I

March '08

Kelly & Angie Pommer started attending Rustic Hills about nine months ago. They wanted

to find a church home and began to search the Internet. Angie had driven past Rustic Hills

before and so knew about the church, but it was the website that convinced them to give

Rustic Hillsa try.

Both Kelly & Angie said that that first Sunday there was a strong sense of comfort and of

being welcomed.

One of the greeters that first Sunday, was Jeremy Hildebrandt. Jeremy & Tanya had gone through parenting classes with Kelly & Angie. The fact that Jeremy remembered their names and welcomed them to Rustic Hills made a big difference to them.

Since coming to Rustic Hills Kelly, Angie & David have really found a home. “There are great people here.” says Angie. Kelly added, “There is no feeling of being forced into things. Everything is very inviting, but you never feel forced to be part of

something.” Angie said, “I love that you pray for every person’s prayer concern. It is obvious that the church really cares for individuals and what’s going on with them.” Kelly said, “God is definitely here. I feel His presence.”

Kelly & Angie have also found Financial Peace University to be a big help. It’s “providing peace in our daily living, decisions and choices.”

Kelly & Angie say they don’t really know how to describe what they’ve discovered at Rustic Hills “It’s really the whole package. It makes us feel like we’ve come home.”

February '08

Glen & Velma Harms have been part of the Rustic Hills church family for many

years. Velma grew up in Marion and attended our sister church there while in high

school. She has many fond memories of the state camp meeting and meeting people from

the Sioux Falls church while there. LaVera Meyers was a teacher at some of the children

and youth activities that Velma attended as a girl.

When Velma graduated from high school she got a job in Sioux Falls, where she met a young man – Glen

Harms from Turkey Ridge, South Dakota. She said that she didn’t believe there was such a place until Glen

took her home and showed her the town.

They were married at the Church of God in Marion, (Their 40^th anniversary will be this year!) and since they both had jobs and a new home in Sioux Falls, it was quite natural for them to begin attending the church in Sioux Falls which was over on 9^th & Cliff Avenue.

They both liked the church. Rustic Hills (First Church of God in those days) was a friendly church even then. It was smaller of course, but full of good people, many of whom they already knew from camp meeting. Glen played on the church softball team and both their children were born and got their start there. Velma worked with the kids during Vacation Bible School each summer and taught Sunday School all through the years while their kids were still at home. They lived in the country then – maybe 20 miles away, but came into town every Sunday morning and Sunday night as well to make sure the kids got to youth group. Now that both kids are married and live far away she is not teaching anymore, but still values the memories of those days. Glen says that he remembers ushering with Odell Meyer, taking turns mowing the church lawn and cleaning the building.

Velma remembers the move to the new building on Sycamore and Fernwood Drive. “We were a pretty small group then. Maybe 30 people. But it was exciting!” She also remembers when the church addition was added and remodeled in the early 90’s. “We were outgrowing the building, but it was exciting again and it made the whole place bigger. And now we’re overgrown again.” Glen remembers the ground-breaking service and Ivan Hagen and Louie Heidebrink. He remembers fixing shingles with Dick Colbert when the wind damaged the roof.

Velma would tell anyone who was interested that “Rustic Hills is very friendly. We love everybody and they love us.” She also says, “God is there.” That’s important to her. Glen says, “Everyone is so friendly. It’s a caring church.

January '08

Darred & Molly Nelson moved to Sioux Falls from Brookings where they had

attended our sister church, Morningside Community. They knew Pastor Dave and Melanie

and asked him to marry them three years ago. It seemed like a perfectly natural thing to

start with Rustic Hills when they began looking for a church home in Sioux Falls.

Darred & Molly have found all the normal things to be true about Rustic Hills. “People

are friendly.” But it has been the more intangible things that have contributed to them making Rustic Hills their church home.

Molly says, “There is a similarity in preaching and the church’s beliefs to what I was used to in Brookings. More than that, you hear a good message. That’s what I like best.” Darred says, “The church is laid back – low pressure. There is a comfort level to everything.”

It turns out that Darred & Molly have gotten to know many more people than just Pastor Dave & Melanie. They have really enjoyed the different CLUSTERS they’ve been in, although schedule changes have meant they had to change CLUSTERS a time or two.

They are also excited about the possibilities of *SPECTRUM taking off.

*SPECTRUM is the young adult ministry that Pastor Dave is developing

December '07

Michael & Missy Ragon and their son, Max, first began attending Rustic Hills about a

year ago at the invitation of their friends, Jason & Dawn Sigl. They found the church to

be “incredibly friendly” with a “familial atmosphere.” Max used to be very shy and

didn’t like to go to children’s activities at church away from his parents. However, going

to Sunday School and Churchtime for Children with his friend Gage really helped Max feel more comfortable, and he grew to love “Grandma Bonnie” in Sunday School as well as Churchtime for Children.

Michael and Missy decided to come back because of the friendliness of Rustic Hills. They said that people were so intentional about remembering their names, and that really made a difference. Michael really enjoys listening to Pastor Mike. He likes Pastor Mike’s messages because they are very practical and something he can use in his everyday life.

Missy is grateful to have found her niche, because she had been searching for some way she could serve at church. She was glad when Pastor Sandy asked her to serve as a greeter. Missy is very outgoing and likes meeting new people, so this is a perfect role for her! Max enjoys serving with her and asks Missy every week, “Are we the greeters?”

This past year, Michael and Missy have seen God do a lot in their lives. They were able to sell their home and get into a new home. Max had been ill and they were able to figure out his illness and he is now doing well. Michael received several promotions at work, and Missy was able to shift from working full-time to part-time. God has blessed them with a new baby due in February. When they needed to purchase a different vehicle, God arranged everything so they were able to buy what they needed for less than expected. Sadly, Missy’s dad passed away in May, but Missy is glad that her mom will be moving to Sioux Falls once her home sells. Missy’s mom visited Rustic Hills and felt that it would be a good fit for her as well. Missy said they have developed new friendships and have a new sense of peace. She also really loves to see how much Max loves Jesus.

Michael and Missy said Jason & Dawn Sigl and their family have made a big impact on them, as well

as Pastor Jen, Pastor Sandy, Bev, and the Churchtime and Sunday School teachers. Max looks forward to

coming to Sunday School and Churchtime for Children, and he loves learning about Jesus. Michael and

Missy are looking forward to growing their family and having their family be part of Rustic Hills. They

anticipate continuing to get involved and are looking forward to our new building!

November '07

Tove (pronounced Toe-vah) Hoff-Bormes first attended Rustic Hills back in May, after

not attending church for ten years. She maintained a relationship with God, but found

that was hard to do without a church family. In the past year, Tove has felt a strong pull

toward having a more personal relationship with God, and knew she needed to find a

church family. She went back to the denomination she was raised in, but it just didn’t feel like home. Tove drove by Rustic Hills every day on her way to work. She enjoyed reading the messages on the sign because it gave her something to think about on the way to work. One Monday, the sign said, “Board Broken. Message Inside.” Tove said she felt that God was telling her to go to church, and so she came to Rustic Hills the next Sunday. Tove said that when she came in, she felt like she was home!

Interestingly, Tove’s sister from Texas was in Sioux Falls shortly after Tove began attending Rustic Hills. Her sister is a very strong Christian, and had been praying for Tove for a long time to find a church home. Tove told her she had found a great church, but didn’t mention the name. Her sister was out driving around, when her cell phone died. Of all the churches between Tove’s home and work, her sister felt like she needed to pull into the parking lot at Rustic Hills. She found an outlet and was chatting with Pastor Jen when she called Tove. That confirmed for Tove that Rustic Hills was where God wanted her to be.

Tove says that she has been consistently impressed with who is at church – there’s a fairly diverse group of people. You see everything from older people in their Sunday best, to young kids with mohawks and earrings, and everyone is welcome. Tove said that she sees Rustic Hills as a church where people spend as little time as possible pre-judging people. Rather, the common goal is to figure out how to get others there so they can experience God’s love too.

Tove is impressed with the leadership of Rustic Hills. She says, “They have a way of making you feel as though you are part of things...each person has a way to minister throughout the week, to take what you learn and try to live well.” Tove has learned so much from studying the Bible. She really enjoyed the sermon series in Joshua, and has attended several Bible studies. She appreciates how Denise Wehrkamp and others have really gone out of their way to welcome her, talk with her, and get to know her. Tove recently began serving as an usher and greeter so is learning names as she goes!

Tove is married to Steve, and they own the “Warp & Weft” Turkish rug store downtown. Tove also travels a lot for her job as a consultant and attorney. She has a high stress job that can be very frustrating. The biggest change she has seen in the past year is that she has a peace now that she’s not ever had before. She’s learning to trust God to show her what to do, and to trust Him to make things right instead of feeling like the pressure is all on her. God has been teaching her to forgive, and also she has been learning to receive God’s forgiveness. All of this has given her a great deal of peace. It has also meant a great deal to Tove that she could ask the church to pray for her and her family members and know that people cared and would pray for her. The church has really become like extended family. In the future, Tove hopes to get involved in a CLUSTER, once her traveling schedule calms down.

October '07

For those regular readers of “The Good News” you know that this front page usually has a

column from a newer family in our congregation. We ask them simple questions, “How did

you first come to Rustic Hills?” and “Why did you come back?” We call the column, “We’re

Impressed…”

I thought that this month I might switch things up a bit and take the opportunity to tell

you what impresses me about Rustic Hills.

Most of the time what really impresses newcomers about Rustic Hills is the people. Visitors can tell right away that there is a genuine warmth about the people of Rustic Hills. Newcomers are greeted and made to feel welcome. And so when we interview new families, words like “warm,” “caring,” and “friendly” show up in the “We’re Impressed” column.

But when you have been around a while, you discover that there is something deeper than these casual expressions of welcome. I think it is because most people at Rustic Hills have truly connected with God and understand that to “love the Lord, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength” (Matthew 22:37) means that we also have to “love our neighbor.” What is more, the most loving thing we can do for someone, is to be part of sharing the Good News of Jesus with them in such a way that they too desire to become one of His followers.

Knowing and actually living out this purpose of sharing the Good News of Jesus, means that the people of Rustic Hills really do care. It shows in how newcomers are greeted, but it is even more evident outside the building and in the community.

At our Annual Celebration last week, the “business” of the church was done in five minutes with a quick ratification of new elders and a budget for the coming year. Most of the evening was spent in laughter and joy as we honored God for what He had been doing with each of us throughout the last year. That’s something that really impresses me!

The overwhelming majority of people at the meeting told personal stories of how they are working to bless their co-workers, classmates and friends. The over-whelming majority of people at Rustic Hills understand that real ministry is what happens all week, not what happens in a church building on Sunday. That too is something that really impresses me.

At the Annual Celebration most people talked about ways that they have prayed for co-workers or neighbors. How they have sought to care and share with those around them all week long. Most of the people at the meeting shared the experience of having someone at work seek them out for prayer. I’m impressed!

What is more, another exciting development that came out of our meeting was the high number of miraculous healings we have seen over the last year - everything from cancer to shingles. It was impressive to see people give praise to God for the miraculous ways in which He has shown Himself in our lives.

I think it is also worth noting that the people of Rustic Hills have developed a higher sensitivity to the sneaky ways the devil tries to side-track us. In particular, people are aware of the danger of

offense and so are much quicker to notice when some potential resentment or hurt crops up. People guard their hearts and minds from the devil’s barbs. We are doing better all the time at living in an atmosphere of forgiveness. And that impresses me!

I know that this month is Pastor Appreciation Month, but what I really appreciate is the people of Rustic Hills. I think we have a pretty impressive staff here, but it is really the people that make Rustic Hills the great church that it is. I am impressed!

September '07

Jason & Jenna Westerberg moved to Sioux Falls from Brookings last February. Jenna works

as an RN at Avera McKennan and they wanted to be closer to her work.

They loved their old church in Brookings and so tried a sister church in Sioux Falls. Jason

said, “It was nice, but just didn’t feel right to us.” Jason continues, “Then a good friend from

Brookings who had also moved to Sioux Falls (Kelly Mitchell) told us about Rustic Hills and

encouraged us to give it a chance.”

Jason was a little nervous about giving Rustic Hills a look. He had never been to a community church before, but Jenna urged him to try.

Jason said, “But the moment I stepped inside, the nervousness disappeared. I felt completely at ease, completely at home. And to top it all off, the sermon that day (and what seems like EVERY sermon I’ve heard after that) was great. It made sense, it was loaded with truths and was based on the Bible.”

both Jason and Jenna feel safe, comfortable and at home each week. They weren’t sure they would find that comfort level again after leaving their church home in Brookings. Now they feel right at home.

One of the things that impresses Jason & Jenna about Rustic Hills is the number of things going on for the size of church that it is.

Jason has really seen God working in his life since coming to Rustic Hills. He realized that he needed to go back to school, and that decision “turned the world right side up.” Then he got a call from a retailer that had been in a “hiring freeze.” They offered Jason his “dream job.”

August '07

Kelly Mitchell moved to Sioux Falls last January after graduating from SDSU in

Brookings. While in Brookings she had attended our sister church, Morningside

Community Church. She knew that there was a similar church in Sioux Falls so she

e-mailed Pastor TJ back in Brookings for the address and information.

“I tried Rustic Hills out and really enjoyed it. The people are very friendly, the music was great and the message was really good.”

Our CLUSTERS have made a real impact on Kelly. The small group setting with an opportunity to talk about how we apply the message to our everyday lives has made a great impact. If there is any one thing that Kelly would recommend to a newcomer, it would be a CLUSTER.

Kelly says, “I have really seen growth in my prayer life since coming to Rustic Hills. God works in my relationships with my co-workers. The emphasis on being a friend first and praying or blessing someone takes all the pressure off witnessing.” That has been a significant area of personal spiritual growth for Kelly in her time at Rustic Hills.

Kelly is getting married soon to Patrick Mouw. Patrick is a county engineer in Iowa, but comes up to Sioux Falls most weekends so you will see him. Kelly starts school this fall at Sioux Falls seminary.

July '07

Selena Phelps works the day shift at Morrell's. She often runs into Duane Nomansen

when she comes in as he is leaving the night shift. A year or so ago, she got to talking to

Duane about her frustrations with finding a good church to attend. Duane invited her to

come to Rustic Hills and check it out. She could sit with him and Gretta and check it out.

Selena says, "I decided I would try it, so I showed up and I liked it the very first day."

Selena said, "I was really surprised by the Welcome Bag – and people were so friendly and nice. People talk to you and are friendly right away."

Selena was intrigued by the message series that went along with the release of C..S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. "Even though it was a children's movie, I went to see the movie and really liked it.

This Spring Selena attended Financial Peace University. "I learned a lot. I liked the class."

Selena says, "I've been in lots of churches. This is my favorite. If you don't have a church, try Rustic Hills, and you'll see what I mean."

June '07

Arien (pronounced Aaron) & Emily Robinson came to Rustic Hills the first

time when their nephew Dawson Schaffer was dedicated by his parents, Gene

& Jen. That was about a year and a half ago.

Arien said, “It was really impressive that there was a Welcome Bag waiting

for us before we even got home that day.”

Arien & Emily like the friendliness of everyone at Rustic Hills. “They are loving and caring people. That’s what makes a church.”

Harley likes the crafts and balloons and “stuff we make” each week at Churchtime for Children.

Both Arien & Emily attended Financial Peace University this last year and “got a lot out of it. It’s helped us a lot.”

Arien & Emily were excited about the way God answered their prayers regarding the sale of their house. “Our house had been for sale for three months. The church started praying and in two weeks, the house sold.”