This town has it all going its way.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – This town has it all going its way.
The area’s economy is excellent, fueled by technology. Some are calling it the “second Silicon Valley.” Unemployment is only 2.9 percent.
Retirees are moving there yet the median age in Sioux Falls is just 33 years. That means they’re having children, productivity is high and individual involvement in the community is high.
Business Week puts it in the “Dazzling Dozen” pockets of prosperity in the nation, a “diamond in the rough,” while Ladies’ Home Journal taps it as the third least-stressful city for women. The state ranks fifth in the nation of students completing high school and sixth for students going on to college.
In that booming city of 150,000 (make that 200,000 if you include the surrounding metropolitan area, there are 110 languages spoken by the residents.
But there’s one language that’s not spoken nearly enough…the Word of God, according to Clovis Sturdivant, director of missions for Louisiana’s Jackson Baptist Association. In that great city, there are only 11 Baptist churches and just one is affiliated with Sioux Land Baptist Association, making it Southern Baptist. It’s Crosspoint Baptist Church where pastor Vince Smith is from Slidell.
“To put it in perspective, Jim Pratt, director of missions for their association, has 12 churches across 23 counties. When these directors say they’re going to visit a church, that automatically includes getting a motel room somewhere because it’s going to be that kind of drive. I’ve got 60 churches in three associations in two parishes,” said Sturdivant.
“In another perspective…the Dakota Baptist Convention (which is made up of both North and South Dakota) has about 90 Southern Baptist churches. The Louisiana Baptist Convention is one state…Louisiana. In round figures, we have 1,700 churches and missions.”
“That shows how much need there is. A church person like me sees all sorts of positive ramifications coming out of that,” he concluded.
The Jackson Association, in its second of a three-year in a partnership with Dakota Baptist Convention, went to Sioux Falls the week of Aug. 4-11. There, the majority of a team of 57 stayed to run Vacation Bible School and sports camps and conducted surveys in the outlying areas, witnessing to people. They also held block parties, where Rev. Donald Rudd’s “Team Kick” gave karate demonstrations, followed by a presentation of the Gospel.
“The folks there are family-oriented, education-oriented,” observed the director. “Everything we do we try to make them understand, for we understand that, by and large, Southern Baptists are seen there in line with snake-handlers. They are generally Lutheran or Catholic but they will come to the family-oriented things that we have. And when they do, they’re seeing that we’re not the ‘monster’ that somebody told them we were…and we’re making inroads.”
Eight of the team members were involved in a second mission venture of the other side the state. Following the Sunday morning service at Crossroads, they headed west to the annual Sturgis Bike Rally. The town normally has a population around 6,000. But during the first week of August each year, the number balloons to 500,000, “people from everywhere, with every background, with every kind of morality you can imagine,” said Sturdivant.
Last year the Black Hills Association had a tent up there for witness and it did great. They gave away a brand new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. “All that was required to register was the commitment to give three minutes of undivided attention to listen to someone in the tent tell how God made a difference in their life.” They had 2,900 people come in and register. Out of that, about 750 prayed to receive Christ into their life.
“The question arises, how do you know those kinds of professions of faith are real? There is no guarantee, just as a profession in a ‘real’ church. We do our part to be faithful and allow God to do His part to be faithful,” observed the director.
“ They spent about $18,000 for the bike and some said it was a waste of money. I challenge any church in the state of Louisiana to show where they spent $18,000 and had 750 professions of faith. I think that’s a pretty good ratio of stewardship.”
Three of the eight from Jackson are women who witnessed to women. The men witnessed to men and were joined by others from the Dakota convention and from across the country.
“It was interesting, being in Sturgis. I’ve got several who’ve already told me that they’re on-board for next year. I just believe God has wanted us to do this partnership.”