Emma McKirdy and Ben Wilsey, from Spearfish United Methodist Church in Spearfish, South Dakota, have spent the summer going to 11 different communities serving over 150 children.   McKirdy and Wilsey have been conducing Sidewalk SONday School (SWSS) out of a trailer in parks and gathering places across North Dakota and South Dakota. 

Mike Flowers, Spirit Lake Ministry Center, is the Director of SWSS.  The trailer and curriculum have been in place for several years.  The intent of the ministry is to reach out to children and families that may not have a connection to who Jesus is. 

SWSS in the Bakken

SWSS was conducted in the Bakken Oil Rush Region this summer in four communities Dickinson, Tioga, Stanley, and Washburn. Emma McKirdy described the experience as “totally fascinating!” 

In Dickinson, North Dakota McKirdy met a mom with three children who had just moved from Mississippi.  “She really didn’t know anyone yet.  She had just moved to join her husband.  They were living in a hotel for the summer. “  The mother and her children were able to meet and connect with other kids and moms at SWSS.  “Here was this mom and kids in this new, crazy town, with no friends, and no connections, and we were able to help make that happen,” noted McKirdy.

McKirdy and Wilsey found that it was a little more difficult than anticipated to get connected and get participation in the Bakken Oil Rush Region. 

SWSS in Washburn, North Dakota was most successful in numbers.  Tioga did not go as well.  The advertising was distributed with the wrong dates.  It was a cold, rainy week.  Families and kids have not moved into Tioga yet. It was difficult to find people. 

“We literally drove and walked around could not find very many kids, “ explained Ben Wilsey.  “Families have not moved into Tioga like they have Dickinson. It is very interesting to see how oil industry works and to see the family side of it.  At first the person comes to work and then families.  Dickinson has family and in Tioga it is pretty isolated to just workers.”  

McKirdy and Wilsey have learned from this summer.  SWSS depends upon the involvement of local churches and volunteers.  However, in the Bakken Oil Rush Region the local church is not necessarily connected to where the families are moving.  “Local church volunteers and delegating is good, but may not be option in this situation,” commented McKirdy.

What’s next

What’s next for McKirdy and Wilsey?  Emma will head back to Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa for the year.  Ben is off to Illiff Seminary in Denver, Colorado. 

They both hope to connect back with SWSS or another ministry in the Dakotas conference next summer or in the future.

Emma’s experience with SWSS was connectional and joyful.  “I loved it!   Living out of the suitcase, pickup. Kids are totally the best.  You spend four days with the same set of kids.  By the end the week they are hanging off of you.  Providing the experience for these kids, meeting all of the people along the way and connecting was awesome.” 

Ben describes his summer experience with SWSS as rewarding and challenging.  “One of my favorite things was getting to meet a million different people.   It is cool see how different churches and communities welcomed us.  The kids were amazing.  It is challenging to live out of suitcase.  You go from week to week without knowing the specifics and resources available to you.  You have to be very flexible. It always turned out pretty well.”