Lake Edge United Church of Christ

The Pastors

Rev. Lisa Schoenwetter (Interim Senior Pastor) I am delighted to join the staff at Lake Edge UCC. I was born, raised, and went to college in Madison, but moved away 26 years ago to attend Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts. I stayed in Massachusetts following graduation to serve three churches as a settled pastor. My time at Lake Edge is my first position as an interim pastor and I’m relishing the opportunity to serve in this capacity for such an exciting congregation! On a personal note, I returned to Madison following the end of my last settled pastorate and my divorce from my partner of 25 years. My two pug dogs and I live with my parents in Fitchburg. This has turned out to be a very felicitous arrangement, so I have no plans to move anytime soon. I am thrilled to be back in Madison and am especially excited to work with the Lake Edge community. Email Lisa here. Office hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Rev. Deborah Dean-Ware (Pastor of Worship and Faith Formation) Blessings to you! I am Deborah Dean-Ware and I serve Lake Edge as Pastor of Worship and Faith Formation. I came onto staff in August 2007 and my primary responsibilities are worship planning with Lisa and church musicians, worship leadership (including preaching 12 times a year), teaching Confirmation, and staff and leadership development for Lake Edge’s ministry with children, youth and families. This is my second pastorate, having served Orchard Ridge UCC on Madison’s westside for 6 ½ years as Associate Pastor. My husband, Robert, is a registered nurse at the UW hospital and we have one young son, Josiah. It is a pleasure to serve our God in this capacity and to work with such an energetic congregation. Email Deborah here. Office hours: Wednesday & Thursday, 8:15 am – 1:00 pm.

Program Staff

Peggy Bezruki (Parish Nurse) Peggy has served our faith community for 16 hours/week since November of 2003. She also serves as Parish Nurse for Midvale Community Lutheran Church (both churches contract for her services through Oakwood Village). She completed the Parish Nurse Preparation Course at Marquette in 2001 and has been an RN, with ANCC certification in gerontology, since 1977. Before practicing the ministry of Parish Nursing, she worked in hospitals and long term care facilities as a floor nurse and in administrative positions. She also attended our United Church of Christ Lay Academy for two years. Peggy is the mother of two daughters and has four grandchildren. She currently lives in Verona with her husband, Don, their youngest daughter, Anna, and the family pets. Email Peggy or visit her web page. Office hours: Wednesday & Friday

Ursulla Schiller (Director of Children and Youth Ministries) Hello! I grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago and moved to Madison, Wisconsin, in 2002, a few years after finishing my BA in Communications from Northern Illinois University. Growing up in a warm, multi-cultural church, I remained very involved in my faith throughout college. Every spring break during college, I traveled with campus churches to some of the most impoverished parts of our country to do service work. After college, I embarked on a full career in conference, meeting, and project management here in Madison on local, national, and international projects. I also worked for over three years in children’s ministry at Bethany United Methodist Church here in Madison from 2005 to 2008. I am excited to return to children’s ministry here at Lake Edge, applying both my experience and passion for my faith to my work. Email Ursulla here. Office hours: Tuesday 1 - 3:00 p.m. & Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m

Music Staff                      Music Programs

Ben Luedcke (Director of Music) has a Bachelor of Music from UW Madison and teaches voice. In addition to conducting the choir and leading the praise band here at Lake Edge, Ben is a worship leader singing and playing guitar at The Crossing on the UW campus. Ben conducts UW Men's Choir, an auditioned honors choir open to students and community members. Men's Choir does a joint concert with Half and Half, a male quartet Ben sings baritone in and directs. Ben is the artistic director of the Choral Arts Society Chorale, a 32 mixed voice auditioned community ensemble. Ben sings in and directs a mixed voice Early Music Quintet that opens for Choral Arts at their biannual concerts. Ben is the conductor of Madison Summer Choir, a mixed 80 voice auditioned choir open to students and community members that performs a cappella and orchestral works. Email Ben here.

Marques Bovre (Artist-in-Residence) Marques has a following of his own right as a songwriter and performer in Madison and beyond. He began singing for and with us at Lake Edge in 2007 while playing guitar and mandolin. He currently works with the 11am service most Sundays. Visit Marques’ homepage here or here.

Kathy Hoch (Organist) Kathy has served as our Organist since 1985. With three advanced degrees in music education and organ performance from the UW-Stevens Point, she accompanies all our choirs and plays each Sunday. Married to Al Strohschein, Kathy teaches music at the Unified Catholic Parish Schools of Beaver Dam and plays in a wide variety of community choirs and performances.

Kerstin Smith (Children's Music Coordinator) Kerstin joined our musical staff in mid 2007 as director of the children’s music programs. Kerstin and her husband, Kevin, have a young daughter and son. E-mail Kerstin here.

Jeanne Warzyn (Adult Handbell Choir Director) Jeanne has a Masters degree in Organ Performance, which served her well for many years as Lake Edge’s organist. Now focusing on the handbells, she arranges and conducts a variety of sacred music pieces, mixing her choir’s use of a full four and half octave range of traditional handbells with three octaves of more mellow-sounding choir chimes. Jeanne and husband Willard have been members of Lake Edge from its beginning. E-mail Jeanne here.

Support Staff

Rozan Anderson (Administrator) Rozan joined the Lake Edge staff in March, 2008. She has a degree in economics from Brown University and served previously as the executive director of Temple Beth El in Madison. Rozan and her husband, Brian, live in Middleton and have two grown daughters. Email Rozan here. Office hours: Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Sarah Cleveland (Bookkeeper) Sarah has been our bookkeeper since December, 2007. She has degrees in business administration and business education, with a minor in computer science, from York College in Nebraska. Sarah and her husband, Matt, have four young daughters. Email Sarah here. Office hours: Tuesday

Tim Campbell (Custodian) Tim joined us in September 2008, after a long career in HVAC installation. Tim also has carpentry and electrical skills among his many talents. He is on duty Monday-Friday 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.