Trinity celebrates one year with Rev. Rebecca Heilman! We are so grateful for Rebecca’s leadership during this unprecedented year of uncertainty and chance and her support in our church’s summer of sabbatical. Thank you, Rebecca!
We took a few minutes with Rebecca to ask her some questions about her role as Associate Pastor and what led her to this position. Keep reading to learn a little more about Rebecca!
What has surprised you most about this sabbatical summer?
“Talking about rest is easy, but actually resting is the difficult bit. I’ve been preaching to you, the congregation of Trinity, for nearly three months now about the importance of rest. I’ve even encouraged you to nap! And yet, rest for me, does not come easily. This has surprised me since typically summertime naturally gives off a restful vibe. Maybe you understand the difficulty of rest as well, especially when the chaos of the world whirls around you. I’ve learned that my weakness towards rest stems from my 3am thoughts and then my never-ending to-do lists. I’ll absolutely continue to preach on rest and starting today, as I answer this question, I hope to instill an intentional practice to finish out this sabbatical summer with more boundaries, naps, and restful walks.”
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
“My productivity trick includes lists. Lots and lots of lists! I write a to-do list for the week ahead, as well as for the next day to ensure I’m not over burdening myself with tasks. My other trick is responding to emails in the morning, then writing, studying, or completing projects in the afternoon. This sets a boundary in my life to balance both the logistics of the job (AKA emails and other meeting preparation) and the joys of the job (AKA studying Scripture, writing sermons, phone calls with members, or working on a project for various ministry teams).”
What energizes you in your role as AP?
“Currently, I am energized by the Congregational Life Vision Team. For months now, this team has been meeting to discuss how to listen to the congregation more deeply in order to draw us closer to each other and God. My search committee specifically called me for this purpose. I feel the affirmation of this call when I leave the Vision Team meetings with hope, energy, and true joy! They are doing phenomenal work and I can’t wait for the congregation to talk with those folks about their experience, hopes, and dreams for Trinity so we can get to work on maintaining some programs and creating new programs in order to grow closer to God and each other.”
Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?
“My father…maybe that’s a bit cliché. I worked for my Dad from age 15 to 22. He’s a pharmacist, a business owner, and a phenomenal boss. He cares deeply for his customers and his employees. He enjoys his work nearly every day and can solve any challenge with courage and ease. I observed him leading with pride, joy, care, humility, a giving hand and heart, and a steady leadership. Those are the traits I strive for as a leader of the church and community. Some days I’m better at it than others.”
What did you see recently that made you smile?
“I am reading the book, Darius The Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorran. Thus far, I’ve only enjoyed the beginning of the book, but the main teenage character has already referenced The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and Star Trek. My little nerd heart can’t help but grin from ear to ear when hearing those references and thinking about watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on my Dad’s lap in the evenings as a child or reading The Hobbit with my mom or binging the Lord of the Rings at a youth lock-in on a giant screen in the Sanctuary.”