moving to Richmond- was planning our trip to Canada. We had been thinking of going to Canada for two years as teachers and using the experience to travel around North America. This we did, and we settled in the tiny town of Mankota in South West Saskatchewan. However, after three or four months of living in Canada we knew we would never go back to England to live and we have been here in Canada ever since. We enjoyed the huge skies, wide, open spaces and country living. We spent our weekends on ranches in the area, helping with the cows and learning to ride- quite a contrast to life in London. Then the wander lust hit us again and we moved to Langley B.C. where we both got teaching jobs. Charlie enrolled in University to do a Masters degree and I started having children. We had our first two daughters, Joanna and Jane in Langley and I became a stay at home Mom. The time at home gave me space to think and I began to have a great urge to find out about God. I started attending church in Langley and after six short weeks of intense investigation I became a committed Christian. My husband wasn’t too sure about this new development however he did his best to support my decision. Our next move four years later was to Sooke, on Vancouver Island where we lived for seven years and had two more children- Bethany and Rebecca. Charlie was Principal of the High School in Sooke and I was The Sunday School Superintendent, the Women’s group leader and a Bible Study leader- much too busy for a mom with four children. My life calmed down considerably when we went north to live in Fort Nelson- I merely helped out here and there at church and took some sewing courses. Charlie was the Director of Instruction in Fort Nelson. After nearly two years Charlie transferred to Dawson Creek and I told him I was not moving any more- so we have been here for the last twenty-two years. Charlie became Superintendent of Schools in Dawson Creek. When my youngest daughter started school so did I. I returned as a Primary Teacher and taught for nine years at Pouce Coupe Elementary School. Meanwhile both Charlie and I were taking courses with the Theological Education by Extension Caledonia School and the Native Ministries Consortium at Vancouver School of Theology each summer and I concurrently, slowly, got my education degree over a period of eight years. I worked in Special Education with students with special needs and after some time became the traveling special education teacher supporting the education of these students in their neighborhood schools. I did lots of university courses all the time upgrading my understanding of this specialized field, and the training of staff to support students. I also became a trained facilitator at this time to assist groups with visioning and planning. Charlie and I both became Lay Readers at St Marks Anglican Church and then over a period of ten years studied to become Deacons. In our ministry we have spent a lot of time traveling around the North and South Peace area taking services for churches where the congregations were without a regular Minister. We enjoyed this Ministry and Charlie still does it. For several years I felt a call to being a full time Minister and so to that end was ordained three years ago and appointed to the Chetwynd Shared Ministry Congregation. I have since retired from the school district and can concentrate more fully on the work in Chetwynd. After a wander lust beginning God has led us all the way with a wonderful relationship with Himself through His Son Jesus, and an equally wonderful relationship with His family, the Church. We are still on the journey and can’t wait for the next exciting installment of "HIS story" in our lives and the lives of our congregations. ______________________________________________________________________________
Secretary and Website Administrator __________________________  Sandy CarltonI was born on a Canadian Air Force base in Zweibruken, Germany. I grew up just outside of Victoria B.C. in a community called Brentwood Bay. I attended Brentwood Chapel (Anglican Church), was confirmed there and taught Sunday School as a young teenager. I moved to Chetwynd in 1987 and what a shock! I never thought temperatures could go below 0 degrees. I have three children who are now one adult and two teenagers who all went to Chetwynd Shared Ministry's Sunday School for many years. I enjoy the community at Chetwynd Shared Ministry and look forward to the journey ahead. ______________________________________________________________________________
Alternate Secretary __________________________  Jean Hicks
I have been a member of Chetwynd Shared Ministry since it was founded in 1986, and over the years have been comforted, encouraged, befriended, and renewed by its caring congregation. It is a great group; I am fortunate to be able to attend and become part of church life. Our webmaster Kenan, has asked each of us to submit a biography for the website. I would like to start with my thoughts on CSM. We are a small church in a small town. Chetwynd is neither important nor well known. Remote and resource-based, it sees a good share of economic reversals and social problems. Even during the good times, many of its people are travelling over painful roads. Often they can feel forgotten and isolated. Though the world and society might neglect people, God never does. One of the ways in which God loves and cares for his children is through his church. We in CSM recognize that God expects us to be His helpers here in the community where we work and live: restoring hope, offering practical help and most importantly, sharing the priceless gift of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians, ÒNow remember what you were, my brothers, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing. God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful.Ó For me, this passage speaks directly to us at Chetwynd Shared Ministry. I accept that we are small in numbers, that our church building is modest (although still quite pretty), that none of our members are famous or influential; and yet still believe that God is changing the world through us and others like us. Personal data: Born in Peace River, AB and grew up in Dawson Creek, BC. Married in Dawson Creek. I attended university and worked in Vancouver for about twelve years before returning to the Peace River area in 1979 with my husband Don. Since I was a pharmacist and Don a banker, it seemed logical to become partners and start a pharmacy. We opened in January 1980. Our children, Suzanne and Hal, were born in 1981 and 1982. They grew up in Chetwynd, attending local schools (including CSM Sunday School), graduating from Chetwynd Secondary School and then moving on to Calgary to complete degrees at UofC. Although the kids have travelled on, we have no plans to leave Chetwynd and will probably stay for years to come. ______________________________________________________________________________
Treasurer __________________________  Sheri Derby
My bookkeeping background includes: - Accts. Payable clerk, Husky Transport, 1976 - Bookkeeping for family business, 1976 - 1983 - Accts. Payable clerk, Pembina Pipeline, 2000 I have part-time employment with the Chetwynd R.C.M.P. and therefore can provide the time needed for the job of treasurer. I look forward to being of service to the Chetwynd Shared Ministry. ______________________________________________________________________________
Envelope Secretary __________________________  Joanne Roberts
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