Staff and Council Leadership
Pastor Heather Hayward
Pastor Heather began her ministry at St. Matthew’s New Life in January of 2020 and remains so excited to journey with this great community! She most recently served St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Middleton for 12 years, and, prior to that, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in La Crosse for 6 years. She really enjoys creativity in worship, interactive sermons, family-friendly events and interactions, and walking alongside of those in need of God’s Spirit. She has been so blessed by the people of this faith community and looks forward to where God will lead us together!
Heather’s family consists of her daughter, Emma, whom she adopted from Ethiopia in 2010, and then in 2014 she married her husband, David, who also adopted Emma in 2016. They also love their pets – cat Mia and dog Ray. David’s son, Daniel, recently finished his college studies at Michigan State. Heather’s extended family also live in the area and will be at New Life on occasion. Heather’s bachelors degree was in Vocal Performance and so she loves music of all kinds. Pastor Heather loves their home in Cottage Grove – her neighbors, garden, and ability to walk the dog in such a great neighborhood.
Ashley R. Children & Youth Ministry Coordinator
Liz R, Office Manager
Liz comes to us from 10 years in the insurance industry working at her parents’ company in Sun Prairie.
Shakia “Queen” Turner, Property Manager
Shakia “Queen” Turner serves New Life as our Property Manager. Queen was born in Mississippi and moved to Madison, WI at an early age. She is a graduate of Madison East High School and completed four years of technical training at MATC. She married her former husband in 1998 and has three children. She has been working professionally in property management since 2005. Queen has also done much volunteer work, with children’s ministry and at the church office for the Nehemiah Center, with women’s ministry (sexual abuse) at Lilada’s Living Room at the Fountain of Life, and she also volunteered at Christ the Solid Rock. Currently, she owns her own property that she rents to single women and families, and is working with homeless families to find permanent housing. Queen’s hobbies include spending Tuesday movie nights with family, running around on errands for the community, snowplowing in her red F150, lawn mowing on her rider, and she used to ride a red Can-Am Spyder.
Jim M, Bookkeeper
Jim is a long-time east side Madison resident and has lived just off Cottage Grove Road for the past 20 years. His experience as a bookkeeper ranges from working for a grocery co-op and a pizzeria to bookkeeping for multiple religious organizations. These include a Madison Zen Buddhist group and Shaarei Shamayim, a local Jewish congregation. And for the past four years he’s been the financial manager for Lake Edge Lutheran Church in Madison
New Life Council Leadership
