Three wise men at the Southern Hills living nativity. Photo by Dave Stucke, Dakotas Conference.

Sioux Falls Southern Hills shares the story of Jesus’ birth with 800

Submitted by Pastor Don Vanderlip in the Dakotas Conference Vital Signs dashboard

Southern Hills in Sioux Falls, South Dakota hosted their 22nd annual Living Nativity on December 7.  The congregation spent the evening sharing the good news of Jesus’ birth with over 800 people from the community.

There were live animals, wise men, shepherds, Mary, Joseph, and a stand-in for baby Jesus. People were greeted, invited in for cookies, hot chocolate, and hot cider. Donations of nonperishable items were collected for Feeding South Dakota. Kids were invited to build a gingerbread house.

Pastor Don Vanderlip reported about the successful event in the Dakotas Conference Vital Signs dashboard and said, “We are grateful for our relationship with Flandreau UMC. They shared their animals for the evening!”

Open Heart UMC aims to raise $10,000 for three area schools

By Tammy McManus, Rapid City Journal

Open Heart United Methodist Church in Rapid City, South Dakota is rallying its congregation and the community to pull off a Christmas miracle.

The church in Rapid City's Robbinsdale neighborhood has launched a Christmas Miracle Offering to raise $10,000 by December 31. The funds will be divided and given to Robbinsdale Elementary School, South Park Elementary School, and South Middle School.

All three schools in Open Heart United Methodist Church’s neighborhood are Title 1 schools, meaning at least 40 percent of their students are from low-income families. Each school can put the money toward the programs, supplies or needs of its choice, Pastor Holly Sortland said.

“Our church is not a wealthy church. We struggle financially,” she said. “We think God placed this church strategically between three schools. We decided to ask people from the church and community to do this outrageous goal.” Read more here.

Children show off the gifts they selected at the Bakken Oil Rush Ministry Christmas in Watford City. Photo courtesy of the Bakken Oil Rush Ministry Facebook page.

Bakken Oil Rush Ministry: Making Christmas bright for those less fortunate

By Ashleigh Plemper, McKenzie County Farmer

Christmas came early for 120 Watford City area children and their families on December 1, as Pastor Jim and Kathie Konsor of the Bakken Oil Rush Ministry held their sixth annual Christmas event and toy mall at the Watford City Civic Center.

The big attraction of the event was the hundreds of new and unwrapped Christmas presents that the children were able to pick from. The toys and other gifts ranged in value from between $10 and $15 and had been donated to the Bakken Oil Rush Ministry throughout the year.

“We intentionally will pull the parents away when the children start picking out their gifts,” laughs Pastor Jim. “They may want their child to pick something as modest as possible. But we think it’s important the children get what they want if it’s available.”

The ministry’s annual Christmas party is much more than just about giving the children gifts. The evening includes a light supper, the singing of Christmas carols, the reading of the Christmas story and holiday fellowship.

“The first year, we only had 40 to 70 people show up,” says Jim. “Considering we had 189 people last year, we weren’t surprised that 200 people showed this time. Read more here.

Volunteers assembly baskets for families at Rapid City Canyon Lake. Photo courtesy of Canyon Lake UMC Facebook page.

Rapid City Canyon Lake: Feeding families by the basket

By Katrina Lim, KEVN TV

We'll tell you what a local church is doing to help combat this problem in this week's Be the Change.

About 100 volunteers from the Canyon Lake United Methodist Church woke up bright and early to pack food baskets for families in need.

It's something they've been doing for 31 years.

Bob Drabek, co-organizer, says, "We've done it all of these years because it was a need that was known in the community. We are a giving church. That's the reason. People need, and we help supply."

Members filled 192 boxes with ham, potatoes, produce, and dessert.

To pack so many boxes in such little time, they've learned to create an assembly line.

Bob Drabek says, "Of course the tables in a square and the products are all on. We have four or five people inside the ring that are continually keeping it fed with more product, and on the front of the table is the item and the number that go into each box."

Carol Dormann volunteered for this event for the last 20 years, and she's continued the tradition with three generations of her family helping to pack as well. View and read the story here.