by Jennifer Svetlik, Salford Congregation
“The most rewarding aspect of my job is being able to lighten the load of my coworkers as they seek to accomplish their goals,” says Kristine McClain, Administrative and Communication Assistant for Eastern District & Franconia Conference. “I like to work behind the scenes, but my coworkers are the ‘face’ or ‘mouthpiece’ of the Conference. It’s satisfying to play a role in putting out a successful project, event or communication piece,” reflects Kristine.
Kristine is the friendly face that greets anyone who enters the Conference office. She does so many things that contribute to an organized and informed Conference: Kristine answers the phone, responds to inquiry emails, sorts the mail, distributes bulletin announcements, and maintains the office space. She also assists by creating and distributing publications, maintaining the website, and occasionally editing articles or producing media pieces. When needed, she also provides administrative or communications support to other staff members or committees. Kristine has served in this role officially since 2013.
Having lived in southeastern Pennsylvania since birth, Kristine knows the area well. She is a graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School. “Philadelphia suburb culture is very much my experience,” describes Kristine. “At the same time, I’ve always been drawn to areas that are more rural, with less traffic and a slower pace. When I’ve traveled through states such as Colorado and Wyoming, it made me feel like I was born in the wrong place!”
For 23 years, Kristine had a career in Christian radio, serving as a program director and on-air announcer. Her radio experience technically began as a young child, announcing her parent’s records into a tape recorder. As a student at Messiah College, she took a production class and volunteered at the college station. “I never dreamed it could lead to a career,” Kristine shares. “God had other plans, and I’m extremely grateful for the skills and experience I gained from my work in Christian radio.”
After she left full-time work in radio, she co-founded a small business, Rethink Creative Services, to serve local churches, nonprofit organizations, and small businesses with a variety of web, graphic, and video and audio editing services. “Projects that involve filming and video editing are my favorite, because I can lean more on my creative skills and less on the technical side,” says Kristine.
In her free time, Kristine is very involved with her church, Bridge Community Church (Lansdale, PA). She runs sound for the worship team, does special media projects, and goes on missions trips. Kristine’s favorite place to be is Alaska, where she has relatives who she has visited her entire life. “There’s nowhere on earth that I feel more at home or at peace. Even in the winter!” Kristine shares.
For fun, Kristine enjoys metal detecting. She considers it to be “hunting” for someone who doesn’t want to kill animals! “I haven’t found anything I can retire on (yet),” explains Kristine with a smile. “It’s always fun to see what I might find and it’s provided an endless supply of quarters for the laundry. Over the years, I’ve also been able to help people search for lost jewelry, keys, and property stakes, which is always gratifying,” says Kristine.
The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.