DEDICATION RECITAL SUNDAY
April 29, 2012 at 3 p.m.
Being held at:
First Congregational United Church of Christ
255 W. 10th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
Featuring: Scott Montgomery
Scott Montgomery is Director of Music Ministries and Organist for Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Champaign, Illinois. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in organ performance, studying with Dr Dana Robinson.
Scott began piano lessons at age eight and was immediately fascinated by both church and cinema organs. By age ten he was playing organ in various churches in his native Illinois, and from age 15 was entering competitions. In 1993 he won the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Guild or Organists' competition and soon began performing solo concerts in the area.
Scott has since been a prize winner in several competitions including first-prize in the American Guild of Organists' Region V Competition in Evansville, Indiana (1997), second-prize in the Arthur Poister National Organ Competition in Syracuse, New York (2002), and was also the first recipient of the M. Louise Miller Scholarship (2002) sponsored by the Greater Bridgeport Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. In 2006 he was winner of both the Lilian Murtagh Memorial Award (first-prize) and the Audience Prize of the American Guild of Organists' National Young Artist Competition in Organ Playing (NYACOP), the first person to win both prizes in the history of the competition.
Scott has given numerous concerts and master classes around the country including performances at the 1998 National AGO Convention in Denver, the 2006 National Convention in Chicago, and two performances at the 2008 National Convention in St Paul-Minneapolis. Scott has also been a featured performer and presenter at the Tallahassee Church Music Conference as well as the National Pastoral Musician Conference in Indianapolis. His performances have been broadcast on American Public Media's series, Pipedreams. Scott will be involved in the 2009 Pipe Organ Encounter (POE) in Wheaton, Illinois, as an instructor and performer. His debut recording, Water and Light, was released in 2008 by the Pro Organo label. His second CD, Inspirations from England, was released by the Regent Record label in 2009.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Benevolence for 2012
First Congregational United Church of Christ is filled with compassionate people who are concerned about the well-being of others in Dubuque, in Iowa, in the United States and around the world. All the missions of our church are listed in the Annual Report under the category called ABenevolences.@ Benevolences are the action part of our faith, each one of us acting out the love we feel in our hearts not only toward God but also toward our neighbors. It’s one thing to be concerned about a neighbor in need, it is even better to reach out to that neighbor in need.
You reached out to the needs in our community through our local mission fund, the Dubuque Food Pantry, our CAFe Ministry, the Dubuque Rescue Mission, DACU=s People in Need, St. Mark’s Center, the Maria House, the Teresa Shelter, and Hillcrest. You supported the relief efforts in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami. You supported our partnership with Tony Campolo=s ABeyond Borders@ as you financed a school in Haiti. You supported the Foods Resource Bank as they grew crops in Iowa and helped with food security projects in El Salvador. You also were generous in supporting special offerings for One Great Hour of Sharing, Neighbors in Need, Veterans of the Cross, and Dubuque=s Habitat for Humanity.
But that=s not the full extent of your giving. Your regular giving supported three United Church of Christ seminaries who are educating ministers for today and tomorrow in the church. Those seminaries are Chicago theological Seminary in Chicago, Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, and United Theological Seminary in the Twin Cities. You also supported the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, the Pilgrim Heights Campground, the Eastern Iowa Association of the Iowa Conference, and the work of Dubuque Area Congregations United (DACU). You supported the work of the United Church of Christ in Iowa, in our nation and missionaries around the world through your support of Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM).
The bottom line is that your generous contributions supported the work we do together with $110,509.97 from your weekly envelope giving. Also, you gave $30,230.75 in special offering gifts making a total of $140,740.72 in benevolences in all of 2011. You know how to put your faith into action. I know that we will be a very strong mission church once again in 2012. Thank you for your caring attitude and your caring generosity.
Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel
You reached out to the needs in our community through our local mission fund, the Dubuque Food Pantry, our CAFe Ministry, the Dubuque Rescue Mission, DACU=s People in Need, St. Mark’s Center, the Maria House, the Teresa Shelter, and Hillcrest. You supported the relief efforts in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami. You supported our partnership with Tony Campolo=s ABeyond Borders@ as you financed a school in Haiti. You supported the Foods Resource Bank as they grew crops in Iowa and helped with food security projects in El Salvador. You also were generous in supporting special offerings for One Great Hour of Sharing, Neighbors in Need, Veterans of the Cross, and Dubuque=s Habitat for Humanity.
But that=s not the full extent of your giving. Your regular giving supported three United Church of Christ seminaries who are educating ministers for today and tomorrow in the church. Those seminaries are Chicago theological Seminary in Chicago, Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, and United Theological Seminary in the Twin Cities. You also supported the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, the Pilgrim Heights Campground, the Eastern Iowa Association of the Iowa Conference, and the work of Dubuque Area Congregations United (DACU). You supported the work of the United Church of Christ in Iowa, in our nation and missionaries around the world through your support of Our Churches Wider Mission (OCWM).
The bottom line is that your generous contributions supported the work we do together with $110,509.97 from your weekly envelope giving. Also, you gave $30,230.75 in special offering gifts making a total of $140,740.72 in benevolences in all of 2011. You know how to put your faith into action. I know that we will be a very strong mission church once again in 2012. Thank you for your caring attitude and your caring generosity.
Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel
Notes From Nancy
As I write this, our Spruce Up guys, under the direction of boss Wayne Lewis, are finishing up another project, painting the kitchen. It’s been a while now since we renovated our much used kitchen and it was showing signs of wear and tear. So, of course our trusty men came to the rescue, scrubbing the ceiling, repairing water damage to the door, and applying a new coat of paint to the walls. Recently Mike Chase installed a new Victorian lantern light fixture above the steps leading into the kitchen so people entering and exiting in the evening can see those steps.
We are so fortunate to have gifted and handy folks in our church who are capable of doing all sorts of maintenance and building work. They see a need and address it. Their resourcefulness and time save the church a truckload of money!
Be sure to take a look at the new piece of furniture in the Sanctuary. Wayne Collins, a member of the Organ Renovation Task Force, took parts of the old organ console and pedal board and built a remarkable table that is now on the back wall of our Sanctuary. The table fits perfectly in the space for which it was designed.
Of course, not all of us are so handy. But a whole bunch of our members are wonderful cooks and bakers. Each week several provide delicious casseroles, cakes, brownies, cookies, and pies for our CAFe ministry. It’s only through our members’ generosity that we are able to feed 100 to 130 of God’s children each and every week.
Some of you quilt and some of you assemble the newsletter. Thank you to all of you who match your gifts and talents with the needs of your church. You are a blessing indeed.
We are so fortunate to have gifted and handy folks in our church who are capable of doing all sorts of maintenance and building work. They see a need and address it. Their resourcefulness and time save the church a truckload of money!
Be sure to take a look at the new piece of furniture in the Sanctuary. Wayne Collins, a member of the Organ Renovation Task Force, took parts of the old organ console and pedal board and built a remarkable table that is now on the back wall of our Sanctuary. The table fits perfectly in the space for which it was designed.
Of course, not all of us are so handy. But a whole bunch of our members are wonderful cooks and bakers. Each week several provide delicious casseroles, cakes, brownies, cookies, and pies for our CAFe ministry. It’s only through our members’ generosity that we are able to feed 100 to 130 of God’s children each and every week.
Some of you quilt and some of you assemble the newsletter. Thank you to all of you who match your gifts and talents with the needs of your church. You are a blessing indeed.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Christmas Changes Our Goals
Thank you for all the beautiful Christmas cards, family pictures and e-cards that you sent to Nancy and me during the Christmas Season. I usually go back through the cards two or three times so that I can become immersed in the joy of Christmas and the news from family and friends. I especially enjoyed all the picture cards that you sent, many from our Church Directory photos and many from other picture places. They are precious to receive and to behold. One of the most memorable cards we have received across the years included this early American Christmas Blessing:
When the Song of the angels is stilled,
When the Star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and princes are home,
When the Shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace to all people,
To make music in the hearts.
I hope that together in 2012 we can make wonderful music in our hearts as we fulfill our call to be engaged in the work of Christmas. Let us invite those without a church to join us for worship; let us visit the broken; let us offer food through CAFÉ, the Dubuque Food Pantry and our local mission; let us seek peace in our world; and let us live together in love and harmony. We have had a merry Christmas, now may we have a Christ filled and a Happy New Year.
Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel
When the Song of the angels is stilled,
When the Star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and princes are home,
When the Shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace to all people,
To make music in the hearts.
I hope that together in 2012 we can make wonderful music in our hearts as we fulfill our call to be engaged in the work of Christmas. Let us invite those without a church to join us for worship; let us visit the broken; let us offer food through CAFÉ, the Dubuque Food Pantry and our local mission; let us seek peace in our world; and let us live together in love and harmony. We have had a merry Christmas, now may we have a Christ filled and a Happy New Year.
Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel
Notes from Nancy
One of the wonderful things about our church is the way it behaves like a family, a large, diverse family, but family all the same. This is most evident in the way you all care about and for one another. Some of your closest and dearest friends are church members. If someone isn’t at worship or at a meeting, one or several you usually know where he or she is or whether they are having a health crisis. In other words, you keep tabs on one another. Coyople, our Seniors group, are really great at keeping one another informed about how all of their members are doing and they send plants or flowers to those who are in the hospital or those who are now shut-ins.
If you are absent, others often tell you how much you have been missed. When you return, members greet you and try and catch up on the latest news. If you find yourself sitting alone, often someone will come along and offer to sit with you. You send cards, make food, and help nurse those who are hurting.
The most wonderful thing is that this genuine affection for one another spills over onto our youth. I have seen many of our children put their arms around one another or hold each other’s hand. I have heard some of our youth, who are reaching those “cool” teen years, tell one another “I love you.” when they are leaving a choir rehearsal or youth activity. I have seen some of the younger children hug one of the youth or vice versa. Our Youth Choir often pray for one another and a former choir member who is now married and no longer in Dubuque.
Of course, faith is at the heart of all we do. But there is no price that you can place on genuine fellowship, the kind that feels like family. In an era where many of our nuclear and extended families are all over the country, and even the world, a church like ours serves a crucial role in providing the care and affection we so need in order to lead healthy, meaningful lives. So, thank you First Congregational UCC family. I love you.
If you are absent, others often tell you how much you have been missed. When you return, members greet you and try and catch up on the latest news. If you find yourself sitting alone, often someone will come along and offer to sit with you. You send cards, make food, and help nurse those who are hurting.
The most wonderful thing is that this genuine affection for one another spills over onto our youth. I have seen many of our children put their arms around one another or hold each other’s hand. I have heard some of our youth, who are reaching those “cool” teen years, tell one another “I love you.” when they are leaving a choir rehearsal or youth activity. I have seen some of the younger children hug one of the youth or vice versa. Our Youth Choir often pray for one another and a former choir member who is now married and no longer in Dubuque.
Of course, faith is at the heart of all we do. But there is no price that you can place on genuine fellowship, the kind that feels like family. In an era where many of our nuclear and extended families are all over the country, and even the world, a church like ours serves a crucial role in providing the care and affection we so need in order to lead healthy, meaningful lives. So, thank you First Congregational UCC family. I love you.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Unbridled Joy
What a joy it was to be part of the organ dedication worship service in our sanctuary on October 30. In this life, you can’t predict when tears of joy are going to come streaming down your cheeks, but it is a good feeling when they do. While we were singing AO God Our Help in Ages Past,@ I was inspired by the beauty of the music coming from our restored organ and your lusty congregational singing and the tears started to flow. Also, I was thinking about how wonderful the organ was going to sound at future funerals, weddings and special services in the life of our church. Dedication day was itself a day for joy and it gave me the confidence that many joyful days lie ahead for our congregation.
The Advent and Christmas Seasons are wonderful times at First Congregational United Church of Christ, times filled with both anticipation and unbridled joy. Advent is a time of waiting, a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Messiah. During Advent we remember how God loved us enough to come to this world in the person of Jesus. Together in worship, through each Sunday in Advent, we recognize that the darkness of the world is pushed aside by the light of Christ. If we allow Christ into our hearts we will become changed people, people who live each day in the joy we know through God=s Son. I urge you to allow the Season of Advent and the celebration of Christmas to change you this year. Let the joy of the season fill your life with love and joy.
December is a busy, but wonderful time at church. I hope you will catch the joy of our children as they present their program on December 4, the Bell Choirs as they play the sounds of Christmas on December 11, and the Chancel Choir as they inspire us with their Cantata on December 18. Make sure you bring along your family and friends to Christmas Eve worship at 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. We will share the joy of Christmas together at 10:30 a.m. on Christmas day. Put on that new sweater and join with your church family to celebrate Christmas. May this Advent and Christmas season be a time of unbridled joy.
Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel
The Advent and Christmas Seasons are wonderful times at First Congregational United Church of Christ, times filled with both anticipation and unbridled joy. Advent is a time of waiting, a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Messiah. During Advent we remember how God loved us enough to come to this world in the person of Jesus. Together in worship, through each Sunday in Advent, we recognize that the darkness of the world is pushed aside by the light of Christ. If we allow Christ into our hearts we will become changed people, people who live each day in the joy we know through God=s Son. I urge you to allow the Season of Advent and the celebration of Christmas to change you this year. Let the joy of the season fill your life with love and joy.
December is a busy, but wonderful time at church. I hope you will catch the joy of our children as they present their program on December 4, the Bell Choirs as they play the sounds of Christmas on December 11, and the Chancel Choir as they inspire us with their Cantata on December 18. Make sure you bring along your family and friends to Christmas Eve worship at 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. We will share the joy of Christmas together at 10:30 a.m. on Christmas day. Put on that new sweater and join with your church family to celebrate Christmas. May this Advent and Christmas season be a time of unbridled joy.
Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel
Notes from Nancy
We just received the proof book for our 2012 church pictorial directory. The pictures look wonderful. The cover will knock your socks off! The brochure will serve as a useful tool for evangelism as it sums up our mission and programming through text and pictures.
Doing a pictorial directory requires hours and hours of work behind the scenes. Thanks to the Membership Committee for their work in signing people up to get their picture taken and serving as hosts and hostesses (along with other volunteers) on the many days the actual photos were taken.
Also, thanks goes to Ken who works tirelessly for the several weeks prior to picture taking to get all those who didn’t sign up to come down to the church and smile. Because of his efforts, our church has a much higher percentage of turn out for pictures than most churches. This allows us to receive a greater number of free directories, free brochures, stationary, and a large composite picture to hang on our wall.
The person who put the most time and effort into the directory is our church photographer and digital expert, Bill Russell. Bill spends hours taking pictures of worship and special events which he then turns into postcards, montages and which we use for our bulletin boards. Bill, with the help of the Public Relations Committee, completed all of the layout for the directory on the software called “StoryBuilder” provided by Lifetouch Directories. Thank you, Bill.
Thanks also to our Office Manager, Lana, for providing the roster with all of the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of our members. This is the part of the directory most of you use the most.
Thank you, members of the church and families, for smiling so beautifully for your pictures. I’m enjoying looking at all of your variety of poses, dress, and faces. You are a very photogenic group of people.
So now I get to proof the book for any errors and send it back for publishing. Hopefully it will be here soon after the new year and you will get to enjoy the new directory as well.
Doing a pictorial directory requires hours and hours of work behind the scenes. Thanks to the Membership Committee for their work in signing people up to get their picture taken and serving as hosts and hostesses (along with other volunteers) on the many days the actual photos were taken.
Also, thanks goes to Ken who works tirelessly for the several weeks prior to picture taking to get all those who didn’t sign up to come down to the church and smile. Because of his efforts, our church has a much higher percentage of turn out for pictures than most churches. This allows us to receive a greater number of free directories, free brochures, stationary, and a large composite picture to hang on our wall.
The person who put the most time and effort into the directory is our church photographer and digital expert, Bill Russell. Bill spends hours taking pictures of worship and special events which he then turns into postcards, montages and which we use for our bulletin boards. Bill, with the help of the Public Relations Committee, completed all of the layout for the directory on the software called “StoryBuilder” provided by Lifetouch Directories. Thank you, Bill.
Thanks also to our Office Manager, Lana, for providing the roster with all of the names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of our members. This is the part of the directory most of you use the most.
Thank you, members of the church and families, for smiling so beautifully for your pictures. I’m enjoying looking at all of your variety of poses, dress, and faces. You are a very photogenic group of people.
So now I get to proof the book for any errors and send it back for publishing. Hopefully it will be here soon after the new year and you will get to enjoy the new directory as well.
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