FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF AUBURN, UCC
Meet Our Staff
Dan Spacek
Pastor
Dan took the lead of FCCA in March 2012. He brings with him a passion for leading creative worship. With the kind of sincerity and openness that makes newcomers feel welcome and safe, Dan speaks in spiritual ways without sounding overly “churchy.”
Central to Dan’s approach to worship is attending each others’ story. Each of us has a vital story to tell – we have all experienced joys and sorrows, somewhere along the line our faith has been strengthened and/or challenged. Dan invites people to share from that deep place whenever the community gathers—whether in worship, service, education or fellowship. His attentive listening not only encourages people to open up and share more deeply, but to see their connection to the ongoing story of the faith.
Stories and messages in the Bible touch us so deeply that their stories become our stories. God is still speaking, and creating more sacred stories through each of us. As we more deeply attend that journey, we are opened to profound personal growth and new movement within our wider community.
Dan completed seminary in 2002, graduating from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. FCCA is the third church he has served. In addition to his church work, he finds joy in his family, music, and in adventurous outdoor activities.
Megan Page
Sunday School Leader
Megan Page is our lead Sunday School Teacher. Megan has been a member of our church for many years. She has a strong faith in God and enjoys teaching stories from the bible. She is also the granddaughter of the late Ron Westerman, Pastor Emeritus of First Congregational church. She comes to us with 14 years of experience homeschooling her three children, Rowan, Ember, and Tenzin. She is an incredible artist that works with many mediums and brings a lot of enthusiasm to teaching young people about art and the world of art. We are so happy to have her teaching the kiddos every Sunday.
Quincy Page
Facilities Manager
We are so excited to announce Quincy as our new Facilities Manager! Quincy has experience in a variety of trades that he has accumulated from the age of thirteen. "I’m just a local guy who has been lucky enough to have my faith journey bring me to this wonderful congregation! I have been tangentially associated with the church for 20 years but have been becoming more involved in the last three. I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the board to continue to make our church on the hill a beautiful, fun, and safe place to worship and come together."
Richard March
Music Director
Richard comes to us with ten years of experience in church music and education. With a Bachelors of Arts degree in Music from San Francisco State University, Richard has worked in churches since 2002 developing and implementing music curricula, directing choirs, leading congregational singing, and writing music. Richard is an experienced guitarist and songwriter, with 15 years touring California and the southwest as both a solo performer and with other music ensembles.
Nicola ten Dam
Office Manager
Nichola (Owens) ten Dam was born and raised in Auburn, California. She studied languages at California State University Long Beach, Sierra College, and recently earned her Professional Certificate in Editing from the University of California Berkeley.
After living in Portland, Oregon, Prague, Czech Republic, and Ghent, Belgium, Nichola recently moved back home to northern California with her husband. When not working on editing projects, Nichola enjoys reading, road trips, good food and drink, live music, long walks while listening to true crime podcasts, and spending time with friends and family.
Nichola is aware of the switch to third person.
Linda Synder
Church Pianist
Linda has been blessed with many opportunities to express her love of music throughout her adult life. She has served as pianist in churches of a variety of denominations in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Auburn. Currently, she is the pianist in Gold Country Band, which brings music and smiles weekly to residents of local senior care facilities. After a 30-year career in Silicon Valley’s tech industry, she and her husband moved to Meadow Vista in 2012 to hike the many beautiful trails in the Sierras. Linda holds an MBA in Finance from Santa Clara University.