Life is a balancing act for many, if not most, of us. This month’s featured Peace member, Jennifer Stoffel, balances her busy life while living hervocation at home, at work, and church.

Born in Holmen, Wisconsin, Jennifer, her husband (Mike), became a member of Peace in 2004. They have two children: Madison, 19, and Ty, 16. You may have seen Jennifer teaching Sunday School, forming meatballs for Peace’s spaghetti dinner fundraisers, or ringing her bells in the adult handbell choir. Recently, she has been serving on the congregation’s Vision Team.

Most of us don’t see Jennifer’s busy life as a pharmacist employed by Johnson & Johnson. In her role with the company, she is part of afield-based team that works with health decision-makers within health plans and large hospital systems. Her primary responsibilities involvehaving discussions and answering questions about Johnson & Johnson medications, including the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, she serves asa team lead for topics related to J&J’s products within infectious disease and vaccines. She also helps coordinate team training and development of educational resources used by the broader team at Johnson & Johnson. When asked how her faith connects with her vocation, she says, “I feel that being a person of faith has helped me to have more empathy and be able to see things from multiple points of view.” She says that there are challenges to working in the pharmaceutical industry. “Many times, there are no answers to the questions being asked. You also have visibility to the gaps in the healthcare system, many related to cost, which can be frustrating.” She admits that she may not always know how a decision within the health care setting can impact everyone involved, but she does feel reassured that she knows to ask the critical questions.

Jennifer’s job keeps her on the move, and she logs many miles in the air, and more recently, many hours on Zoom! Before the pandemic, she frequently came to handbell rehearsal on Wednesday nights directly from the airport and has even been known to drive to Plymouth for rehearsal during a layover between flights. She says that being a part of the handbell choir is one of her favorite parts of being a member of Peace. “Certain pieces can be quite challenging, but the satisfaction of beautiful performance can be quite uplifting,” she says.

When asked what thriving looks like to her, Jennifer says that it means finding a balance between work and the things that bring her joy. “It is easy to get bogged down with tasks that need to be completed, but I make sure to find time to be outdoors and enjoy God’s creation, and also to find time to interact with friends and family,” she explains. Thank you, Jennifer, for all you do in all areas of your vocation: at work, at home, and in your church!