DBC Monthly Newsletter

Dakota Happenings

DBC Monthly Newsletter | March 2023

Dr. Mac's Minute:

Responding to Crisis

Passage: Proverbs 90:1-17

Focus: “Teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom" (v.12)

Is it just me, or does it seem like our world careens from one crisis to another? Pandemic. Ukraine. Stock market collapse . . . rebound . . . collapse . . . rebound. About the time we think we can finally catch a breath, something new breaks out somewhere in the world. People have different responses to these and other crises. Some are better than others. I notice, however, there is one word I rarely see used in the press or social media in these times . . . wisdom.

Throughout Scripture, in times of pain, challenge, or turmoil, wise people asked God for wisdom.

A NOTE FROM DR. MAC: I will be traveling to South Africa and Zimbabwe from March 22-April 3. I will be conducting pastor training in both places with my South African partner Dr. Julius Mbu. I would appreciate your prayers as we serve the Lord in Africa.

Dakota News

DBC Staff Hold Annual Orientation Meeting

On February 7-9, DBC Staff held its annual orientation meeting in Rapid City. Dr. Fred MacDonald led the meetings and all four Dakota Baptist Church Relations Missionaries, Dakota Send Network director Buck Hill, and Church Planter Catalyst Stephen Carson. The DBC’s CRMs are Everett Hornbostel, Chad McCord, Jeff Musgrave, and Paul Young.

The meeting focused on building personal spiritual disciplines and helping small church and bi-vocational pastors. Joe Wright, the executive director of the SBC’s Small Church and Bi-vocational Pastors Network joined the meeting by Zoom and talked about ways to reach out to pastors.

Major Milestone in Advance of Gospel

By Alysia McCord

For those who believe that the Word of God is living, active, and powerful, there is cause for rejoicing this month. An effort to translate the Bible into the heart language of one of our world’s unreached people groups has been completed. For many years, one of our IMB missionaries, Katelyn Summers*, has been working in conjunction with leaders and servants from the unreached people group, along with other workers, and near the end of 2022, the translation work of many years was finished.

The challenge remained of getting printed copies of the Word into the hands of members of that people group in an increasingly complex situation caused by political upheaval in that country. In the month of February, 2023, the people group was able to hold a large celebration in honor of the fact that the Bibles had been delivered and would but put into the hands of those people.

*Name changed for security reasons.

Church Planter Profile

Meet Moses & Oyebisi Orukatan: Mercy Seat Church in Fargo, ND

I am Moses Abiodun Orukotan born in Jos, Nigeria. I happily married my beautiful wife, Oyebisi Omoladun Orukotan, on August 5, 2006. We have three boys, Edward, Enoch-Adeogo, and Eniola-David. I previously served as an elder at Northland Church Fargo, North Dakota, and now serve as lead pastor for Mercy-Seat Church, Overcomers’ Chapel, a new church plant in Fargo, ND. I also worked with the Nigerian Baptist Convention. Student and Youth Ministries Division before coming to the US.

Philip Wilson, an IMB Missionary in Jos, Nigeria, who came and worked with the student ministries division of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, led me to Christ during our Baptist Student Fellowship Northern zonal conferences in Jos in 1989.

IMB Servant Chris Martin Shares with DBC CP Ambassadors

The Dakota Baptist CP Ambassadors met at the end of February. The special guest for this meeting was Chris Martin, the new Director of Convention Partnerships for the International Mission Board.

Until a few days earlier, Martin had been the executive director for the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention. Martin shared about his 17 years serving in this part of the world and ways that the ambassadors could pray for the work.

DAKOTA PLANTERS FEATURED IN ANNIE ARMSTRONG WEEK OF PRAYER

Each spring SBC churches receive the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, a special mission offering to help with the task of taking the name of Jesus around North America. Churches also take this opportunity to engage in a week of prayer for church planters and missionaries serving in the U.S. and Canada.

This year’s week of prayer features Matt and Amanda Hadden, who serve among the Ogalala Lakota tribe in Porcupine, SD. Matt is the director for the Chanku Waste Ranch, a ministry center on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The prayer guide highlights their work, calling it a “three-lane approach through a summer kids camp, providing a free home repair, and offering medical services through a newly opened clinic.”

VIDEO OF HADDEN'S STORY

ANNIE ARMSTRONG RESOURCES

FREEWAY MINISTRIES THANKS VOLUNTEERS WITH BANQUET

Freeway Ministries, a Christ-centered recovery outreach ministry in Rapid City, held a banquet in February to express appreciation to their volunteers and supporters.

Freeway Ministries originated in Springfield, MO in 2011 as a ministry of Crossway Baptist Church. It has grown to a network of eight ministries that have as its mission to, “reach the hard to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ, one broken life at a time.” The Rapid City outreach was started by Mercy Gate Church.

Mercy Gate pastor, Kenneth Brock, introduced several individuals who have overcome addiction and other personal issues by meeting Christ and growing in His grace. Those at the banquet cheered and celebrated as one-by-one, these young believers walked across the platform with signs indicating how Christ had changed their lives and restored their families.

DUPREE POWERLIFTING TEAM

In the community of Dupree, a powerlifting team has developed as a ministry of Dupree Baptist Church. In the Dupree community, many young people have no fathers, or at times any parents at all, in the home. Pastor at Dupree Baptist Church, Shannon Hinrichs, has invested in young people in the community as the church has hosted youth group after power-lifting practice. Pastor Shannon reports that he has seen two athletes come to know the Lord and had the privilege of baptizing both of them. Their team competed as the only West River powerlifting team until last year, when one other team from the Black Hills began competing.

NIGHT TO SHINE 2023 AT NEW LIFE ON MAIN

On February 10th, 2023 New Life on Main in Harvey, ND hosted Night to Shine, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. The unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, celebrates people with special needs and was held in-person by host churches around the world simultaneously on Friday, February 10th. New Life on Main hosted this event for their 3rd time and was excited to be a part of this worldwide movement. New Life on Main believes that God is using Night to Shine as a catalyst to change how cultures embrace people with disabilities and to rally the church worldwide to honor their local communities of people with special needs, ensuring they know they are valued and loved.

MINISTRY AT SOUTH CANYON BAPTIST CHURCH

James Proctor and wife Natalie, along with two of his four children (their two eldest children are young adults and live in other states), have been ministering at South Canyon Baptist Church in Rapid City for approximately ten months. Proctor left his former pastorate of 13 years in Indiana to now serve at South Canyon. Staff at South Canyon includes student and family pastor Tanner Blosser, worship pastor Joel Harris, and member care administrator Misty Wishon. The youth ministry at South Canyon currently hosts the ministry of Love, Inc., which serves to help members of the community struggling with hardships such as imprisonment or addictions.

While serving with Love, Inc., the church hosts four classes for attendees; one on marriage, one on making life changes, one cooking class, and one class on financial stewardship. The church provides a weekly meal on Wednesday nights before the class, and the youth group provides programs for the children of attendees during the classes. Pastor James is hopeful that the classes being offered lead to friendships among church members and community members who are attending classes. South Canyon also held an elder retreat in February and looks forward to a women’s retreat in March.

25 GATHER FOR CHILDREN’S MINISTRY TRAINING

A total of 25 children’s ministry leaders and teachers from the Black Hills gathered in February for a training event. The event was hosted by Connection Church in Belle Fourche.

Training was provided by Jennifer Backhaus (Rapid City: Hills of Grace), Bethany Savery (Belle Fourche: Connection), and DBC Executive Director Fred MacDonald. MacDonald opened the meeting with a session on “Helping Children Come to Jesus.” Backhaus focused on classroom management. Savery concluded the meeting by discussing the importance of praying for children. The participants then broke into small groups for times of prayer.

Leaders and teachers from three different churches took part in the training. The churches were Connection-Belle Fourche, SD, Hills of Grace Fellowship in Rapid City, and Mercy Gate Church in Box Elder, SD.

TCK CAMP GIVING EMPHASIS

Children and families of our IMB missionaries have a special role and purpose, and they also face special challenges and carry unique burdens. Formerly called “MKs” or Missionary Kids, children of missionaries are now commonly called “TCKs,” which stands for “Third Culture Kids,” because these children grow up in a combination of their parents’ home culture and their host culture, which often develops into a third culture of its own. Because of unique challenges that TCKs often face, it can be difficult for parents of older children to remain in frontier positions.

Stephen Carson is the pastor of Connection Church—Belle Fourche

LIVING HOPE HAS FREE CHAIRS FOR A DBC CHURCH

Living Hope Baptist Church in West Fargo, ND has about 110 chairs to give away to any Dakota Baptist church that wants them. The chairs are usable but about 25 years old so they have some wear. Anyone interested in taking the chairs would need to come and pick them up at Living Hope. We are getting new chairs delivered in the next couple of weeks and don't need these ones anymore. Anyone that is interested can contact Tanner Olson at

701-367-1813 or at [email protected].

CONNECTION-BELLE FOURCHE INVITES DBC CHURCHES TO KIDS CAMP

Connection Church in Belle Fourche, SD is hosting a Kids Camp this summer. It will be June 29-July 1 at Cedar Canyon Camp in Rapid City, SD and is open to churches across the Dakotas. The theme is “Wanted." We are wanted and loved by God. He made us on purpose, for a purpose. Kevin Earnest of Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando Mississippi will be helping learn more about what this means. Worship will be led by Ashton Rone of Connection Church in Belle Fourche.

PRAIRIE PARTNERS ASSOCIATION HOSTS MEN’S RETREAT

Prairie Partners Baptist Association has scheduled their annual Men’s Retreat for March 17-18. It will be held at Crystal Springs Baptist Camp about an hour east of Bismarck. The cost is $95 per person, which covers meals and lodging. This year’s theme is, “Show Me the Father." It comes from the documentary film the Kendrick Brothers made following four adult men. It shows the positive and (many times) negative impact fathers have on their next generation. Activities will include watching the movie, trap shooting, and lots of fellowship. The retreat is open to men from all Dakota Baptist churches. The registration deadline is March 14. If you have any other questions, please call Todd Fuehrer at 701-226-7386.

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