On Sunday our new Director of Christian Education was up front helping as liturgist. Some have asked, wanting to know more about Christine. So I asked her a few fun and searching questions.
Did you have a favorite pet growing up?
Yes, a Border Collie/Blue Heeler mix named Lizzy! An outside dog, we only had her for a month. My sisters variously had parakeets, fish, and hamsters. My dream pet is an Australian Shepherd.
Tell us about your parents: what are they like and what do they do?
My parents are incredible! Mom studied computers and finance, and after marrying my dad in her late 20’s, became a full-time mom. My dad has been in fundraising, restaurant work, cross-country cycling, ministry, and investing! He is currently in ranching and real estate. I’ve learned so much from my parents. Dad is athletic and business-minded; mom is musical and hospitable.
Who was your childhood best friend? What did you like most about her/him?
That would be my brother, Ryan. We are 21 months apart. We played sports together, solved computer/video games, built crazy forts, and competed in everything from music to academics to how many pancakes for breakfast. Ryan made me more competitive and an adventuresome.
What was the first job you had? And what was the worst job you ever had?
It was as a part-time summer secretary at my Grandpa’s real estate/restaurant headquarters. I was 15. I had no idea what I was doing, but I felt important! My worst job was typing hand-written notes from dad’s business meetings. Dad has a bad case of “physician’s handwriting”.
Whom would you say you admired most as you grew into adulthood?
I’ve always deeply admired people who decline glamor in favor of staying in the trenches. As I become an adult, I watched important mentors go through this process. It formed how I see my purpose. Something in me always hopes for approval and recognition, but this cannot be my driving force. Recognition and actual fulfillment/impact are sometimes not mutually inclusive.
What was one of the biggest mistakes you made that you learned most from?
Early at college, I learned what it means to be in community with others in a fresh way. But then I began to conform myself to friends, hoping to win their approval. I lost my confidence and personality. It took a difficult illness and a rough break from those friends to wake me up.
How have you and Benjamin experienced God through your recent move east?
We feel so blessed by FCC, by our new friends at Yale Divinity School, and by our supportive families back in Illinois and Idaho. I see God here in Connecticut each day through many gentle, loving people who want to give their absolute best to their community.
Is there a favorite verse of Scripture or favorite hymn that means the most to you?
I love Horatio Spafford’s hymn, “It is Well”. My life’s trials are nowhere close to those Horatio Spafford experienced (extreme loss in the Great Chicago Fire and the loss of three daughters in a shipwreck), but I certainly have had to heavily rely on my hope in God throughout my life. As family members pass on, relationships change, and responsibilities become heavier, I must stay grounded in my hope in God.