In July, 2010, a team of students and leaders will be traveling to South Africa for a children's outreach in partnership with OneHope (formerly Book of Hope).

This outreach will include approximately 8 days of ministry to the children in communities surrounding the World Cup venues.

Ministry will include Soccer clinics for children, distributing literature, and showing the GodMan videos.

Plan now to be a part of this incredible outreach opportunity.  Participants must be older than 15 years of age by the time of departure.  Trip cost is $1,250 plus airfare.

We will need students and leaders to participate.

Topic: Meet Missionaries
Title: STL Cares for Orphans
Text: James 1:27
Theme: STL helps missionaries meet physical and spiritual needs

Read the Text: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Illustrate: Social injustice and global awareness are very important to this student generation. It’s encouraging to know that when you support STL you are helping missionaries around the world meet physical and spiritual needs.

Challenge/Connection: After the December 2005 tsunami in Thailand, we were in need of vans to work in the projects that were going on. STL provided two vans that are still in use today in the southern part of the country where the tsunami hit. One van is now used in the orphans project which ministers to over 100 kids who lost one or both parents in the tsunami. It also provides transportation each week for the ministry team that works with the new church plant in that city. It has carried disaster relief supplies, ministry teams, families to church, and performed a host of other ministry-related tasks.

The second van was provided for Phuket Christian Center which has been in the thick of the tsunami relief efforts from the beginning since they are right there in the area where the wave hit. They use the van weekly to transport the ministry team two hours north to where there is a new church plant among the Morgan people who are sea gypsies. The whole village gave their hearts to Christ and the team travels weekly to do discipleship and training with them in the new church plant. This van has also done its share of other ministry-related tasks.

Thank you so much, STL, for the great work and partnership!

Dennis (source)

Receive Offering: Pray and Receive Offering

I've never flown Southwest airlines...but I want to.

I hear that in this age of fees for checked bags, long delays, and disgruntled passengers, Southwest works hard to make flying simple, affordable, and enjoyable.

Three things struck me about this video that I believe contribute to their oasis of success in a desert fledgling airlines. I think they could benefit your church or organization too.

1. The message may be sacred, but the method of delivery is not. Don't be afraid to try something different.
   
   
2. The team benefits when members are given creative liberty. Individuality + passion = people actually enjoying what they do. It's contagious. Let your team loose and enjoy the results!
   
   
3. If you do something ordinary in a remarkable way, people will take notice and tell others. Almost 1.3 million have viewed this video in one month. Southwest's TV spots are legendary (Wanna get away?). Go ahead and try to recall one of United or American's ads.

Yep, I can't wait to fly Southwest, let's just hope the flight attendant isn't a country music lover.

I would like to offer congratulations to the following individuals who received a ministerial credential from the SD Assemblies of God during our 2009 District Council in Aberdeen:

Ordination: Danny Winter (Pastor, Sturgis, Crossroads AG)

License to Preach:
- Charles Bauman (North Sioux City)
- Brittney Bragg (Huron)
- Ashley Cole (Sioux Falls, First AG)
- Jennie Evenson (Sisseton)
- Lynnette Istre (Mission)
- Kathryn Murray (Sioux Falls, Crosswalk)
- Gregory Robinson (Rapid City, First AG)
- Isaac Smith (Sioux Falls, Calvary AG)

Specialized License: Julie Weller (Rapid City, First AG)

Certificate of Ministry: Julie Bauman (North Sioux City)

We are honored to recognize God's call on your life minister to your community.

Wanted to pass along an administrative note that we have new office hours. Should you need to contact us with questions about camp, resources, or other items please know that someone will be in the office Monday - Thursday from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM.

Thought you might like to see the newest iPod.  Long battery life!  No need for headphones.

This is some great dedication to your music.

Thanks Cullen for the post.

Topic: Manage Resources
Title: Marble Money
Text: Luke 16:10-12
Theme: Budget 01

Read the Text: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

Illustrate: Have a bowl of marbles (or other small items) and line up a volunteer to assist you.
Give the volunteer a small amount of marbles and tell them they are to manage your marbles. These are not their marbles, they simply manage them for you. They are to manage those marbles according to how you would spend them. - take care of basic needs of life, have some fun, give to those in need. - first volunteer does this

Have a second volunteer and give him/her a similar amount of marbles and the same instructions. 

However, this volunteer puts all of them in his/her pocket.

Now ask the students which one would you give more marbles to?

The first volunteer - because they managed the marbles so that everything that needed marbles got the marbles.

Challenge/Connection: It is important that before you get your paycheck or money for birthday’s and odd jobs that you plan where you money will go. You must tell your money what it will accomplish for you or you will end up wondering what your money accomplished for you.

You must create a budget that is in line with what the “Owner” of all resources desires. Here is what must be included - Give (Tithe, Offering), Spend - basic personal needs and some fun, and Save for emergencies and large purchases.

If you determine where the money will go before you get the money you will learn how to manage those resources and then in turn will be trusted with more.

Receive Offering: Pray and Receive Offering

Have you ever wanted to send instant updates or information to a group of people in your church without making numerous phone calls? Email just isn't cutting it anymore?

Would you like to send an encouraging note directly to the mobile devices of your entire ministry team?

What if you could reinforce the main points of your weekly message throughout the week in 140 characters or less via instant message?

How much would you pay for such a service? What if it was free?

Enter Twitter.com. With a free Twitter account you can inform, inspire, and build community. The possibilities with this tool are limited only by your imagination. Members of your group can choose to follow your updates (tweets) or opt out at any time.

For more great ideas, check out Churchmarketingonline.com's article: "The Top 10 reasons for Churches to Twitter".

New to Twitter? Watch this video to learn more about it works.

Congratulations to the following churches who did outstanding at our District Finals for Bible Quiz.  Over 65 children and teens participated in our 2009 Bible Quiz Finals at Sioux Falls, First Assembly of God.  In the JBQ division, 11 quizzers achieved their Discoverer Seal, 9 achieved Searcher, 4 passed the Achiever Seal test, and two received Master Seal status.

Learn more about JBQ and TBQ.

JBQ: C League
5th, Rapid City Bethel AG
4th, Sioux Falls First AG
3rd, Brookings Wesleyan
2nd, Watertown Family Worship Center
1st, Brookings Wesleyan

JBQ: B League
5th, Watertown Christian Life AG
4th, Sioux Falls First AG
3rd, Watertown Family Worship Center
2nd, Rapid City Bethel AG
1st, Brookings Wesleyan

JBQ: A League
4th, Huron First AG
3rd, Watertown Family Worship Center
2nd, Watertown Family Worship Center
1st, Rapid City Bethel AG

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TBQ: A League
3rd, Rapid City Bethel, Lucas
2nd, Rapid City Bethel, Sullivan
1st, Sioux Falls Crosswalk, Nissen

TBQ: Rapid Fire
3rd, Rapid City Bethel, Lucas
2nd, Rapid City Bethel, Sullivan
1st,  Sioux Falls Crosswalk, Nissen