“Our Samaria is Lethbridge, a city in southern Alberta, Canada,” he said. There, Cross Roads has been working with a Southern Baptist church planter. This summer the Minot church has planned its third mission trip to Alberta.
“Our Samaria is Lethbridge, a city in southern Alberta, Canada,” he said. There, Cross Roads has been working with a Southern Baptist church planter. This summer the Minot church has planned its third mission trip to Alberta.
In August, Cross Roads is sending two people with the Dakota Baptist Convention on a mission trip to Russia, fulfilling the last part of Christ’s command to reach the ends of the earth, Knight said.
In the meantime, Christian numbers in the Dakotas are slowly increasing and provide evidence of God’s work, Roach said.
“We’re seeing people, a few more, that are seeing a vision for [the area] and doing some things out of the ordinary,” she added. For example, the Sturgis Bike Rally in Sturgis, S.D. was begun last year, and now people are prayer walking in preparation for the rally next month. Make Sure of this date??
“We’ve got others who are seeing needs in sister churches,” she continued, explaining that though no church has plenty, they are sharing with one another nonetheless in areas like Vacation Bible School and building projects.
In addition, some of the other conventions are noticing the Dakota Baptist Convention and wanting to participate, which is very encouraging, she said. It wasn’t long ago that workers in the Dakotas felt a little on their own.
Knight, the Roaches, and several others, are also involved in the beginning stages of church planting: Bible studies in outlying areas, such as Stanley and Surrey.
Blair Hamilton, along with his wife Jennifer who is from Stanley, are both members at Cross Roads; Budg Reickeman, pastor at First Baptist Williston; and Harry and Sonya Braddock have just begun the Bible study in Stanley, Knight said. The Bible study in Surrey is still in the planning stages.
“Pastor Bruce is very mission-minded and looking for any opportunity to serve, whether in Minot or in towns within an hour or so driving distance,” Blair Hamilton said. “It so happens last summer we had a family [the Braddocks] drive in from Stanley … and begin faithfully coming to Cross Roads, which set off Pastor’s radar.”
Knight became interested in reaching the Stanley area, and the Hamiltons and the Braddocks jumped on board.
“We’ve been praying and praying and praying generally for works in North Dakota,” Hamilton said. “We started to feel like Stanley was where the Lord was leading us because the Braddock family started coming to Cross Roads. Here’s a family that is willing to host a new work in their home. They are the people of peace.
“All the people involved thought it might be wise to at least start a Bible study,” Hamilton said. Meeting in the Braddocks’ basement now, the Bible study group is poised to grow as the participants continue to pray.
Reickeman, who lives about 115 miles away from Minot has also agreed to cooperate in the new work, which is situated about halfway between Minot and Williston, Hamilton said.
The needs in the Dakotas are for prayer, unused or not-very-used Sunday school and VBS materials; personnel to help with VBS and backyard camps; pastors; teachers; music leaders; and people to go door-to-door, Roach said.
“Pray for your missionaries, according to their birthdays,” Knight added. Most of the Dakota Baptist Convention staff and the directors of missions are NAMB appointed missionaries. In addition, giving to the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Easter offering helps fund the work in the Dakotas.
But most of all, Louisianans can go, Knight said.
“Contact the state convention office to see about where you can come to mission trips, start new works, and do various projects,” he said.
The Dakota Baptist Convention’s state director of missions is John Guillot, a native of DeQuincy, La., and former pastor in Mittie, La., and Oberlin, La. Call him or his wife, Donna – she’s the women’s ministry leader – at the DBC center, 701.255.3765, or email them at john@dakotabaptist.com ordonna@dakotabaptist.com to get involved in missions in North or South Dakota.