This week, we're talking with Counseling Center and HR Coordinator Laura Zimmerman. If you ever come to the City Church office, she's impossible to miss--she'll greet you with the most warmth and enthusiasm you've ever seen. Because she's often the first impression of City Church a visitor gets, we're so fortunate to have her working in an area in which she is so gifted.
What drew you to attend City Church?
The community was big for me. I moved to San Francisco from Atlanta, and the group of people I met there made me instantly feel at home. As I started to meet people, I realized that City Church was a really good place to be, full of great people. I also loved that there are so many ministries where you can serve with people you wouldn't necessarily get to know otherwise. My husband and I serve in children's ministry, and we have gotten to be involved with lots of people in different life stages than us. That's been really valuable.
In my former life in Atlanta, I volunteered with Young Life and loved it. I'm also passionate about working with young women in the high school and college age, and hope to get to do more of that with City Church in the future.
What is a typical day like in your job at City Church?
Every day looks a little bit different - which I love! Two days a week I work for the Counseling Center. This includes anything from doing intakes (talking with anyone who is interested in getting connected with a counselor), managing the day to day administrative needs of the counseling center, and also coordinating the support groups. My role with the support groups include recruiting, organizing logistics, and communication with participants and leaders.
For the City Church side, it's pretty straightforward administrative work--I answer the phones & email, count the offering, and help with HR and accounting needs. I also support Fred, Jonathan, and Kirsten Oates with some of the work they take on, so that they have more space and time to focus on ministry.
I love the variety of my role here. Since I am a very relational person, working with and supporting so many different people is really fun and motivating for me.
Who makes up the Zimmerman family?
My husband Daniel is a wound care nurse at California Pacific Medical Center. He also loves serving people in ministry and serves at County Jail and is a support group leader for the Counseling Center.
Herbert is coming up on two years old. He's a Vizsla. Herbie, as he's affectionately known, loves to chase the frisbee and go swimming. Daniel and I love taking him to Fort Funston and John McLaren Park, Crissy Field, hiking or running, and exploring the city together.
What are some of your other hobbies and interests?
I love being outside in nature. I love cooking. I love seeing the city with Daniel and Herbert. I'm also really interested in nutrition and I love learning about it. Being with people and good friends is one of my favorite things. Biking is also a regular hobby--I bike to and from work every day.
What are some of your favorite SF restaurants? Some regular spots, and then maybe one place you like to splurge?
I love pizza. That would be my food of choice, and I think I could eat it every day: Patxi's and Delfina, Pizza Hacker. I also love Pakwan for Indian food, and I do really enjoy cooking at home. For a splurge, Local Mission Eatery is one of my favorites. And trying new restaurants is always fun.
What would your ideal vacation be?
In different seasons, I think different vacations sound good to me. Right now, I'm in a season where I would love to go somewhere tropical. In a perfect world, I would love to go to a tropical beach somewhere and lay on the beach and bring our dog, Herbert, to play with me and my husband Daniel. We could relax and read and just lay in the sun and be warm. But we're also a pretty active family, so it would be fun to go somewhere and hike and explore and be adventurous. I'd be okay with taking a break from daily chores too, so having a few days to stay in hotel sounds like a DREAM.
What are some of your favorite books?
One of my favorite books, which was really challenging and important to my faith, is Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I tend to enjoy reading books and doing bible studies that help build my faith. I also loved Come Be My Light by Mother Teresa. My favorite silly and embarrassing book is probably Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers (I know, so cheesy), but I just love Michael Hosea. I also love classics like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. For my guilty pleasure (and only on vacation), I choose People Magazine.