I seek to passionately participate in God's radical love for the world through meaningful relationship with others. I see my ministry through a lens of connection - a living web. I bring all that I am to ministry - my Canadian identity, my socio-political history, my family of origin, my life experience, my family, my faith, my hope, my desire.

I try to preach in a way that makes connections between the scripture and life lived; connections between the hopes of the congregation listening in the pews and the gospel message of the Old and New Testaments; connections between local and global issues, between God and the world, between Christ and stumbling follower. I hope to preach in a way that links what is pastoral with what is prophetic, what is comforting with what is challenging, what we live and what we believe. I hope to preach each Sunday morning in a way that draws together knowledge and experience, faith and the journey.

I prepare services of worship that weave together prayer and praise; that intertwine God's grace filled message with our attempts at response. My goal is a service that is thematic, cohesive and balanced; that contains elements of the contemporary and the traditional, the contemplative and the expressive, the conventional and the creative.

The ministry of teaching is so important to the ongoing health and vitality of the community of faith. I approach this task with a sense of exploration - hoping to ask and engage questions - to wrestle with scripture and doctrine as we seek to follow faithfully. To this end I offer and participate in several study opportunities throughout the year.

As I serve through my presence among the congregation I look forward to hearing the needs and hopes and hurts of each person, to provide counsel and referral and resources. Staying connected involves seeing those who remain unseen at home or in hospital, visiting those unhappy and discontent with the world or the church, knowing those often in the pews and those with infrequent attendance.

My ministry is about relationship with Jesus, the risen Christ, God's revelation in Holy Scripture and the action of the Holy Spirit among the gathered community. It is my prayer that as we gather in Christ's name, accepting God's love and living God's love with one another, we will be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ms Kavanagh is looking forward to the eighth anniversary of her ordination on November 11, 2011 and beginning her ninth year as minister of Knox Church at the end of November. She is a former teacher with a B. Ed. from the University of Alberta who taught elementary and special needs students for nearly twenty years with Edmonton Public Schools. Before beginning her theological studies at Vancouver School of Theology, Ms Kavanagh was a ruling elder, served on several committees and participating actively in the leadership her congregation. She has always been a good student and received an award as top student in her M. Div. graduating class.

Laura values the experience gained as Representative Elder to Presbytery, Church School Superintendent, and Worship Convener at Dayspring Church in Edmonton, as well as Board Member at Braeside Presbyterian in St. Albert. Today she serves the church on various committees and boards, including Synod Executive, Board of Management for St. Andrew's Hall and the Vancouver School of Theology Board.

Laura is married to Steve Sturgess. They have two wonderful sons, Tristan, 21 and Ian, 20. The whole family is actively involved in the life and work of the community of faith.