SHERRY A. BIERWAGEN - Director of Music Ministry (DMM)

Sherry A Bierwagen began serving at Peace Lutheran Church as the first full-time Director of Music Ministry in 1993 to administrate and develop the entire music ministry by expanding the Chancel Choir to fifty or more members and institute the Boar's Head Christmas Festival. Since her installation the Chancel Choir has expanded to 64 voices and the Boar's Head Christmas Festival is in its fourteenth season with five presentations the first weekend in December starting in 1995. In addition she has increased the handbell ministry from two octaves to five octaves with one adult choir and three children/youth choirs, added a Brass choir, included the public school children along with the Green Park Christian Day School in the Junior Choir and has a Recorder Concort and a Festival Youth Choir who participate in the Boar's Head Christmas Festival.

Prior to coming to Peace, Sherry served as Minister of Music at Zion Lutheran Church of Holland, Michigan where she initially started the Boar's Head Christmas Festival there.

Sherry graduated from Concordia Teachers College (presently Concordia University) of Seward, Nebraska with a major in music (organ emphasis) and minors in English and Education. She has taken additional classes at Black Hills State College of Spearfish, South Dakota, and University of Missouri of St. Louis and participated in many music clinics and workshops. She holds life-time teacher certification from the state of Missouri.

Following graduation from Concordia University, Seward, she taught First & Second Grades and was responsible for parish and school music ministries.

She is married to Daniel Bierwagen who graduated from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with a degree in Chemistry. They have two daughters and one son and they have four grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.

For thirty-two years she taught 12 to 44 piano students annually. She presented her students in competitions, master classes and recitals. She was a member of the National and Michigan State Music Teachers Association as well as the Holland and Grand Rapids Piano Teachers Forums. She served as President and Vice President for the Holland Forum as well as chairing each of its committees. She was a contributor for Concordia Publishing House, Now the Preparation Then the Proclamation. For two summers she conducted a Chamber Choir, made up of members of the Peace Chancel Choir, in a mission effort for The Independent Lutheran Church (SELK) of Germany in concerts at several SELK churches in Germany.