First Congregational UCC in Dubuque, IA

Organ Dedication Recital

2012-02-02T16:00:00.000-06:00

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.

Benevolence for 2012

2012-02-02T15:54:00.000-06:00

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

Notes From Nancy

2012-02-02T15:52:00.000-06:00

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.

Christmas Changes Our Goals

2012-01-03T15:28:00.001-06:00

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

Notes from Nancy

2012-01-03T15:25:00.001-06:00

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.

Unbridled Joy

2011-12-06T09:06:00.000-06:00

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

Notes from Nancy

2011-12-06T09:04:00.000-06:00

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.

THANKSGIVING DAY - 390 YEARS LATER

2011-11-14T12:26:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving day is fast approaching. The farmers in our area are working long hours to complete the harvest. It is almost time for us to collectively remember that first Thanksgiving Day that our Congregational ancestors held in Plymouth, Massachusetts, at the time of the harvest 390 years ago, in 1621. We remember the Pilgrims joy in surviving long enough to have a harvest festival. We remember the way these Pilgrims feasted with the native Americans that they called Indians. We remember the way they turned to God to offer thanksgiving and praise.

The first year for the Pilgrims in New England was a very difficult time. But they relied upon their faith, their faith community, and their God and they persevered. We, too, can rely on our faith, our faith community, and our God. This Autumn we have had numerous baptisms and together we promised Aour love, support, and care@ to the one being baptized. As a church family we support one another through the ups and downs and through the joys and sorrows of life. On October 8, we celebrated the life of Ray Davenport in our sanctuary and we offered our love, support, and care to Al Christensen. On November 13, we will welcome new members into our church family and we will offer these newcomers our love and support as they walk with us in the faith. This Thanksgiving, I give thanks for you and for all of our church family as together we humbly walk with our God.

The time is right for us to count our blessings and then to offer God our thanks and praise. Our lives have been richly blessed by God=s love made known to us in Jesus Christ. Our lives have been richly blessed by family, friends, and our faith community. It is time for us to count ourselves blessed. On November 20, we will celebrate Harvest Sunday and dedicate our first fruits and our tithes to the work of Christ=s church. On the eve of Thanksgiving we will gather with other faith communities of Dubuque at Resurrection Roman Catholic Church to celebrate Thanksgiving. Then on November 24, we will gather with loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving in each of our homes or apartments. Just like our Pilgrim and Puritan ancestors, we rely on God to bring us through the up and down days of life and we collectively celebrate all of God=s good gifts. May this be the month when we continually offer God our thanks and praise.

Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel

Nore from Nancy

2011-11-14T12:25:00.000-06:00

I love this time of the year because it is so festive. Fall decorations, pumpkins, cornstalks and gourds can be found here and there. People’s thoughts turn to the holidays, to the possibility of family coming from afar, to the Thanksgiving menu, to holiday concerts and parties.

Needless to say, it is a busy time in the life of the church as our Stewardship drive gives way to Harvest time and then we are right into Advent. The Fellowship Committee is sponsoring a cooking class for all those who would like a few tips on whipping up some yummy appetizers and desserts for the holidays. Café will be cooking turkeys and stuffing for a crowd that will fill the Social Rooms for this delicious feast. The children will be busy rehearsing for their Christmas musical.

“Angels We Have Heard” will be presented by our Sunday School students on December 4th during the late service. Two years ago we had Christmas trees and last year we had a whole flock of sheep. This year everyone gets to be an angel. We are presenting the musical early on so we don’t run into conflicts with the school concert schedules.

Families are invited to carol to our shut-ins on December 11th and our Chancel Choir will present their cantata during both worship services on December 18th.

Time seems to fly when it comes to November and December. It goes at such a frantic pace that we often forget God and His only begotten Son, the whole reason for the season. Without thankful hearts and voices offered unto our Maker, Thanksgiving is nothing more than another good, hearty American banquet. Without opening our hearts to the incarnate babe in a manger, Christmas is nothing more than a big, shopping spree and a gift swap. In the midst of the festivities, don’t forget to give God and Christ first place in your home, your heart and in the life of your church.

A Gift To Share

2011-08-03T09:13:00.000-05:00

Most members of First Congregational United Church of Christ treasure the relationships they build across the years within our church family. These relationships become especially treasured when one is facing a challenge in life. So often church members say something like this to me: “I don’t know how I could have gotten through this without my church and my faith.” Sometimes they are referring to a serious illness they or their spouse have experienced. Other times they are referring to the experience of losing a loved one from their family circle. Other times they are referring to a crisis that greatly impacted the routine of daily living. Most of us cannot imagine facing the ups and downs of life without the support of our church family and the presence of Jesus Christ in our hearts.

The Membership Committee’s “Each One Bring One Sunday” is all about sharing one of the greatest gifts that is yours to give to another person. That is a relationship with God through God’s Son and the gift of a church family to surround you as you experience the joys and sorrows of life. It doesn’t work very well to have the faith without a church or to have a church without the Christian faith. We need both in our lives! How blessed we each are to have a church home at First Congregational United Church of Christ.

It is time for each and every one of us to share that wonderful gift with others. Who do you know who is trying to get through life without both a strong faith and a caring church family? Perhaps it is an old friend. Perhaps it is a new neighbor. Perhaps it is a colleague at work or school. Maybe it is a family member. Maybe its someone who was active in a church for many years, but is not active now.

Please invite your friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers, or school friends to join you for worship at 8:30 AM or 10:30 AM on August 28. We will warmly welcome your guests and invite them to join us for ice cream sundaes in the Social Room following worship. The Membership Committee and I look forward to greeting your guests. Share the gift of participation in a loving church family—it is a gift that you are free to give! Your friends will thank you for years to come.

Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel

Notes From Nancy

2011-08-03T09:07:00.001-05:00

Just this past week I learned that over 400 Borders Bookstores, including the one in Dubuque, will be closing in the next couple of months. Borders is hands down my favorite store and one I frequent on a regular basis. Needless to say, I am heartbroken that my favorite destination, next to my own home and church, will no longer be in business.

Technology is a wonderful thing and I know that many of you own Nooks and Kindles on which you download books of your own choosing. But personally, I don’t connect well with a screen. I love the smell, the feel, the colors, the personality of real books. I often choose which book to read by its cover and by perusing its pages.

I love the way a bookstore is arranged into categories of literature and I enjoy going treasure hunting for just the right read, according to my taste and interest at any given time. Being surrounded by books is like being surrounded by history, the voices of the ages, by beauty or human suffering, by humor and adventure, by an entire world just waiting to be experienced. I sometimes think of books as old and new friends just waiting for me to take them home or to the beach or to bed.

I will miss those who worked in Borders who loved books as much as I do, who were avid readers and made recommendations to others, who always knew what you were talking about when you couldn’t remember the title of the book, but you could explain the plot. I will also miss the best mocha latte in Dubuque.

So, I worry. I worry that electronic books will make bookstores obsolete and one of the greatest pleasures in my life will no longer be a possibility. Maybe I am just getting old as a way of life as we know it gives way to the future. But for now I plan on stocking up on some good hard backs and soft covers, to bringing them home and stacking them on my bed stand in order of priority. Before Borders closes, I will do my part in rescuing some good buddies and I will mourn for the others. Meanwhile, I’m seriously considering starting a former Borders addict support group!

Notes from Nancy

2011-07-13T08:10:00.000-05:00

As I am writing this article, our church is preparing for another fun week of Vacation Bible School. This year’s theme “Son Harvest County Fair: Growing the Fruit of the Spirit” focuses on a typical farm and the family who is looking forward to competing at the local county fair. Each evening session couples a different fruit with a gift of the spirit like love or peace. We conducted this same V.B.S. seven years ago and it was a big hit.

Even though St. Luke’s is hosting this year’s event, we volunteered to make all of the scenery. Anyone coming by the church in the last couple of weeks has watched the Youth Room fill up with a chicken coop, a barn, a farmhouse, two stables, four animal heads, some corn and of course, a John Deere tractor. Max Tone, Mel Tone and I spent quite a few hours designing and painting the scenery.

Schwaegler’s donated some farm equipment, Glenda Miller supplied a few stuffed chickens, Nancy Ahlborn donated some flowers and fur and Dan Maresh provided a big picture of the John Deere tractor. Theisen’s loaned us a small windmill. Thanks to all.

Thirteen teachers and helpers from our church are doing everything from performing in the skits, to doing crafts, to leading hands on farm activities to shepherding different age groups of students. We will also be serving one of the suppers and providing the subs for another. Thanks to all who have provided supplies for the supper.

I, for one, am looking forward to a week down on the farm with our children and youth. We might even pick up a few tips on hog calling.

Farewell to Matt Masko

2011-07-13T08:08:00.001-05:00

Our congregation has been blessed by very fine organists across the past forty-five years. William Collings was a lawyer in Chicago at the Chicago Title Insurance Company and came home on weekends to play the organ in worship. He started as our church organist in January of 1966 and retired on October 31, 2004, when we all enjoyed cake with Bill in the Social Room. Since that time we have been blessed with the musical gifts of Kathy Mills, Marvin Havard, Matt Masko, Anita Wild, Gail Brecht and Matt Masko for one more year.

It is time to enjoy cake in the Social Room with Matt! We will thank him for his wonderful service to our church at both services on July 17 and enjoy cake and conversation together in the Social Room. Matt will be ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church at 6:00 PM on Thursday, July 14. The church is located at 123 East Market St. in Iowa City. After his final services for us on July 17 and a mission trip to Guyana, Matt will head north to be the pastor at Fordville Lutheran Parish in Fordville, North Dakota. His wife Meganne has been appointed as an Assistant Professor of Music Therapy at the University of North Dakota. His son, Max, is also ready for this new adventure. Please make sure you join us for the celebration on July 17.

Where do we go from here? We have hired Wartburg Seminary second year student Lily Spader to serve as our organist/pianist starting on August 21. Lily graduated with distinction from the University of Nebraska as a piano performance major. She has experience in serving as a church organist. We look forward to her service to our church across the coming school year. While we wait for Lily to return from her Clinical Pastoral Education experience in Portland, Maine, we will be blessed by the music of Anita Wild on July 24, 31, and August 14, and Nancy will play for the service on August 7.

Berghaus Organ Builders continue to restore each of our 2,400 pipes and they are currently building our new organ console at their factory near Chicago. Many thanks to Marty McNamer, Owen Leeser, and Bill Miller for their ongoing work on this project. Thank you for your generous gifts and generous pledges which are making this project possible. Additional gifts and pledges are still welcome!

Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel

Summer Transitions

2011-05-26T15:53:00.000-05:00

We are a church family that is constantly in transition. We have gladly welcomed home all our snow birds from Florida, Texas, and Arizona. Those who wintered in Dubuque are already heading off to places like Michigan, Colorado, and Russia for planned summer trips. Those who graduated during May are moving here and there as they begin a new phase in their lives. It doesn’t seem like we ever have everyone “home” at Tenth and Locust at the same time.

At worship on May 29, we will say farewell to Wade Pond. Wade has enjoyed working with our Youth and our CAFe guests across the past school year. Wade has one more year of seminary education at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary before heading out into the world as a Presbyterian minister. It was a joy to have Wade and his family journey with us during the past year. The Youth Board and I will be picking up the responsibilities for open Youth Room time and for Youth activities across the next year. Speak to Youth Board Chair Julia Jorgenson, Vice-Chair Madison Davis or me about activities you would like to see for our children and youth.

Our organist, Matt Masko, will complete his service to the church on July 17. Matt has provided inspirational music in worship for three of the last four years. He graduated from Wartburg Theological Seminary on May 15. Matt was expecting to receive a call in New York, but because his wife Meganne has taken a teaching position at the University of North Dakota, he will be seeking a call in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Dakota. His last day as our organist/pianist will be on July 17. Anita Wild will fill in for several weeks and then our new organist, Lily Spader, will start playing for us on August 21. Lily is also a student at Wartburg Theological Seminary. She was a piano performance major at the University of Nebraska and graduated with distinction. We look forward to Lily’s inspirational music in worship at both the piano and eventually on our newly renovated organ when the organ restoration project is complete late in September.

We will continue to worship at both 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM each week of the summer. This should meet the needs of early risers and those who like to rise later on Sundays. Please make worship with your church family a priority event in your life across the summer.

Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel

Notes from Nancy

2011-05-26T15:52:00.001-05:00

Ken and I just recently returned from the Festival of Homiletics which took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The festival is a celebration of preaching and teaching God’s Holy Word so we are in worship services and taking notes from 8:30 in the morning to 8:00 at night. Many of America’s finest preachers are always at the festival so we are privileged to hear a wide variety of approaches and witness a wide variety of styles of preaching. We also get to hear some fine musicians. This year, the lead guitarist for Jimmy Buffet and a great fiddler, as well as a world class saxophonist and vocalist provided gathering music. We also sang a wide range of music accompanied on a great pipe organ and by a black jazz pianist.

Also interesting were the churches in which we congregated. Central Lutheran was a large cathedral style church with stone pillars and a cross and puffy clouds suspended from the ceiling. Westminster Presbyterian was a church in the round with an exquisitely painted dome, dozens of beautiful stained glass windows, and a wide collection of artwork. Wesley Methodist hadn’t been used until recently when a new church start was launched there. The building smelled very old and was quite plain.

Every church has a personality all its own. Some are warm, some are cold, some are light filled and some darker, some are built in the shape of the cross, others in the round. Our church has a unique style all its own. The native walnut lends a warmth to the sanctuary and the colors give it a Victorian feel which is why it looks so beautiful at Christmas. When the organ’s facade pipes are given a fresh look, the front will look slightly different.

I love worshiping in different churches but I always feel “at home” in our Sanctuary. Many of you have expressed the same sentiment. But more importantly, God is in his holy temple. It is God’s presence we seek each time we enter a church. May you seek God often in the many varieties of houses of the Lord.

Organ Restoration

2011-05-26T15:50:00.001-05:00

Organ Task Force: Progress Report

We are excited to report on the progress being made on our project to refurbish our church’s historic and beautiful pipe organ. After many months of meetings, discussions, and deliberations, it’s great to see actual work being accomplished!

Staff from Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders arrived as scheduled on the Monday after Easter and spent four days dismantling half of our organ – 1,175 pipes and associated wind chests. To get to those pipes, they temporarily removed some of the facade pipes and had a “disassembly line” of men passing pipes down from the organ chamber to be packed in carefully organized wooden crates in preparation for loading in a truck to be taken to Bellwood, Illinois, for cleaning and repair. Check out Wayne Collins’s binder of photos documenting the work.

With half the chamber empty, Marty McNamer sent in a crew to insulate, dry-wall, and paint the chamber, and Owen Leeser has been in to install conduit for necessary electrical connections. Bill Miller has provided structural engineering services through his firm. Whew! And then the process will be repeated after Berghaus reinstalls the cleaned pipes and removes the remaining 1,157 pipes. Double whew!

At our last meeting, the Task Force approved the design for the new console. It will be beautiful: hand-crafted by Berghaus of walnut, with elements echoing some of the architectural features of our sanctuary. We will soon receive design ideas for the repainting and stenciling of the facade pipes; that promises to generate good discussion.

We are pleased that, because Berghaus is completing this project in phases, we will be able to continue using (half of) our organ for church services throughout most of the duration of the project.

Finally, we are also encouraged by the generosity of church members, former members, and friends, who have made gifts and pledges to this important capital campaign. Our total in gifts and pledges as of May 22 is $408,346.00. We have asked that all members return pledge forms by the end of May so that we can reach our goal of $475,000. That we have already made great progress is a testament to the generosity of our church community. Please consider making your gift or pledge soon to be a part of this important musical and historical undertaking.

Organ Restoration Happens Now

2011-04-12T08:43:00.000-05:00

At a special congregational meeting on March 27, those present voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Organ Task Force and the Trustees to sign a contract with the Berghaus Organ Builders to renovate, restore, and upgrade our church organ. In 1869, the W.A. Johnson Organ Building Company of Westfield, Massachusetts, installed our pipe organ at the front of our sanctuary. The organ was rebuilt by the Reuter Organ Company of Lawrence, Kansas, in 1952. At that time it was expanded from two manuals and 22 ranks of pipes to three manuals and 33 ranks of pipes. Now it is our turn to renovate and improve this priceless treasure for today and for many decades to come.

The Organ Task Force worked with an organ consultant in developing the specifications and then reviewed proposals from five highly recommended organ builders from Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Organ Task Force Chair, John Burgart, did a masterful job in assisting the task force in making decisions on the proposals. The Organ Task Force and the congregation are excited about the new solid state console, the sounding of the facade pipes, a new rank of 61 pipes, the repainting of the facade pipes, a new blower in a new location, new leathers for individual pipes and for the system, the installation of solid state shade motors, insulating the organ chambers, an essential upgrading of the electrical connections and much more. The cost of the restoration project will be $475,000.

Berghaus Organ Builders will begin this extensive project on the day after Easter, which is April 25. They plan to do the restoration in stages, which will allow us to use part of the organ through the end of July. We expect the total project to be completed by the end of September of 2011.

The support of all members of the church will be sought to underwrite the cost of restoration. An Organ Restoration Capital Campaign will be launched on April 17. We are blessed with a $100,000 challenge grant from the A.Y. McDonald Foundation. Also, we have received $198,518.05 so far from stock sales, special projects, the Memorial Fund, and gifts from church members. That means that we need to raise $176,490.95. You will be asked to pledge to this project. Some of you may prefer to give a large one time gift, and some of you may wish to spread your gift across 2011, 2012, and 2013. We will need to complete payment on the project by the end of September. Thank you for your generosity which will allow our pipe organ to inspire our worship for generations to come.

It is wonderful to experience the excitement that exists within the church family as we embark upon this project.

Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel

Notes From Nancy

2011-04-12T08:42:00.000-05:00

A number of you have asked about the opportunity to respond to the crisis in Japan. It will be many months until those who have lost everything will be able to rebuild homes, schools, stores, and industry. Shelter, blankets, food and clean up items are needed right now.

Actually your offerings to last year’s One Great Hour of Sharing have already made possible the first shipments of these items. O.G.H.S. funnels its monies through Church World Service, a large ecumenical organization that responds to disasters around the world. Church World Service has partner churches in almost every area of our world so that there are organizations already in place to respond peoples’ needs quickly.

On April 3rd, we will receive the 2011 One Great Hour of Sharing Offering. Because so much of that offering is being earmarked for Japan, the Board of Missions and Social concerns is asking everyone to be extra generous in giving to that offering this year. In fact we are calling the offering not just “One Great Hour of Sharing” but also the “Japan Disaster Response.”

Enclosed in this newsletter is an envelope you may use for this special offering. You may put the envelope in the offering on April 3rd, mail it in to the church office or give it anytime in worship during the month of April. This year’s O.G.H.S. theme is “Sharing Brings Joy—to Us, to Others, to God.”

As Spring arrives and the grass begins to green and the trees begin to bud, we are reminded of new life all around us. Our brothers and sisters in the northern part of Japan can see only death and destruction. Hopefully our generous gifts can bring a measure of joy to them as they experience the love and concern that others have for them. Please give generously to “One Great Hour of Sharing” and the “Japan Disaster Response” offering.

Pondy's Pondering

2011-04-12T08:41:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

‘Tis the Lenten season and we journey towards the cross. Living in this predominantly Catholic culture has brought to mind the fervent observance of Lent which is to “give up something.” Many Protestants utilize Lent as a time of spiritual practice to draw themselves closer to God through the process of “giving something up.” While the practice of dropping something that we crave is an appropriate way to engage in a Lenten practice, is giving up chocolate or coffee for Lent truly a spiritual practice? I don’t think that God would render us as being closer to the divine by consuming fewer calories, forgoing chocolate or limiting caffeine.

Rather, the time of Lent is an opportunity for you to add something to your spiritual practice that becomes a more permanent practice of your life in faith. Waking up twenty minutes earlier for prayer, adding a brief devotional or reading scripture each day would be suitable ways to bring you closer to God. God’s word declares that there is a time for everything – what time is it for all of us?

THE SEASON OF LENT - 2011

2011-03-02T14:42:00.001-06:00

The Christian Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls on March 9 in 2011. Ash Wednesday is as late as it can be because Easter is at it’s latest possible date which is April 24. The latest previous date for Easter in the past 40 years was April 23 in 2000. Ash Wednesday falls 40 days before Easter, not counting the Sundays. The term Lent comes from the Old English word lencten, which refers to the lengthening of the amount of light each day as Spring approaches. The Latin word for this season is Quadragesima, so you can see why it is easier to just call it Lent. As you probably have noticed across the years, the liturgical color for Lent is purple. The paraments at the front of the church and the banners in the stairwells are purple for this time of year.

Lent is a time to refocus our lives and to put the emphasis on our Christian faith. Christians do that through fasting, penance, giving generously (almsgiving), Bible reading, or by abstaining from particular foods. The most important goal of Lent is to prepare our hearts and minds for the events of Holy Week and especially Easter Sunday. Lent is a personal journey in which we get ready for Christ’s journey to the cross and for the joy of resurrection.

Lent is a time for Christians to push aside the distractions that the world provides. Some people give up chocolate, some people give up smoking, some people give up alcohol, while others give up meat on Friday or for all of Lent. Even better than giving up a food item or a vice, is to give up those things that distract you and keep you from worshiping and praising God each and every Sunday with your church family. Back when you joined the church you promised your faithful participation in worship and it is time to follow through on the promises you made before God and the congregation. The world has forgotten that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath, but that doesn’t mean that followers of Jesus Christ should forget as well. I encourage you to clear your calendar and attend worship every Sunday during Lent. Please make participation in the life of your church a priority during the Lenten Season.

Your servant in Christ,
Dr. Ken Bickel

Pondy's Pondering

2011-03-02T14:38:00.000-06:00

Is it Spring? As I am writing to you today on February 17th, the temperature outside is supposed to be 60 degrees. I have no delusions that this atmospheric irregularity will continue but it brings hope that a particular groundhog in Western Pennsylvania may have hit an accurate prediction for an early spring! In light of this anomaly, I realize that it is time to plan for items that may require some time outdoors! However, one of the dilemmas that we face as a faith community is realizing that we are not the only people that are looking for participation from our youth in spring activities. Spring sports practices have already begun and end of the year events such as concerts, plays, musicals and dance recitals always seem to find their way onto our calendars. It is fantastic that we live in a community where our children are able to display and grow in their God-given talents. Equally as important is to find the time for them to display and grow in their faith. Living in our faith requires regular practice also! We teach our kids to run track, practice their Arabesque or to rehearse their lines. If we do not continue to maintain these methods of practice our skills tend to erode. Our Christian beliefs are something that can be in practice year-round so that these skills may never get rusty. Spring is around the corner, let’s start flexing our spiritual muscles!

Love Is A Verb

2011-02-01T11:51:00.000-06:00

When the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth he describes love in this manner: “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Christians are those people who know the love of Christ so fully within their hearts that they are always doing loving things, acting out the love of Christ within their families, within their church families, and within the various wider communities in which they participate. As we arrive at February, this month when we speak often about St. Valentine and romantic love, it is a good time to assess the nature of our loving others. Are we putting the love of Christ that we know in our hearts into action each day?

It is one thing to believe in a loving God who sends love to us in the person of Jesus Christ. It is another to have that love change the way we live our lives on a daily basis. As human beings we are not compelled to love others. We can intellectually know about Jesus’ love and still be mean spirited within our hearts. For Christians, love is meant to be a verb! During February, I hope we can all decide to love as fully as God has loved us.

I’ve started to work with couples on weddings for this coming summer and Fall. Marriage is based on a commitment made and acted on each day. Marriage is not just about saying “I love you today,” it is also about choosing to love the other from that day forward.

May the love of Christ be such an important life-altering part of your life, that love is what you do to others. You don’t have to like everything about everyone you meet. You don’t have to agree with everyone you meet. But knowing Christ’s love for us makes us seek to put in practice Christ’s command to us in Matthew 19:19: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Let’s make February a month for love in our marriages, in our families, in our church, and in our community. Love is a verb—it is what we do unto others.

Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Dr. Ken Bickel

Notes From Nancy

2011-02-01T11:49:00.001-06:00

As many of you know, I am an avid reader. My favorite hang-out in Dubuque is Borders because I just love physically being around books. I keep track of what is on the Bestselling lists of both fiction and non-fiction and I read all the book reviews I come across in the newspaper. I listen to National Public Radio’s interviews with authors to find out what books are garnering a lot of attention.

As a pastor, I think it is very important to keep abreast of what our society, as well as our church members, are reading. When some of you read a great page-turner, you often recommend it to me. Many of you have also read things I have recommended, so here is my latest list of good books:

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. All three continue to be on the bestsellers list. Why? Because brilliant, brooding Lizbeth Salander and editor/detective Mikael Blomqvist are fascinating character studies and the plots are typically dark and dense like an Ingmar Bergman movie. Yes, the books are violent but not for gratuitous sake and those of you have read them attest that they are difficult to put down.

The Devil in the White City – if you love Chicago, history and murder, it’s all here in this non-fiction account of the intense planning and building of the 1893 World’s Fair which featured the White City and the serial killings that began at the same time just blocks away from the fair. You will really get a feel (both optimistic and dismal) for what it was like in the windy city at the turn of the century.

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice – if you love Sherlock Holmes, you will love this book! It introduces a young orphan Mary Russell who becomes the retired Holmes’ equal in intelligence, apprentice and assistant. It is the first in a series of eight books and I can’t wait to read the next one. Author Laurie King stays true to A. Conan Doyle’s tradition. “Elementary, not.”

Pondy's Pondering

2011-02-01T11:47:00.001-06:00

When I first started serving this church, there was a name which I wished to adopt as a name for the youth group en masse: Mosaics. Some of the defining characteristics of Mosaics are:

1. Diversity
2. Colorful
3. Constructed of small parts
4. Part of a bigger picture
The youth of our church construct a mosaic all of their own. Each of them is an individual part of a larger image of Christ’s church. Their interests, their personalities and their gifts provide variety to this mosaic image. God is indeed an artist with an imagination far more broad and capable than anything that our merely human minds can conjure.

The Youth Board would also like to announce that we are sponsoring the Souper Bowl of Caring on Super Bowl Sunday February 6th. Please bring canned goods and monetary donations for the Dubuque Food Pantry!!!! Our goal is to reach a monetary donation of $1500 and 200 canned or boxed goods. Don’t forget to wear your team jersey!

The Souper Bowl of Caring was started by one youth group over twenty years ago with a simple prayer:

“Lord, as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us to be mindful of those without even a bowl of soup to eat.”

What a profound impact youth are capable of having on the world!

The Work of Christmas Begins

2011-01-17T12:51:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all the beautiful Christmas cards and family picture cards that you sent to Nancy and me during the Christmas Season. They inspired our celebration of Christmas. The card we received from the Rev. Dr. Jeff Bullock, the President of the University of Dubuque, and his family 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 the 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 among all people,

To make music in the hearts.

Together, as members of First Congregational United Church of Christ, let us continue the work to which the miracle of Christ’s coming calls each of us. And let us find a new joy in our hearts and a new lilt in our step because Christ has come. 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

2011-01-17T12:49:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it is easy to forget that in the midst of the joy of the Christmas season, life goes on as usual. So does death. In truth, many senior citizens pass away during the month of December. Some cling to life until family can come home for the holidays and good-byes can be said. Some don’t make it until the holiday.

During December, Ken and I conducted the funeral services for Laura Frey and for Delores Koch. Laura was not a church member but attended first service every week with her daughter Elsie Lightcap. When Elsie passed away in 2008, Laura moved in with her granddaughter Doris who lives in Albuquerque. She missed her church family at First Congregational UCC, particularly the Yunts, of whom they were very fond, as well as their pastors.

Delores was a longtime member of the church. Her husband Merle died in 2006 during a sight-seeing trip to New York City. while they were celebrating their 55th Wedding Anniversary. Delores’s health had been deteriorating in recent days, although she was thrilled to have moved in with her granddaughter Heather and family. She was under hospice care in her final days.

Of course, both the Frey and Koch families mourn the passing of Laura and Delores. But as we celebrated their lives, particularly that of Delores in the beauty of a Sanctuary bedecked for Christmas, I thought how wonderful it is to move beyond the passage of death and joyously proclaim the reality of Christmas, that Christ came to make new life a possibility for us all. As we sang “O, Come All Ye Faithful”, I thought how marvelous it is to honor the faith of those who loved their Lord and their church.

Both of these women were surrounded by family in their final hours and at the services of thanksgiving for their lives. In many ways, Advent and Christmas, the time of waiting for and welcoming a Savior, are vivid reminders to us that death has no dominion over us. The birth of a baby in Bethlehem is also a reminder to us that as one generation passes away, another is born.

P.S. As I put the finishing touches on these notes, we received word that Mary Beth Schumacher had passed away. Mary Beth, who had heart surgery last year with numerous complications, put up an incredible battle and rallied again and again. But the last few weeks the challenges were just too great and she entered God’s kingdom on December 22nd. Mary Beth did not get to enjoy the long life Laura and Delores did. But she too was buoyed up and supported by her loving family. Her faith was strong and she loved her church family. For her the suffering is over but our hearts go out to Dan, her three children and her grandchildren Hope and Alex. We will celebrate her life within the beauty of our Sanctuary.

Pondy's Ponderings

2011-01-17T12:45:00.001-06:00

Snow has this landscape-changing quality to it that is unlike any weather event conjured by nature. As I look outside, I realize that snow’s impact can be seen (and often felt) anywhere. Snow often compels us to prioritize our needs, assess the state of our cupboards and plan for potential shut-downs. That is what is upon us for 2011!!!! Having spent this fall and winter with our youth, I am now looking at our youth with the same “whiteness” as the freshly fallen snow. Clean, untouched and unbroken, what are the items that have propelled the activities of the youth during the end of the year? Here is a brief list:

1) Lock-Ins – This all night event was a smash and we look forward to planning another (or maybe two) for the Spring.
2) Wednesday night youth group – A chance to hang out, do homework, rehearse and socialize.
3) Mountain Dew – Without this item, the first two lack a certain “buzz.”
4) Jack’s Mexican Style Pizza – There has been a particular interest among the youth concerning this particular frozen delight. Maybe this could inspire “Jack’s Mexican Style Pizza Nights” in your own home.
5) Twister – Yep, this is the same game that makes us groan when we look at some of the contortionist capabilities of our teenagers.
6) Apples-to-Apples – If you have to ask….ask a youth!
7) Ping-Pong – A personal favorite of mine, many youth have taken to the table topping, ball whacking, laughter inducing nature of the game!

I look forward to a new year, with new ideas and great faith, food and fun in the Mosaic Room!!!

Youth Director

2010-12-10T15:41:00.003-06:00

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)
The holiday season is upon us. There are family events and gatherings, feasts to prepare and consume, decorations to sort and display and shopping to be done. This time of the year is a time we begin to celebrate what we are thankful for, we praise the birth of our savior and we flip the calendar to another year. There are a ton of major events going on that promise to bring us great joy and pleasure. As I look at the scripture passage above, I am reminded that such joy and praise is meant to be a daily occurrence. The joy of waking up in a warm bed, with food on our table and friends with which to converse are all items that are worthy of praise.
During the month of November, I was overjoyed to spend time with a broad portion of our youth. The chance to worship with them, especially hearing the various choirs, is always a wonderful gift. Whether it was watching a movie (with pizza), going bowling or the never-ending excitement of a lock-in, the life and vitality of the youth was ever-present with me. So I beg to ask the question, where do the youth find their joy? What is it that they are thankful for? While I can only express on this paper what has been shared with me, I invite you to ask the same question. Our youth are articulate, talented and personable people. At times, I sometimes say to myself “Wow!” concerning certain topics of discussion.
I am thankful and rejoice in the opportunities that I have with the youth. We often look at the youth as “kids”. However, these “kids” are but one portion of something much larger. They are part of a family. So I get the opportunity to sit and talk with parents. It is not uncommon for our youth to have other siblings as well. Brothers and sisters find their way into the Mosaic Youth Room as well and I relish seeing their eyes light up at the hustle and bustle of activity that happens on Wednesday nights. If that weren’t enough, these families are part of the body of Christ.
I am thankful for God’s gift of community and for youth. I am thankful for their bursts of energy and their boisterous laughter. I am thankful for their unique trains of thought and for their determined efforts thrust at their quests. I am especially thankful for the loving and caring and engaging people of First Congregational UCC that continue to nurture these young people in their faith as they teach us new ways to understand our own faith.

Wade Pond

Youth Director

2010-10-28T15:53:00.001-05:00

Pondy’s Ponderings

Grace and peace to all of you! Life in our society is a never-ending blur which saps our energies, increases our already elevated blood pressures and stress levels and threatens to take over our already full calendars.

Consider the fact that our youth are inextricably mired in this maze as well! Their schedules are marked by school, dance, music, sports, theater, scouts, housework, homework and church! Trying to discover a solution to this maze is near impossible. However, every Wednesday night, the voices of youth fill the lower levels at Tenth and Locust. The voices are sometimes singing, laughing, cheering, talking or even discussing (gasp!) homework. What I find in these Wednesday nights is a tangible existence of Christ in their lives as all are welcomed by others. There is an undeniable reality that these young people enjoy being with each other!!!!!!

How rare is this commodity that when one walks in the door they are welcomed by others in the room? Feel free to join us in the Mosaic Room some Wednesday night to see how our youth are taking this time in Christian fellowship and molding it to their own life experiences. Recognize that they accomplish this task in the midst of lives which often seem like the maze below. Please try, if you dare! Amen. Wade Pond

Pondy's Ponderings

2010-10-09T09:06:00.003-05:00

(A note or two from the youth director)

I wish to say thank you to all the members of First Congregational UCC for the extravagant welcome and hospitality that has been given to myself and my family. It is a blessing that God has given us this chance to walk together. This type of hospitality is a display of one of the key components of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus states in Matthew chapter 25:

³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'
³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?
³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?
³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?'
⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

I refer to this scripture not to illustrate that I was a hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and imprisoned stranger. Rather your warm greeting is a reflection of one of the missions of First Congregation UCC which is to serve everyone in this fashion. From the giving of gift cards to people that walk in from the street, to the service brought to the hungry at CAFe on Thursday nights, First Congregation UCC continues Christ's ministry to those in need in the Dubuque area. I have found my experiences during CAFe a profound opportunity to share Christ's love with these people. This commitment to the needy of Dubuque emboldens me to present First Church with a challenge.

I want to quadruple the number of CROP Walk participants for this year's walk. On October 3rd, millions of people will be walking as a way of raising funds to help defeat hunger and poverty. CROP is an acronym for (C)ommunities (R)esponding to (O)vercome (P)overty. It is staggering to think what just a few dollars can do for those that have the greatest need. I want and need for you to understand that while Church World Services (the organization that is the parent of the CROP walk) supplies items to many people abroad, the CROP walk gives some of the funds that are collected to local mission-oriented organizations right here in Dubuque. The Dubuque Food Pantry and the Rescue Mission both benefit from the generosity of donors and the energy of the walkers.

We need walkers and givers. We need walkers to reach out beyond the walls of 10th and Locust and we need generous people to give to the CROP walk. If you are ready to walk, see Wade. If you are prepared to give see Wade.

God's peace and grace be with you all!
Wade Pond

From the Youth Director

2010-09-03T09:38:00.002-05:00

Blessings and Peace!

My name is Wade Pond and I am delighted to be able to grow and learn with the worshipping family of FCUCC for the upcoming academic year. My family, which consists of my wife Jessica and our three children Juliann 13, Kevin 12 and Korey 6, hails from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Our family enjoys music and singing and you may see several of our family members participating in the music ministry of FCUCC.

I am an alumnus of Elizabethtown College with a degree in Religious Studies and a focus on pre-ministry. A portion of my ministerial background includes having served as a Youth Advisor/Sunday School teacher/Youth Committee for over ten years at my home congregation in Lancaster as well as during my first Supervised Practice of Ministry position at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dubuque. I am entering my third year of seminary education at UD where I currently serve as coordinator for the seminary food pantry and Vice-Moderator of the student body.

I am a jovial fellow and I have many interests/hobbies which include sports (both participating and being a fan), studying theology in film and trivia. (I dare anyone to challenge me to a game of table tennis!)

I am truly looking forward to the unique experience of CAFe as well as meeting and working with the youth of FCUCC. I anticipate a wonderful year as we walk this part of our Christian journey together in relationship with Christ and each other.

Wade Pond

Our Pastors

2005-08-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

The Rev. Dr. Kenneth R. Bickel has been the Senior Minister at First Congregational United Church of Christ since March 1, 1990. Ken grew up in the eastern Pennsylvania town of Lehighton. He graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 1974 and Princeton Theological Seminary in 1977. Ken also did course work and student taught in Social Studies to earn a teaching certificate from Princeton University. He was ordained into the Christian ministry on July 10, 1977 and served the churches of the Blue Ridge Charge of the UCC from 1977 to 1990. Writing a dissertation on evangelism in mainline congregations, Ken earned the Doctor of Ministry Degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary in 1993. He married Nancy (Nelson) Bickel on August 16, 1975, and along with Nancy he is the parent of Jennie and Julia.

The Rev. Nancy Bickel became the Director of Church Life at First Congregational UCC on March 1, 1990, and then became the Minister of Church Life upon her ordination on May 14, 1995. Nancy grew up in the Northern New Jersey community of Stanhope. She graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 1975 and then taught English at Manalapan High School for two years. Nancy directed four choirs at Emmanuel UCC in Dorrance, Pennsylvania from 1977 to 1990. On May 13, 1995, she graduated from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. Her primary focus on music, Christian Education, and mission outreach has continued from the early 90's into her years beyond ordination. Nancy served on the Board for World Ministries of the United Church of Christ from 1980 to 1994.

Contact information

2005-08-24T14:00:00.005-05:00

Office Hours: 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Monday to Thursday
Office Phone: (563) 582-3648

255 West 10th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
MapQuest map
Google map

Senior Minister
Rev. Dr. Kenneth R. Bickel
(563) 582-3648
krbickel@mwci.net

Minister of Church Life
Rev. Nancy Bickel
(563) 582-3648
nnbickel@mwci.net

Youth Board Chairperson
Julia Jorgenson
joshnjulia74@msn.com

Office Manager
Lana Taylor
(563) 582-3648
ljtaylor@mwci.net

God gives you a second chance

2005-08-24T13:43:00.001-05:00

Why not give God one?

No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you'll find a home here.

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Our doors open EXTRA WIDE

2005-08-24T13:43:00.000-05:00

After all, Jesus was a carpenter.

No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you'll find a home here.

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Find your church

2005-08-24T13:40:00.000-05:00

Find yourself.

No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you'll find a home here.

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If Jesus embraced lepers, prostitutes & convicts...

2005-08-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

... shouldn't we?

Imagine. A faith based on acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness. We have thousands of congregations, each with its own personality. So no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you'll always find a home here.

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We care more about...

2005-08-24T13:37:00.000-05:00

... rights than rites.

The United Church of Christ is about tolerance, justice, and exploration. Not dogma and rules. So no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you'll find a spiritual home here.

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We don't sing...

2005-08-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

... "Come some of ye faithful."

We invite "all." The United Church of Christ has thousands of congregations, each with its own style and traditions. So no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you'll find a home here.

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Our faith is over 2000 years old

2005-08-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

Our thinking is not.

It's time for religion with relevance. The United Church of Christ. We're about justice, understanding and exploration. Not dogma and rules. So no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you'll find a home here.

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If you think getting up Sunday morning is hard...

2005-08-24T13:28:00.000-05:00

... try RISING from the DEAD.

Religion that makes you rethink religion. That's the United Church of Christ. Less dogmatic and judgmental. More open-minded and affirming. So no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you'll find a home here.

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Open and Welcoming

2005-08-24T13:24:00.000-05:00

At the Annual Meeting of our church on February 6, 2005, we voted to add the phrase "to be open and welcoming to all people" to the stated purpose of First Congregational UCC.

Our church has always been a place of welcome. This change reminds all of us that we desire to be a congregation that offers extravagant welcome to all.

Our Facilities

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Beautiful stained glass windows grace the sanctuary, including one Tiffany window which features an angel. The sanctuary is air-conditioned in the summer, and it is handicap accessible. In 1972, a large three-floor education wing was added next to the church to house the church office, both of our pastors' offices, meeting rooms, and large classrooms. The church rents a house on Locust Street for our three youth groups and the office of Youth Director. A parking lot at Eleventh and Locust Streets provides parking for worship and activities.

Our History

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First Congregational United Church of Christ began ministering to the needs of the people of Dubuque on May 12, 1839. Our warm and historic sanctuary was built in 1860. When Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, the members of the congregation rang the church bell through the night to celebrate the advent of peace in these United States. The exuberant celebration resulted in the bell cracking! In 1869, the congregation purchased a Johnson organ from Westfield, Massachusetts. When the organ was brought across the frozen Mississippi on sleds and set in place, it was declared to be the largest and best organ west of the Mississippi. The sanctuary was revitalized and the wood work was restored to its natural beauty in 1989.

Our Mission

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"By our acceptance of Jesus Christ, we are called to minister with love, to all people, in an everchanging society and world, through worship, fellowship, service, and daily living."

Our Services

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Worship is held in our sanctuary at Tenth and Locust Streets at 8:30 A.M. and 10:30 A.M. every Sunday of the year. Special services are held on Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and Maundy Thursday.

Worship is the centerpiece of the life of the church. It is in worship that we praise God, experience fellowship, and prepare ourselves for Christian service. The music of our seven choirs inspires our worship and praise of God. We are led in worship by the Rev. Dr. Kenneth R. Bickel and Rev. Nancy Bickel, as our ordained ministers share the word of God through the sermon on alternating weeks. A Children's Sermon is shared with the children of the church each Sunday morning. A Nursery is provided at both services for children five and under.