Boy meets girl, January, 2011; boy marries girl, December, 2011.  But God has a great sense of humor, as this particular boy and girl were students at William Jewell College 18 years earlier and never ever became acquainted!  Obviously the Lord wasn’t ready for them to meet yet.

      Heather Cobb was born in Sacramento, CA, grew up as a “military brat”, moving every couple of years, and had lived in 4 different states by 6th grade.  When she was 16 her family moved to the KC area (where she would graduate from North Kansas City High School) so that her father could attend Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Dad, Alan Cobb, is retired from the Air Force and has actively pursued his second career as a pastor for 30 years at Roanoke Baptist Church in Westport.  Heather’s mother, Sharon, who went home to the Lord in 2008, was a homemaker and a busy volunteer, teaching Sunday School and missions classes, cooking meals for hundreds and organizing outreach and missions events. Siblings include sister, Erin, who works locally in floodplain management for FEMA, and brother, Matt, who is an associate pastor at Open Door Baptist Church in KCK.  He and his wife, Jill, are parents to 17 year old Jackson and 13 year old Lauren.

      As a high school senior, Heather took a part-time job as a “girl Friday” in a medical malpractice law firm, and she continued working for those attorneys nearly continuously for two decades.  Her favorite work involved traveling around the country coordinating client intake for a pharmaceutical class action.  However, this young lady, who graduated from Jewell with a degree in English, had no wish to actually become a lawyer herself.  Since 2008 she has worked in compliance and risk management for North Kansas City Hospital, where she coordinates insurance coverage for the hospital facility and providers, helping lead audit and oversight activities to maintain compliance with the myriad of government rules for healthcare facilities. 

      Since Heather and a young man named Jim Lorenzetti never met at William Jewell when he was a senior and she a freshman, it took eHarmony to bring about the introduction many years later. And just under a year after meeting, they were married in North Kansas City.  After graduating from Jewell, Jim earned his JD from UMKC and has been in a business law practice since then. 

      In February of 2013 God blessed the Lorenzetti’s with a baby boy they named Jenson. Just over two years later, in April, 2015, Jenson welcomed little brother, Shields.  Interesting names, you say?  More about that in a bit.  Shortly before the birth of their second child, Heather and Jim were searching for a church home….one, Mrs. Lorenzetti clarified, “with clear biblical preaching, solid adult teaching in Sunday School and a commitment to shepherding the next generation through excellent children’s and youth ministries.”  Jim’s mother, Carolyn, a member of Colonial EPC in the south part of Kansas City, recommended Gashland as perhaps just the place where her son and his family could find the church they were seeking.

      Heather finds Psalm 121 to be one of her favorite scriptures, “I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”  And after becoming mother to 2 boys, she found that Romans 12:10 took on a new dimension!  “Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor.”  She added, “I strive to teach (and to model!) that one.” 

      During the past 9 years at Gashland, Heather has been active in several areas.  Involved in Women’s Ministry, primarily in communications, she has worked to provide information for The Link, as well as reserving meeting rooms as needed.  She has served as a facilitator for a women’s Bible study group, been a Little Lambs volunteer, sung in the choir, and most recently, worked as a member of the search committee seeking senior pastor applicants, and finalizing a recommendation for Gashland.

      Mrs. Lorenzetti was pleased to share some of her thoughts about our church.  “One of the things I appreciate most about GEPC is that we are a community who cares about one another and serves each other.  I value the friendships I’ve made through mentor programs and Bible studies, through volunteering in the nursery or through singing in the choir.  I’m inspired by the strong commitment I see from our members.  When I see so many folks using their gifts to serve our church in a variety of ways, it motivates me to find my own opportunities to serve and I hope others will feel excited about serving too.”

     As a college English major, she does, of course, enjoy reading.  “Aside from the Bible and the Chronicles of Narnia, there aren’t many books I’ve read more than once or twice.  I try to devote some time each day to whittling down my towering stack of “to be read” titles!  Even so, I’m a sucker for a good book recommendation from a friend.”

      Now, to return to the names of the Lorenzetti sons, Jenson and Shields.  As readers, in order to further understand, you will need a bit of background information.  How much do you know about the field of race car driving?  Have you ever heard of a Formula One race car driver from England named Jenson Button?  Then surely you would recognize the name of a personal friend of the Lorenzettis, a man involved in European road racing, by the name of Shields Bergstrom?  And why race car drivers, you are asking?  Well, it seems that attorney Jim Lorenzetti is a long-time race car driver and aficionado!  (Though his involvement is now more in the area of educating drivers in safety and good driving practices.)  However, Mr. L. passed on his racing passion to his missus!  Now I would challenge you to picture Heather in a helmet, (wonder what her racing colors are?) strapped into a race car, speeding around a track.  We have it on good authority she is a champ!!  The Apostle Paul spoke of “running the good race”, but, Heather, we don’t think he had race cars in mind, so be careful out on the track!  And somehow the maroon colored “mom van” doesn’t look track-ready anyhow.