At the start of her World Theology class, Jessica Shine invites a couple of students to stand back-to-back at the front of the room and describe the object each holds in their hands. Though the objects are identical, the participants’ descriptions vary widely. “No one sees anything the same way,” Jessica says. “That’s the point. To illustrate that everything, even religion, means something different to everyone. And that no one’s view is the only right one.”

A seasoned communicator with a heart for people and their personal growth, Jessica brings that same open-mindedness as Community Minister at The Chaplaincy Institute, an interfaith seminary in Berkeley, CA. “I've always been fascinated by the experience of faith and how people express their connection, questions, even disconnection to the Divine,” she says. “I love hearing people's stories and understanding where they come from, and what they love.”

Jessica has earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from Pacific Union College and a Master of Divinity from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. She was ordained to ministry by the Seventh-day Adventist church. “I've grown up in a very accepting community that is at the same time, fundamental," she says. "It's been a challenge, and presented many personal growth opportunities.”

Such opportunities included trips to India, Thailand, Latin and South America and the UK, she says. "The more I learn, the simpler my own life has become in terms of what really matters," she says.
 
At UC Davis Medical Center, Jessica earned 1 unit of Clinical Pastoral Education where she logged hundreds of hours counseling patients and hospital staff with a team of interfaith chaplains, facilitated learning modules for fellow chaplain residents during class time to enrich understanding of various faith groups and experiences, and developed skills in providing care to diverse inner-city populations, and assessing the needs of the patient as part of the care team. 
 
While serving as a chaplain with the Tracy Police Department, she became P.O.S.T. (Police Officers Standards & Training) certified with hundreds of hours counseling police officers and their families as well as providing crisis management during critical incidents, while working with a team of volunteer chaplains in community outreach, event organization, and interpersonal relations while boosting department morale.
 
For 14 years, Jessica served as Minister within the Northern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, counseling and mentoring individuals on a one-on-one basis in areas such as family struggles, grief, interpersonal communication, and faith, as well as conducting premarital counseling sessions.  She created small groups on various topics (personal and skill development, community outreach, spiritual growth, etc.), empowered leaders and resolved challenges to encourage healthy individual and community growth, delivered engaging weekly presentations to groups of up to 200 people, recruited, trained and developed volunteer teams in new skills like starting a conversation and seeing from the perspective of a guest, and multiplied 1 successful worship service into 2 weekly services with distinct approaches and audiences.
 
Jessica is presently Adjunct Faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College where she prepares and presents weekly lesson plans for classes in the Older Adult Programs which are discussion based classes presenting a survey of world theologies.  There she also coordinates with local organizations to host and present material for their audiences.

She enjoys traveling, music, food, the outdoors, and reading... and of course, exploring the Divine.