Kris was born and raised in Zeeland (Mich.) and left the house at 17 to pursue music at Calvin College (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Colorado State University (Fort Collins, Colo.) and The University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) with degrees in music theory, music history/composition, and choral music. If you’ve ever known a musician, you know that we often do lots of non-musical things and Kris is no exception to that: associate book editor for U-M Dental School, editorial assistant for the grey Psalter Hymnal, office manager for a neuropsychologist, medical transcriptionist, website creator/administrator…she knows how to learn new things!
She started playing piano at age 2 and started lessons with her maternal grandma at age 4. At age 15, Kris taught herself how to play the organ and began leading music during worship for her home church. Having attended Christian school from kindergarten through Calvin, she was always actively involved in church music; this is her true love as it brings her faith and musical passion together. Her favorite job was when she was music director, organist, adult/handbell/children’s choir director for a large Lutheran church in Ann Arbor. Coordinating and leading three Sunday services, each with a different “style” of music, were both challenging and satisfying ways to introduce the congregation to differing ways of experiencing God in worship.
When Kris moved back to West Michigan in 2017, she started selling insurance since no full-time church jobs were available in the area. She still works in the insurance world for her 9–5 job and found Seventh Reformed Church by talking with a member of Seventh who mentioned a need for help with playing organ at that time. She started off as a sub and after a few months, was asked to play regularly. Kris enjoys sharing her gifts with the congregation and choir, many of whom have become close friends over the years. Seventh has become a true church home for Kris based on the biblical teachings from the pulpit and love of music from the people.