Staff

Hello, I am Rev Mark Travis. I have been in ministry since 1994, starting out in rural Haverhill, New Hampshire. My second church was All Pilgrims Christian Church in Seattle. I then received my call to be the Settled Pastor here at CCMI in late January 2009. If I had to define my theology it would be organic, unafraid of the unknown, not set in stone, open to movement. I believe that Christianity is a path to God but not the only path. I believe there are many ways to experience and preach Christ: Savior, Friend, Rabbi. It is not my job to tell you what to believe and how to think, but to give you tools and information to help guide you in your journey.

This church is made up of liberal and conservative, Republican and Democrat. It has people who believe in a literal view of the Bible and those who view it as metaphor. I believe in the words of scripture that says the faith you have, you have as your own. I don’t want a church of mindless followers, but people who are willing to engage their faith, pursue questions and be comfortable in the unknowns. I believe the stories in the Bible are spiritual maps and not to be taken literally. I believe that God has a plan for all faiths and nations, and that plan is to work together, to love one another.

I minister and respect all people regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation or political perspective. I enjoy lively conversations seasoned with respect. If you need a pastor who will accept you for who you are and where you are in life’s journey, then come to CCMI and introduce yourself.

Susan Moon
Youth Leader

Danielle Geitzke
Sunday School Teacher

Hello, I am Danielle. I have been a member of the Congregational Church on Mercer Island since elementary school. I have always been interested in participating in the fun activities that CCMI has and love having a second family to hang out with! I graduated from Washington State University in July 2010 with a B.A. in Woman’s Studies. I am currently attending City University of Seattle to earn my Masters in Teaching. After which I hope to teach first or second grade at a local elementary school.

I am a bit newer to the staff side of CCMI and love it! I enjoy being the Sunday School teacher for youth from K-8th grade. We do a lot of hands-on activities, such as clay sculpting, panoramic sugar eggs, coloring, building, and chocolate making!

If you want to learn more about CCMI’s Sunday School check out our blog at http://ucc-ccmi.blogspot.com/ or email me at danielle.geitzke@gmail.com and of course you are always welcome to come on in and join us! I hope to see you soon. :-)
   
Erich Parce
Music Director

Erich Parce is a frequent guest vocalist at Music of Remembrance (MOR).  American baritone Erich Parce has performed and recorded MOR's world premieres of Paul Schoenfield's 2003 Pulitzer finalist Camp Songs and Lori Laitman's Holocaust 1944 and The Seed of Dream. Turning his opera expertise to stage direction, Mr. Parce has recently directed productions of La bohème, La Traviata, The Magic Flute, Gianni Schicchi, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Susannah. Next season he will direct Le nozze di Figaro for Washington East Opera, Rigoletto for Fargo-Moorehead Opera and Carmen for Skagit Opera.

As a baritone, Parce has sung at opera companies throughout North America and Europe, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Greater Miami Opera, L'Opera de Nice and L'Opera de Montreal. His repertoire ranges from the dramatic lead roles of Carlisle Floyd's operas The Passion of Jonathan Wade and Of Mice and Men (at Miami Opera and San Diego Opera), to the comedy of Dandini in La Cenerentola and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro (at Italy's Spoleto Festival and Charleston).

Seattle Opera highlights include Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, the Count in Le nozze di Figaro and the father in Hansel and Gretel. A regular guest of the Seattle Symphony, Parce was heard recently in Handel's Messiah and Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors. Past seasons have included Walton's Belshazzar's Feast and David Diamond's On Sacred Ground (recorded on the Delos label), and he has performed Carmina Burana many times with the Seattle Symphony, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Seattle Chorale Company. The Bellevue resident's concert repertoire also includes Mendelssohn's Elijah, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Ninth Symphony, and the Brahms and Fauré Requiems.
   
Scott Warrender
Pianist
Scott Warrender has a degree in Music Education from SPU. Very well respected in the Seattle area, he has musical direction and compositional credits at ACT, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Empty Space to name a few, as well as theatres in Baltimore, Cleveland and Connecticut.

His best known work, Das Barbecu!, a spoof on Wagner's The Ring, was commissioned by the Seattle Opera in 1991. Other musicals include The Plexiglass Slipper, Living Color, The Texas Manicurist and others. He currently teaches at Cornish College of the Arts.

Scott is quite humble about his many accomplishments and when asked why he would want to be at CCMI, simply said that he liked the church and it seemed to be a good fit.

  Lisa Lane
Office Manager