Church Family Fun Night August 23, 2024
Summer Bible Club Swim Trip July 24, 2024
Summer Bible Club Finale July 22, 2024
Hard to believe Summer Bible Club is already over! But alas, summer is flying by, and the last 6 weeks with these children were amazing. If you read this, please take a moment to pray that Jesus would keep touching their lives, and that we will see many of them again for our other programs. And please, pray for more workers in the harvest on Pine Ridge; we especially need kids pastors and helpers in the Rec gym.
We were blessed to have our faithful friends from Watertown, SD here this week. They helped out with SBC and put siding on our new air hose shed. Thank you!
We were blessed to have our faithful friends from Watertown, SD here this week. They helped out with SBC and put siding on our new air hose shed. Thank you!
Summer Bible Club and More July 14-19, 2024
A team from Harmony Baptist, MO is here this week, supporting us in ministry and upkeep around the Rec. They were awesome helpers in Kids Summer Club, installed covers over our office windows, and also gave the playground a much-needed makeover. Thank you so much for your dedication and service in Oglala!
Summer Bible Club July 8, 2024
This week, we had a group of wonderful helpers from Journey Church in Rapid City - what a blessing, since we also had many new kids attend Summer Bible Club! It was a hot day, and water games were just the activity everyone needed to finish off the night.
Summer Bible Club July 1, 2024
This was Summer Bible Club week 3, and most of these kids have faithfully attended every Monday night so far. We had a wonderful group of helpers this week who served alongside us to make this a special night for the kids. Blessings & thank you to all our volunteers!
Summer Bible Club June 24, 2024
Church Family Picnic June 23, 2024
Summer Bible Club June 17, 2024
For the next 6 weeks, we will host Summer Bible Club again here at the RecCenter every Monday night 5-7 pm. Youth 4-11 years old are welcome to attend for Bible teaching, music, crafts, food, and games! Our main theme this year is, "What is a Christian?"
Mother's Day May 12, 2024
This was definitely not your ordinary Mother's Day! The men had ditched roses and coffee cakes and exchanged them for riddles and a scavenger hunt. Our ladies had such a blast!!!
Rec Ministry Newsletter Spring 2024
|
Spring has sprung in South Dakota, and with it comes our latest newsletter. Please take a look, and time to pray! THANK YOU.
|
| ||
|
Kids Church April 2024Our Kids Church children have been amazing, and so faithful in attendance! A small group of them started coming last year during our Summer Bible Club, and they still come to church now! Every Sunday during worship, you can hear these little ones sing their hearts out. What a hopeful generation of worshipers and followers Jesus is raising in Oglala.
For this Kids Church lesson, we did a scavenger hunt around the RecCenter to find "The Pearl of Great Price" (Matthew 13:45-46). It was a hot day, but the prize ("clam cookies") was definitely worth it! |
Good Friday & Resurrection Sunday March 2024
|
|
Easter weekend brought even more snow and ice to western SD, but it did not dampen our joy! Jesus is risen, hallelujah!
On Good Friday, we gathered to reenact Jesus' trial before Pilate, and on Sunday, the Kids Church children performed a song and skit to share the Good News of the new life and hope we have in Jesus. Check out the video clip and watch them dance! :) |
Northside Christian Academy March 23-29, 2024
The team of 12 high school students and a couple teachers braved a spring snow storm to get here. They helped out during class time and open gym and made our staff feel old. :) They also cleaned out and painted a storage room, and helped a Lakota elder get her house set up. We enjoyed having the group here and are so grateful for how they blessed us this week!
ChiAlpha from MSU March 10-16, 2024
What a sweet group of college students they are! We enjoyed hosting the ChiAlpha team from MSU and were blessed by their love and willingness to serve the Oglala community. Some of the students helped out at Oyate Hope Academy, others took on various small work projects in and around the RecCenter, and part of the group also served at Naomi House. To top it all, we are enjoying an early spring and had lots of playground fun!
Children's Church January 2024
Christmas Eve Service December 24, 2023
This morning, our kids church children performed a play about some of the amazing Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled through Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection. Of course, we also sang Christmas songs and enjoyed a good potluck and fellowship time. It was a sweet blessing to see such a crowd of family & friends come together at church today.
Christmas Outreach December 9, 2023
After weeks of preparations - both practical and spiritual - the day was finally here to host our annual Christmas Outreach at the Rec Center. The drive-through style has become a tradition, and it served us well again this year. As the cars line up and circle around the Rec driveway, our outreach team first offers prayers to the attendees and hangs out to chat; we also had a prayer tent set up in the barn with Bibles and more opportunity to connect. Next, each person receives a new, warm blanket, small goodie bag, and personal Christmas card. Finally, cars swing back around to the building to pick up their tasty take-out meals.
It was such a blessing to minister alongside new church family friends from Rapid City, and our kids church crew also pitched in joyfully. We are grateful to all of you who have supported the outreach financially as well as through your faithful prayers. As every year, this truly was a wonderful team effort of the local & extended Family of God!
It was such a blessing to minister alongside new church family friends from Rapid City, and our kids church crew also pitched in joyfully. We are grateful to all of you who have supported the outreach financially as well as through your faithful prayers. As every year, this truly was a wonderful team effort of the local & extended Family of God!
Christmas Outreach December 2023
|
We are getting ready for the big Christmas outreach this Saturday, December 9th. Our Church Family and friends are working overtime to make sure that each guest will receive a delicious homecooked meal, nice warm blanket, individual handwritten note, candy bag, and - last but not least - prayers as they wait in their cars in the drive-through line.
We are extremely grateful to all our supporters who contributed to the event through their giving and prayers. Please continue to pray that Jesus would open the hearts of the Oglala community, and that Salvation, Light and Hope will come in His name! |
|
Rec Newsletter Fall 2023Click on the pdf (link below) to read about the latest updates and news from our Rec Center staff. Our big Christmas Outreach is coming up December 9, 2023 - would you please help us prepare it through your fervent, faithful prayers and financial support?
Thank you for reading the newsletter and for your prayers and support! We truly could not do this without you all!
| ||
Oyate Hope Academy moves into the RecCenter Building August 2023
While our local Christian school is waiting to obtain their own building, we are able to host them at the RecCenter for the 2023/24 school year. The upstairs bunk house was remodeled into two classrooms and some meeting space, and kids church downstairs also functions as our 7/8th grade room now. For meals and bad-weather recess the students enjoy the Rec gym, but our playground is even more popular! The move has been a smooth process, and Oyate Hope Academy is affectionately seen as "the relatives moving in" for a while.
Church Service at Stockade Lake August 27, 2023
We held a joint service at Stockade Lake with friends from a home church from Rapid City. Some of our church families camped out, and on Sunday morning we enjoyed good fellowship, worship, fun and food together.
Truth in Stormy Skies Summer 2023
Church Family Get-Together July 28, 2023
Summer Bible Club Finale July 24/25, 2023
|
|
For the last day of Summer Bible Club, the families of the kids were invited too. We finished with a recap of the last 6 weeks of teaching about who Jesus is, followed by refreshing water games outside. Last but not least, the kids got to launch their diy rockets! Watch the video to see a rocket gone crazy! :)
|
Swim Day at Angostura July 19, 2023
It was the perfect summer day for swimming and the beach. Our friends from Watertown provided snacks and entertainment, and they also helped with Kids Bible Club this week.
Baptism Service in Hot Springs June 25, 2023
We gathered in Chautauqua Park for our annual church picnic. Two of our young ladies got baptized today, and together we celebrated God's faithful hand over their lives. The kids had a blast swimming in the creek; everyone else also enjoyed the beautiful summer day.
Kids Summer Bible Club June 19, 2023
Monday nights will be special this summer! From June 19 through July 24, 5-7 pm, we are hosting a Kids Summer Bible Club at the Rec - 2 hours full of songs, Bible lessons, crafts, food, fun and games! Our local church family prepared and did the outreach together, propelled by Christ's Love for the Oglala youth. This first Monday, about 25 children attended, and we were rewarded with a smooth and joyful start into Summer Bible Club nights.
Of course, the Rec gym also continues to be open every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, offering a safe play area and free snacks to the Oglala children. Thankfully, we've enjoyed a rather mild South Dakota summer so far, and the gym is usually packed with kids!
Of course, the Rec gym also continues to be open every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, offering a safe play area and free snacks to the Oglala children. Thankfully, we've enjoyed a rather mild South Dakota summer so far, and the gym is usually packed with kids!
Rec Team Picture May 2023
Mother's Day was the perfect opportunity to finally take a new team picture! We are all getting older (well-seasoned! :) but still going strong! And just in case you're wondering - yes, we are looking for new addition(s) to our team, especially for our children's ministry (open gym and kids church). Come intern with us, short or long term! Use the Contact tab to get in touch.
Resurrection Celebration April 9, 2023
Our RecCenter Church Family celebrated Jesus' death and resurrection with a powerful Good Friday worship night and joyful Sunday morning service. Part of the kids' church group performed the "M&M's Skit;" we had lunch together and enjoyed the first really warm spring day (after a spring blizzard with 2 ft of fresh snow earlier this week!).
Work Projects March 2023
Thanks to our amazing helpers, new sound panels were installed in our sanctuary, the kids church rooms got a fresh coat of paint including a mural, our trash trailer was fixed, and we even had time to enjoy each other's company and testimonies. Last but not least, the Rec has a new ministry mini van, just in time before the old one breathes its last... :-) Thank you, guys!
Christmas Candlelight Service December 23, 2022
To celebrate the birth of Jesus, our small group of Kids Church children (including a couple grown-up ones :) performed a nativity play; we sang Christmas songs and enjoyed Bible verse testimonies. It was a beautiful night in fellowship with each other and worship of our King.
|
|
|
Christmas Outreach December 10, 2022
Once again, we hosted our annual Christmas Outreach at the RecCenter "drive-through" style. What had begun as a Covid Plan-B event three years ago has since turned into a wonderful opportunity to bless the Oglala community. Within just a relatively short amount of time, we were able to serve 500+ people; each one received a blanket, goody bag, personal note, and a warm, home-cooked meal. During their wait in the drive through line, people were also given the opportunity to receive prayer; this offer was met with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and acceptance. There was just an atmosphere of peace and joy on the whole property, and we sincerely hope that all those driving through experienced the presence of our Savior, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ!
Another beautiful thing was to see our church family come together and share the work load; from the youngest to the oldest, everyone pitched in and served wholeheartedly! We were also blessed by servant-hearted students from our local Oyate School and wonderful friends from Denver and Rapid City. Thank you to everyone far and near who supported this day though their prayers, financial gifts, and practical efforts. To God be the Glory & MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Another beautiful thing was to see our church family come together and share the work load; from the youngest to the oldest, everyone pitched in and served wholeheartedly! We were also blessed by servant-hearted students from our local Oyate School and wonderful friends from Denver and Rapid City. Thank you to everyone far and near who supported this day though their prayers, financial gifts, and practical efforts. To God be the Glory & MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Rec Ministry Newsletter Fall 2022
|
After you read the newsletter, please take few minutes to pray for the ministry in Oglala. We truly appreciate it! You are a vital part of God's Family, wherever you are!
| ||
Church Service at Chautauqua Park August 21
Summer VBS at Kids Church July 2022
Over four consecutive Sundays, we were doing a VBS for our small group of Kids Church children. They learned about God's unconditional love, and how we can better love one another. Taught by our international team of experienced "professors," the lessons included science experiments, songs, STEM activities, crafts, and Bible studies. It was a month full of (sticky) hands-on fun. :-)
Church Family Summer Picnic June 29, 2022
Our church family & friends enjoyed a beautiful evening together at the beach at Angostura.
Our Mothers... and other Daughters of the King! May 8, 2022
Resurrection Sunday Church Service April 17
Baby Shower for Jonathan Sutton February 19
Baptism Service January 9, 2022
What a joyful day! A young mother and two of her teenage daughters were baptized today at the RecCenter. Praise Jesus for their obedience and testimony of God's transforming power.
New Year 2022 in Oglala
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has dawned.
~ Isaiah 9:2 ~
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has dawned.
~ Isaiah 9:2 ~
Christmas Outreach December 11, 2021
Christmas Outreach Preparations December 5
We are getting ready for our big Christmas outreach on December 11. Just like last year, we will host a "drive-through" style event. Everyone attending will receive a warm homecooked meal, a gift bag, some Christ-centered media, and the opportunity to share prayer requests. Today we penned handwritten notes to our Oglala Oyate and we pray that Jesus our Savior will use anything we'll share that day for His Glory and to touch the lives of many with His Love!
THANK YOU to all our friends & church family out there who have already supported this outreach through their financial support, gifts, and prayers. Please continue to pray with us!
THANK YOU to all our friends & church family out there who have already supported this outreach through their financial support, gifts, and prayers. Please continue to pray with us!
Rec Newsletter October 2021
While summer is on its way out and making way for winter (yes, South Dakota has only two seasons! :)
we are in our planning stages for the upcoming Christmas Celebration. Please read the attached newsletter and pray about how YOU might partner with us! THANK YOU! |
| ||
New Sanctuary Floor September 2021
Church Family Picnic August 22, 2021
UPDATE July 2021
Unfortunately with the spread of the Delta variant, the OST went into "Orange Level," which compelled us to close down open gym again. However, we are still able to hand out lunches to the youth, meet for prayer, and continue ministry on a small scale.
RecCenter Reopening May 2021
We are finally able to start up some activities at the RecCenter again! Or focus is on being a "House of Prayer." Three days a week, the sanctuary is open for anyone to come in and seek the presence of God - to worship together, get quiet before the Lord, intercede, and be led by His Spirit. Moreover, starting in June we will also have regular church services in Oglala again. Men's Bible Study will continue through the summer, while the Ladies take a summer break. In addition to all that, the Rec gym will be open in limited capacity a couple afternoons a week.
Resurrection Sunday April 4, 2021
And here is the new look! April 1, 2021
Just in time for our next Agape Sunday, the sanctuary got finished. Well, mostly - the new floor is not done yet. But what we want even more than nice new carpet is lots of people to fill the room. Pray with us for a blessed, spirit-filled and life-saving Resurrection Sunday!
Sanctuary Refresh March 13, 2021
Our sanctuary is getting a new look! After "doing" church differently during covid (hosting in small groups, Bible studies instead of sermons, and often hanging out together all Sunday afternoon), we do not just want to go back to the old ways. Spearheaded by Crystal and her makeover plans, the sanctuary will become more livingroom-ish and family-oriented, a place for God to feel welcome and for us to enjoy His presence as well as fellowship with each other. Today our church family got together to clean and paint; the next step will be adding some new furniture, and soon we'll even get the floor redone. Who knows what we'll do to the gym! :)
20-Years Anniversary in Oglala March 2021
In the first week of snowy March of 2001, a car with a fateful load arrived on the rez: Pastor Tim, two young men named Eric and Leon, and a colicky pitbull named Leland. Of these four, two are still here, and today we celebrated their 20-years anniversary in Oglala! Straight out of Florida and thrown into the prairie winter, they not only made it through somehow. No, these two men persevered, matured, and grew in Christ. We have every reason to be grateful and to celebrate God's Faithfulness in their lives. Thanks to modern technology, we were able to have Pastors Tim and Elaine join in the festivities along with many others who were crucial to the RecCenter and God's Kingdom ministry in Oglala. Click and Look at what the Lord has done!
Ladies' Bible Study Galentine's Day February
Agape Sunday in Oglala January 2021
Drive-thru Christmas Celebration December 12
GOD IS LIGHT! This is the Good News that we shared freely with the Oglala community today. There were at least 400 drive-thru (and some walk-thru :) guests who came to receive a warm meal and a gift bag, and most of them were also grateful to receive a prayer of blessing. Two funerals were going on at he same time just across the street. There has been so much death around here lately; almost every family has lost a loved one, and the need for comfort, healing, and hope is huge! Please continue to pray with us that His Light may shine brightly and hearts would get ready to receive Jesus. "Oh tidings of comfort and joy!"
Christmas PreparationsYes, there will be a Christmas Celebration 2020! Many have been inquiring about our plans for this annual outreach, and we are strongly encouraged and blessed by all your faithful support, financially as well as through your prayers.
So here is what we felt led to do: On Saturday, December 12, we will have a drive-through event on the RecCenter property. For a time span of 5 hours, we will hand out warm home-cooked meals as well as family gifts to our guests. Along with that we will offer prayer plus DVDs with Jesus-centered stories, sermons, and songs. Nobody will even have to leave their cars, and everything will be as safe and sanitized as possible - except the powerful Message of the Savior born for us! :) PLEASE help us prepare this outreach in your prayers, and ask Jesus to open hearts. May HIS LIGHT SHINE into the darkness. May His Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. THANK YOU! |
|
RecCenter Ministry Updates
OCTOBER 2020
The first (and second, and third) snow has already come to South Dakota. Currently Pine Ridge Reservation is under a complete lockdown to curb the spread of Covid. The RecCenter is still serving as a quarantine station. Our staff is using their time to seek Jesus and recharge. Keep us in your prayers. Please pray for us as well as for our brothers and sisters in Christ here in our Church Family that our hearts would not waver but our faith grow stronger.
The first (and second, and third) snow has already come to South Dakota. Currently Pine Ridge Reservation is under a complete lockdown to curb the spread of Covid. The RecCenter is still serving as a quarantine station. Our staff is using their time to seek Jesus and recharge. Keep us in your prayers. Please pray for us as well as for our brothers and sisters in Christ here in our Church Family that our hearts would not waver but our faith grow stronger.
JULY / AUGUST 2020
The RecCenter is the official Covid quarantine site for the Oglala district. As of this month, there are residents quarantining in our gym building. Everything is secured off, and we have not been able to operate any ministry programs. Unfortunately, all our summer activities and ministry teams had to be cancelled. With cases slowly rising in Oglala Lakota County, the reservation is still on "shelter-in-place" and closed to any unessential on- and off-rez travel. Road blocks remain on all highways and BIA roads at the reservation borders.
We continue to serve daily "drive-through" style lunches to the Oglala youth, and are thankful for being able to stay in touch with many of the children and their families. Numbers are up and down as many other programs also support the community with extra food and donations. However, "feeding" is not just about the food but about being there and reaching out. We trust God that our small acts of love and faithfulness will achieve His eternal purpose!
The RecCenter is the official Covid quarantine site for the Oglala district. As of this month, there are residents quarantining in our gym building. Everything is secured off, and we have not been able to operate any ministry programs. Unfortunately, all our summer activities and ministry teams had to be cancelled. With cases slowly rising in Oglala Lakota County, the reservation is still on "shelter-in-place" and closed to any unessential on- and off-rez travel. Road blocks remain on all highways and BIA roads at the reservation borders.
We continue to serve daily "drive-through" style lunches to the Oglala youth, and are thankful for being able to stay in touch with many of the children and their families. Numbers are up and down as many other programs also support the community with extra food and donations. However, "feeding" is not just about the food but about being there and reaching out. We trust God that our small acts of love and faithfulness will achieve His eternal purpose!
Covid Lockdown April 2020
Please take time to pray for our ministry / staff today as well as for the Oglala community. During the lockdown, we are still able to feed, but need God's direction more than ever.
Candlelight Agape Service December 22, 2019
Christmas Celebration December 7, 2019
Christmas Preparations December 6, 2019
Tomorrow is the big day! Our Church Family and Rec staff has worked and prayed hard to get everything ready for the big Christmas outreach on Saturday, December 7, starting at 4 pm. Thank you to everyone near and far who has already helped support us! Please also pray with us for this special event for a great Move of God, for His Light to pierce the darkness, and for the Oglala community to receive Christ with gladness. He is knocking - will we LET HIM IN?!
Agape Sunday at the Gehmans September 15
Agape Sunday Church Picnic August 18, 2019
Agape Sunday and House Blessing July 28
Washington Team July 6-12, 2019
Ladies' Summer Hangout July 10, 2019
Warrior Leadership Summit July 1-6, 2019
Agape Sunday June 23, 2019
Father's Day Celebration June 22, 2019
3-on-3 Tournament June 19, 2019
Soccer Friendly Oglala vs. Watertown June 18
Centro Cristiano Vida Nueva June 12-16, 2019
VBS with Team from ORU June 10-13, 2019
Lovelace Team June 3-6, 2019
Bike Give-Away June 2, 2019
Our mission team this week arrived with a semi-trailer full of 1,700 bikes. They were unloaded and given away in Kyle and Oglala. The kids enjoyed their mobility along with the long-awaited arrival of summer weather.
Agape Sunday May 19, 2019
Ladies' Group Retreat May 3-4, 2019
Our ladies' group spent the night at Black Hills Retreat Center just south of Deadwood, SD. We shared meals and played board games, roasted marshmallows at the camp fire and told stories, and we would've loved to stay a bit longer...
|
|
|
Good Friday "Walk To The Cross" April 19, 2019
ORU Team March 2019
Yes, it is still winter in South Dakota! March 12
Ladies' Book Study February 20, 2019
Our Ladies' Group has definitely been growing in numbers since we started it within the Rec Church Family last fall. But what's even better, our relationships have also grown deeper and stronger, and from the teen girls to the uncis (grandmas), we enjoy our friendships and very sweet fellowship in the Love of Christ - the only guy we let in on Wednesday nights! :-)
Teen Lock-In
|
|
Carols & Candles Agape Service December 23
Ladies' Group Christmas Party December 19
Christmas Celebration December 9, 2018
Christmas Preparations December 2, 2018
Sunday is the big day! Our Church Family has helped hand write personal notes to go along with the gift bags, Kathy and Terry have shopped and filled piles of boxes with blankets and toys, and our sanctuary is all set up for the Christmas service. While there is still much to do, we are VERY thankful to all who have already helped us prepare this outreach, whether through financial support, practical help, or - last but NOT least - faithful prayer. Please continue to keep us in prayer this weekend, and may God be able to do GREAT things - we are believing for hearts to be touched and souls won for His Kingdom.
