Contact: noreen@churchinthecity.ca
Job at CITC: Journey-Leader for women
Tagline: “I would like to gather the women all up in my arms and say, Okay ladies, what can we do? What do you need? How can I help?”
Random Fact: I love to travel and we’re checking off the continents as we visit!

I’m delighted to see younger women coming through our church. The demographic for women is different from when I was growing up, and living life as a single adult is very different – or what about living as a mother who isn’t married? I’m learning a lot about these things. What do we do to help people live in the life stage they’re in right now? How do we help them continue to move forward to where God wants us? Society is extremely multi-layered…. it’s rather untidy. It’s very “gooey.”

I started coming to CITC around 2002. I wasn’t sure if I would stay…we had been looking for a church, but I wanted to be anonymous. I’d grown up in a church where you were expected to be visible and doing something; from the time I was 12, I’d been teaching Sunday school and playing the organ. I thought it would be nice to just sit and listen and not have to be with everyone for a change. But that only works for a little while…

My first impression of CITC was that it was very friendly, very nonjudgmental. You could come as you were when you were invited. And I haven’t left. We’ve been here ever since.

I started leading the women’s Bible study 3 or 4 years ago after working for Women Alive. Two years ago I handed things off to go back to school. (My previous degrees were in Education.) I’ve just finished a Masters of Theological Studies from Wycliffe College, Uof T, and now I’m back!

I want to meet women where they’re at and help them to grow. I want to see women firmly established in their faith so they can manage whatever comes in life without falling off too often. I want us to live out what we say we believe – everything is okay as long as life is good, but when we run into the problem areas, what do we do with all of that?

My life has been an interesting ride. Never boring. I have certainly experienced those valleys and crevices and been pushed and pulled by others! Maybe some of the things I’ve learned along the way can be passed on.