Contributors

Joanna D'Agostino | Sermon Reflections

Joanna D'Agostino grew up in Berea, Ohio, where she heard her call to ministry at the age of 18.  She received her Master of Divinity degree from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO, and began serving as the pastor of First Congo in Ripon soon after.  She and her husband, Maic, have a daughter, Evelyn, and a dog, Nos.  Besides her work as a minister, preacher, and mother, Joanna is an active community member, a knitter, a writer, a blogger, a crafter, a coffee drinker, and a booklover. 

Maic D'Agostino | Graphic Design

Maic D'Agostino was raised in Oberlin, Ohio, a college town very similar to Ripon. He met Joanna (see above) while they were studying Creative Writing at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio and has followed her to St. Louis and now Wisconsin. He is a stay-at-home dad to their daughter, Evelyn, and is a dabbler in poetry, cartooning, and ukulele-ing.

Norm & Sue Loomer | Faith & Family

Sue Loomer was born in Madison, WI and was brought up in the Methodist Church. She went to Ripon College for two years and then transferred to UW-Madison, where she met Norm. In 1968 they were married in Madison, where she started her elementary teaching career. A few years later they moved to Ripon and joined the First Congregational Church. After taking 18 years off to be a mom, she taught fifth grade in Berlin for 17 years. Now retired, Sue is busy with church, tennis, being a Hospice volunteer, and women's groups.

Norm Loomer was born in Canada but has spent almost all of his life in Wisconsin. His religious journey has taken him to Seventh Day Baptist and Methodist churches, but he has been at home in the United Church of Christ for over 40 years. He was a professor of mathematics for 36 years, mostly at Ripon College. In retirement he continues playing tennis and is active in the church and a service club. He and Sue both do volunteer work at the Ripon Historical Society and enjoy traveling.

Norm and Sue have two adult sons, David and Jon, who grew up in the Ripon Congregational Church. Jon and his wife Lisa have given them three fantastic grandsons.

Andrea Lyke | Message from Afar  

Andrea Lyke is a sophomore at UW-Madison interested in Biology and Spanish. She has been a lifelong member of First Congregational Church of Ripon and is delving further into her Christian faith in college. This past semester she began attending "Pres House," a Presbyterian church for students. Becoming part of a new church family has been an exciting next step of her faith journey, and she looks forward to sharing her experiences with everyone in the coming months.

Allie Scott | Christian Education

Allie Scott is an east-coast girl (from Boston, but also Albany, NY and Trenton, NJ) who recently moved to Ripon and is still adjusting to how nice people are in the Midwest. She earned her Masters of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology, and is currently in the ordination process for the United Methodist Church. She is serving First Congo as the Interim Director of Christian Education and is passionate about finding ways that the universal Church can better serve future generations. Allie also works at a local senior living community, where she has the privilege of caring for and entertaining a wonderful group of people. When she and her husband aren't off on adventures or contemplating saving the world, you'll often find her playing with food, fabric, or her fiddle.

Stephanie Prellwitz | Current Events & Social Justice

Stephanie Prellwitz hails from the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. After learning about mountaintop removal and volunteering for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, she was inspired to study all things environmental and earned her B.S. and M.S. in Biological Systems Engineering. In the process, she trekked northward to the Midwest and has taken a particular interest in researching LGBT issues for First Congo's Open and Affirming process. When she isn't hustling berries with her husband and dog (see left) at their family's produce farm, she enjoys crafting and gardening.