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‘Amazing voice, amazing young lady’ | New studio honors worship leader’s legacy

Sarah Rijfkogel passed away from colon cancer in 2022 at age 27. Now, Grand Rapids First Church is honoring her with a music studio.

WYOMING, Mich —

Two years after its worship leader passed away from colon cancer, Grand Rapids First Church is honoring her with a music studio, Studio 33:3, based on her favorite Bible verse. 

“She felt like God told her, this is what I want you to do with Psalm 33:3, 'sing a new song unto the Lord, play skillfully in the harp, and sing with joy,'" Sam Rijfkogel, pastor and Sarah’s father, said. "And she did that from the time she was 13 all the way up to the time that she passed away when she was 27 years of age. And we want that legacy to continue on.” 

Sarah Rijfkogel spent seven years as a worship leader at the church before she passed away in 2022. When she was 12 years old, her parents said she was called to music worship.  

After her passing, the church knew they wanted a permanent place to share her passion for music. 

“One of the last things she said was, 'I want to make sure the next generation knows him and worships him,'” Brenda Rijfkogel, pastor and Sarah’s mother, said. 

The state-of-the-art studio records in Dolby Atmos has an array of instruments, recording booths and a mixer station. 

“We were on the cutting edge of putting worship music, or music that is recorded in a digital platform that all platforms are looking for,” Sam Rijfkogel said. “It's going to be a great asset to every artist.” 

Sarah Rijfkogel was part of worship group Wind and Embers, which will be able to use the studio. They are also opening it to other Christian groups to record their music. 

“It's state of the art,” Brenda Rijfkogel said. “It's what a lot of the live-streaming platforms are asking for. So we are enabling those Christian artists to have a state-of-the-art songs and music that they can be streamed on these platforms, that they're asking for.” 

Her parents, and the church, knew this is what Sarah would have wanted. 

“Sarah's heart was obviously for worship music and she wanted the next generation to do that, to worship God, to know him,” Sam Rijfkogel said. “And so, we built this studio so that artists could come in and carry on the legacy of her heart, to worship God and to create music.” 

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