Sandy Holmes, People’s Warden

I have been a church person pretty much all of my life.  I attended St. John the Divine from the mid 80’s with my children.  As they grew up and launched as young adults,  I began stepping into more participation in church programmes such as Alpha and Cursillo and then taking on volunteer and leadership roles with the parish cemetery and as a Rector’s Warden in the late 90’s.  I was a member of the leadership team with St. John the Divine as it transitioned from Slack Road to Barrhaven and became Good Shepherd Barrhaven – an experiment in both a non-propertied parish and in joint Anglican/Lutheran worship –  and through the Shape of Parish Ministry exercise to the end.  After the dissolution of the Good Shepherd Barrhaven parish, I came to Julian of Norwich where I felt and feel very much welcomed and at home.

I have always believed and been active in volunteerism, with an especially moving experience working on the Ottawa Distress Centre Line for a number of years.  The opportunity of an early retirement from my corporate career (Marketing & Strategic Business Planning & Management with Bell Canada) allowed me to study theology and pastoral counselling at Saint Paul University, obtaining a Master’s degree and building on my undergrad degree in sociology & political science.  This led to my second career as an entrepreneur in private practice as a Counsellor/Psychotherapist as well as a Family Mediator working with the Collaborative Family Law community.  The continuum of my career has given me a range of experiences from the macro corporate team/ project leadership to the micro in the helping of troubled individuals and families. 

Another powerful volunteer experience was when I said yes to the Bishop of Yukon to spend a year in their Ministry of Presence programme as a Licensed Lay Incumbent with responsibility for the parish of St Christophers in the village of Haines Junction, Yukon, 160 km west of Whitehorse, and at the gateway to the Kluane National Park.  This was a spirit-blowing and enduring experience that I have no words to describe.  I continue to be rocked by the blessing of this opportunity.

I am blessed with a son and daughter, two granddaughters, two grandsons, three great granddaughters, some absolutely wonderful friends and two loving and very spoiled little dogs.