Hi! I'm Andrea, TCL's new Pastoral Assistant. Just in case you haven't met me yet, here are a few things about me:
In 2017, I joined the TCL interfaith dialogue community and Chortle, the TCL discipleship group for various Christian-ish folks. I love Jesus, and I love people! I'm also super clumsy about it, there are nuances, and I'm figuring out my relationship with the Church as an institution. When self-identifying our traditions before dialogues, one of my fellow dialoguers & Chortle friends loves it when I get a little flustered and blurt out, "Uhh…I just kick it with Jesus," so Hi! My name is Andrea, and I kick it with Jesus!
I also nerd out about breaking stereotypes and learning about various people's perspectives & traditions, how they navigate life, and what is meaningful to them. The ripple effect of understanding and connection this creates is so incredible. It's something that I truly believe makes this world a better place where we aren't scared of our differences but acknowledge and sometimes even celebrate them, which helps us progress together in times of disagreement or when repair and healing are needed. So naturally, The Church Lab's experimental ministry of interfaith dialogue community felt like a good fit. I'm honored to participate in and belong to this community that has celebrated wins with me and supported me in deep times of need. I'm eternally grateful for them!
In addition to Chortle and dialogue, I've had opportunities to support TCL's mission through our annual giving event, hurricane relief efforts, volunteering with TCL at Community First! Village, and attending TCL's workshops and facilitator training. It feels extra special getting to participate in TCL events like our interfaith-friendly labyrinth walks, being invited to Iftar dinners during Ramadan with our Ahmadiyya Muslim friends, and meeting new friends at a variety of faith communities like the Sikh gurdwara and Buddhist temple.
Before getting more involved with TCL, I worked in the nonprofit field for years, and beginning in 2019, I was honored to join the TCL Board of Directors and serve as the Fundraising Chair. It generally involves being a big ol' fundraising cheerleader for the Board because, really, who likes fundraising (if you do and dig TCL, please talk to me, you beautiful unicorn!). Most recently, I filled in with logistics at TCL to help make Rev. Carrie's sabbatical possible. I'm now beginning to settle into my new role as TCL's Pastoral Assistant, which means I dream a little more about TCL's future with Rev. Carrie. I'm also learning TCL's bookkeeping system from the fabulous Natalie Traylor, whom I'm convinced is secretly Wonder Woman, as she's determined, diligent, and a nurturing guide in all things TCL bookkeeping.
When I'm not participating in TCL activities, you can find me in the professional music world and involved in various lanes of activism. I'm a multi-instrumentalist musician with decades of live performance, recording, and touring experience and a Bachelor of Science in Music Performance. I'm also passionate about voting and participating in democracy! I'm a Volunteer Deputy Registrar, a member of the League of Women Voters- Austin Area, and I volunteer with political campaigns and causes. You can also find me out and about supporting fellow musicians at live shows, geeking out about comic books and TV shows (including all things Star Trek, anything Jim Henson, and I'm currently excited about the upcoming season of Dr. Who). I like swimming, conversations (not small talk), am always up for a friendly game of pool or trivia, and have developed a bit of a plant collecting habit. If my apartment got just a bit more sunlight, I’d probably get so many plants it would look like a jungle! My most recent favorites are the Willie Nelson chia pet that my spouse gifted me and Queen LaTreefa, the Pachira Aquatica. To sum it up, I'm a plant hoarding, kinda nerdy, political, pro-musician that does a lot of nonprofit work, loves Jesus, loves people, and is excited to be a part of The Church Lab community! Nice to meet you!