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First Congregational

United Church of Christ

... exploring the frontiers of faith in Jesus

Welcome, Kartika!

Kartika PutriWe are glad to welcome Kartika Putri to our church and to our organ bench! Kartika will serve as interim organist this summer until the beginning of our new organist’s tenure in August.

Kartika graduated this spring from Wartburg College with a double degree: BA in church music, and BM in organ performance. She will be beginning a masters program in sacred music and organ this fall at Indiana University.

Several of us attended her senior recital in the Wartburg Chapel. It was marvelous! She played a variety of beautiful and challenging works from different musical eras, including one piece of her own composition!

Kartika currently resides in Waverly, but her home is in Indonesia. Her brother is here with her in the States, also studying at Wartburg.

Kartika says: “Music is an important part of the church because it allows us to communicate with God and God with us, and it allows us to communicate with each other.”


Music is a fair and glorious gift of God

At First Congregational United Church of Christ, WE LIKE MUSIC!

Musical notes

We like classical music ... we like contemporary Christian music.
We like traditional hymns ... we like praise songs.
We like organ ... we like guitar and drums.
We like majestic anthems ... we like soulful spirituals.
We like music that sings ... we like music that swings.
We like violins and flutes and oboes and trumpets and bongos and castanettes and bells and chimes ...

We like music, good music, all kinds of good music ... and we include a variety of music in each worship service. The object is praise, but praise speaks many languages, and we do not want to limit ourselves to one language!

We have intentionally chosen not to offer different worship services with different styles -- traditional, contemporary, Gen X, etc. -- because we believe the family of God (the whole family of God!) belongs together. We need to listen to each other and learn from each other and serve each others' needs, not just our own.

Get to Know Our Section Leaders!

Eric Eichelberger Eric Eichelberger, our new bass section leader, is a sophomore at UNI majoring in vocal performance. He is shining early as he has been given major roles in opera scenes. He is also a member of the George Walker Society and traveled with Celeste Bembry and our soprano section leader, Esther Lavrenz, to Costa Rica this past summer. He has also appeared in musical theatre, most recently in "Damn Yankees" with John Mardis. Welcome Eric!!!

Natalie Takes Natalie Takes joins us as our new soprano section leader. She is a freshman at UNI studying under Dr. Jean McDonald and is majoring in vocal performance. She is a member of both the UNI Opera Ensemble and UNI Singers. This is one of the first professional settings outside the university that she has been able to practice her skill, and we are very glad to have her!

Jessica LiebJessica Lieb is our new alto section leader. She is a senior at UNI majoring in music education. Jessica is an honor student and excels both in voice and choral conducting. She is also an excellent pianist. Please welcome Jessica - she’s going to be a wonderful addition to our choir!

Dom Wooten For the past two years, we have had the privilege of having Dom Wooten among us. Last year he joined our choir as tenor section leader and the year before that, he sang several solos for us. We have all been inspired and blessed by his amazing voice as he communicates to us in music so powerfully! Some of you were able to attend the recital he did this summer - "A Night of Sacred Music." Dom is from Cape May, NJ, and is in his third year as a vocal performance major at UNI. We are blessed to have such wonderful section leaders!!