Welcome...
At the South Dakota Assemblies of God we strive to fully equip our churches for effective ministry to the heartland. Our home page features the blog of Superintendent Stephen Schaible which features thoughts and resources for ministry to the heartland.Kids Enjoy High Point After School
When Pastor Kevin Petersen moved to Clark, South Dakota (population 1,044) in 2006, he knew, like every other small town pastor, he might struggle to have the volunteers needed to accomplish the vision he had for the church. Pastor Kevin and his team began looking for something different to do on Wednesday nights. After some on-line research, they came across High Point, a character-building discipleship curriculum that runs efficiently with just a few volunteers. They tried it out and, in Pastor Kevin’s words, “loved it and began using it immediately. It had topical messages dealing with the issues kids are dealing with.”
They started with pre-school through 6th grade and were one of the first churches in the nation to adopt the High Point program. Through further discussion with his ministry team and some God-inspired creativity, they decided to invest their time in a mid-week after-school outreach rather than the traditional Wednesday night program since the elementary school sat just across the street from the church.
The church that was once struggling to attract children to a Wednesday night program ran consistently around 50 kids from 2007 – 2009. The registration topped out at 74 with most of the kids being unchurched. Pastor Kevin reported that on “some weeks there were more in attendance on Wednesday afternoon than on Sunday morning. The kids were our greatest advertisers.” The church has grown from 20 to now running steadily in the mid 60s. Some of the kids that have come through the High Point program are now part of their youth group.
Pastor Kevin is quick to point out that, in a small community, the more you are seen and the more connections you make the more influence you have. Since moving to Clark in 2006, he has been very involved in the community serving as the Rotary president, coaching sports and making himself available. He believes that volunteering in schools opens doors to ministry and gives pastors the keys to their community. He reports the community has “learned and grown to trust us.” In turn, the school is very helpful in promoting what the church is doing.
They still use High Point on Wednesday afternoons but have adapted their strategy. They now have pre-school and 5th – 8th grade programs that run concurrently with their 1st – 4th graders who use High Point. They feel that age group is the “sweet spot for ministry” with this program.
They are currently strategizing their next moves. “We are really doing this as an outreach,” Pastor Kevin continues, “our next step is to make inroads to the parents.”
If you are interested in using High Point in your church ask about it on the web at www.gph.org/highpoint.
District Men's Retreat
March 22-24, 2012 at Kamp Kinship
Live Like You're Dying
Guest Blog by Missionary Richard Brogden
Greetings from the Land of Tumors
Three weeks ago I started getting dizzy when I stood up. Over the next few days my vision began to blur and a headache set in behind my eyes that has not left. My eyes felt like they were being pushed out from the inside, and after 2 pm it was hard to keep them open. I went to the neo-omniscient internet and diagnosed myself with a brain tumor. Yesterday I went to the doctor. He ordered a Cat-Scan and the result was encouraging: There is nothing in my head. The doctor has some ridiculous advice like more sleep and less work.
Flying home to Chicago from Pennsylvania this week I asked myself what I would do if I did have a tumor. My thoughts initially turned to eating a dozen Twinkies and coughing up the $500 it would cost to take my sons to a Bears game before settling on this:
If I had a tumor, I’d hammer in the morning.
I’d hammer in the evening, all over this town.
I’d hammer out gospel, I’d hammer out warning
I’d hammer out love and truth to brothers and sisters
- all over this land.
Now that I don’t have a tumor, I have decided to live like I do. This is after all what It means to Live Dead. Dying to what people think. Dying to what doesn’t matter. Living every moment to make Jesus famous, to make much of Him, to see God glorified. Let’s all live with imaginary tumors. Let’s live as if we are dying – which incidentally - we are.
Written by Missionary Richard Brogden
Teen Challenge of the Dakotas
A New Look...
Check out our new "South Dakota Connection" newsletter format. I think you'll enjoy the new look. Check it out HERE.
1 Timothy 6:6 in 3 D
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.
"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."
"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied.
"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged, it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. "It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice... I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing." Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
A Homeless Man's Funeral
As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back country.As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions.
I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.
The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.
And as I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.
As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."
Apparently I'm still lost....
From Around the World
From David & Carolyn Nelson...
Precious in the Sight of the Lord
Just today I heard about the home-going of a great saint of God - - Sister Mildred Bankson. She and her husband Leo were the founders of Good Shepherd Indian Bible Institute in Mobridge back in 1970. They served there from 1970-1977.
Mildred loved Jesus with all her heart and led Bible studies in the nursing home until just a few years ago. She was an inspiring example of a true servant of the Lord.
Mildred just celebrated her 95th birthday and now continues the celebration in heaven with her Savior, her husband Leo, and all the other saints who have gone before her.
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15
It's Just Too Risky!
Let me ask you a question, what is the most risky thing that you can do? Some may say drive in Phoenix traffic, or sky dive, or swim across an alligator or piranha filled river. I don't know what you think your greatest risk would be, but probably your greatest risk in ministry is to "play it safe". There is a great risk in the work of the Lord for us to only do those things that we know that we can do and there is really no risk involved. There is room for church as usual but prolonged church as usual tends to complacency and no storming the enemy's territory.
It is just too risky to the Kingdom of God for us to play it safe. God is calling all believers to live by faith. What step of faith are you taking at this moment? Let's not play it safe and do only those things that we know we can do, but take a step of faith and do something that we know we can't do without God's help.
Guest Blog by...
Rev. Steve Harris - Superintendent Arizona Assemblies of God
