Church Staff

Peggy Swalm, Choir Director

Peggy earned her BA in Music at Luther College, where she studied conducting under Weston Noble. She sang in Collegium Musicum (Renaissance ensemble), Madrigals Singers, and Oratorio Chorus.

 

Peggy has conducted church choirs for 18 years, at Washington Prairie Lutheran Church, Decorah, IA  and in Minnesota at the First Methodist Church, Red Wing, Chapel Hills United Church of Christ, Edina and Bethany Covenant Church, Richfield. She has been leading the Lynnhurst UCC Church Choir since 2000.

 

Currently teaching private piano and voice in southwest Minneapolis, Peggy also taught music in public schools in the Twin Cities metro area. Peggy’s other interests include tennis, biking, cross-country skiing, gardening, piano playing and ensemble singing

 

Jay Bruns, Organist Jay Bruns recently began his second term as organist at Lynnhurst UCC Church. His first term spanned 10 years from 1979-1989 and saw several important changes in music at Lynnhurst. It was during that time period that the current organ was installed and dedicated and will soon mark its 30th year of service and when the choir grew from a handful of regulars to near its current size.

Having played on and off for church services since the 7th grade, when he bugged his home church organist to show him how to turn the organ on, he went on to study organ and choral conducting at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, and has recently filled in as supply organist at several south Minneapolis churches.

Jay was Creative Director of Photography at the former Dayton’s Department Stores and since 1989 has worked as an Independent Production Designer and has designed a multitude of sets appearing in ads, editorials and TV commercials for many local and national home furnishings manufacturers and retailers.

A favorite gathering place for friends, Jay’s garden in south Minneapolis has been featured in several magazines and continues to be a source of wonder to his cat, Amelia.

 

Allison Raney, Youth Choir Director

Allison has been  involved with music since she was a child. She developed a love for music while singing around campfires and performing with her parents in musical theater. Since her first theatrical show at age 10, Allison has been involved with the theater in many capacities, including actor, dancer, choreographer, assistant director and producer. She has been performing as a singer around the Twin Cities with various groups throughout the past decade.  Currently, Allison performs regularly in the jazz group, The Apple Cellar Trio.

 

Allison has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Augsburg College and currently teaches private and group music lessons year-round and music/acting workshops during the summer. She is also a proud soccer mom of a freshman at South High School. Allison and her husband, daughter and stepdaughter live in South Minneapolis. When she is not working she loves to read, go to the cabin and enjoy time with her family.

Ashley Anderson, Youth Director
Ashley Anderson is currently in studies at Luther Seminary in the Master of Divinity program. Prior to moving to the Twin Cities, Ashley lived in Washington State working in outdoor ministry at a camp north of Seattle and spending time at Holden Village, a remote retreat center in the northern Cascade Mountains. She moved to Washington after graduation from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, where she majored in Religion, Gender Studies and Psychology. Ashley has spent several years working in youth and outdoor ministry. She is excited to share her passion about youth ministry to the community at Lynnhurst.

 Jo Wold, Office Manager

Jo Wold is a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a friend.  She worked at HGA for 22 years as Manager of Office and Facility Services.  Jo was born and raised in North Minneapolis, graduated from Macalester College and loves to travel around the country and abroad.  She got her degree in Studio Arts and hopes to find the time now to go back to painting in oils and acrylics.  She would also like to return to sculpture and has promised her family to wear Kevlar gloves at all times.

You may reach Jo at the Lynnhurst Church office between
the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Tuesday through Friday at (612) 827-6157 or by email at church.office@lynnhurstucc.org.

 

Paul Olson, Building Manager

Paul Olson has been a college English teacher and a research associate in a medical library. Now, in addition to looking after the Lynnhurst Church building, he and his wife Mary Kay manage a couple of apartment buildings in Minneapolis. Outside of work, Paul spends his time and energy on his passion: creating sculpture. Paul's sculptures can be found in collections across the country and can also be seen on his website, www.olsonarts.com.