Photos and graphics courtesy of Sunnycrest UMC.

The pandemic has vitalized servant ministry at Sunnycrest United Methodist Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “It is absolutely overwhelming to see the church in action,” says Pastor Charlie Moore, who serves at Sunnycrest UMC. “The church is more alive than it has ever been. People are exhausted with the joy of serving and showing the love of Christ to others.”

The leadership team at Sunnycrest has identified core values, a vision summed up in this tagline “Love God, Love your neighbor.” Many of members of the congregation are demonstrating the core values and visions during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

What is making the difference, and why is this happening? The laity in the congregation are taking the lead. The leadership team is creating spaces where people can live out their passion for serving and showing the heart of Jesus to others.

Moore says the beauty is in the leadership team empowering others to see a need and respond. “The lay leadership has taken over,” says Moore. “COVID has created all kinds of ways for Sunnycrest to show Jesus to others. It seems like wherever, or whenever a need is identified, the response is great. Whatever they ask, we have seen the response more than double the need.”

The foundation for the overwhelming response is active members who understand the vision to love God and love neighbor. In the past three years, the number of small groups has increased from seven groups to more than 30. Worship is centered around evangelism, Romans 12:1-8 has been a guiding force.

Sermons and worship are focused on vision and values. “I have spent the last year and one-half preaching about the heart of Jesus,” says Moore. “I tell people to let their hearts be broken and step in and meet the need.”

Here are some of the mission and outreach in the past 100 days.

Members of Sunnycrest UMC serve a hotmeal at Hayward elementary.

$10,000 donation to Dakotas Camping Ministry: The summer programming at the three Dakotas Camp and Retreat Centers—Lake Poinsett, Storm Mountain, Wesley Acres, have been suspended for the summer of 2020. A layperson at Sunnycrest UMC, who has a passion for the camping ministry, called Pastor Charlie to do something for camps. The congregation had money put away for scholarships and decided to give those funds to the conference camping program, even though kids would not attend camp for the summer. That amount was approximately $5,000. The donation grew to $10,000 because of calls made by the layperson living out their passion for the camping ministry.  

Sunnycrest Village food drive: Members of Sunnycrest gathered more than 2,000 pounds of food for Sunnycrest Village, a senior living community. Residents at Sunnycrest Village could not leave, so congregants became personal shoppers for people at Sunnycrest Village.

Hayward meals: As part of the Nightwatch canteen, members and friends of Sunnycrest UMC served free meals every Monday at Hayward Elementary School.

Blood drives: During the COVID pandemic, many of the regularly scheduled blood drives were canceled. Members of Sunnycrest stepped up to the call for donations by holding two separate blood drives. In the two days, 84 people donated blood, with the help of medical professionals, in a COVID safe manner. The donations for the second blood drive came from congregation members at Sunnycrest UMC.

Coronahelpsf.org: Many Sunnycrest members are active in delivering food and supplies to Sioux Falls residents through Coronahelpsf.org.

Adopting a village in Guatemala: In January of 2020, Sunnycrest UMC decided to adopt a village in Guatemala, a ten-year, $250,000 commitment through World Help. The goal for the first year was to rebuild a school in the village, then COVID hit. The congregation has raised almost $30k for the village in Guatemala so far this year. That is enough funds to rebuild the school and support the training of a pastor. Additionally, the congregation collected $6,000 to buy supplies needed in the farming village during COVID—food, sanitary supplies, masks.

Making masks: Families in the congregation have made and donated over 4,000 masks since the start of the COVID pandemic. Masks have been distributed to hospitals, businesses, nursing homes. The families just started making the masks, and the requests came in, and they kept pouring them out, donating time and money. 

Response to four kids in crisis: The news reported that abuse of four children in the Sioux Falls Area. The four kids suffered abuse at the hands of their meth-addicted parents. Within a few days, a team from the congregation raised $7,000 cash and over $1,000 in gift cards to support the four children.

East River Foster Care Network: The congregation has conducted multiple clothing drives for the East River Foster Care Network. There have been six different deliveries of clothes.

Pastoral care and connection are vibrant during the pandemic. 

• Lay leadership developed, started up, and hosts prayer/bible studies via zoom five nights a week.
• Lay leadership developed a Challenge Checkup. Every Wednesday night, at 7 p.m. via Zoom, leaders can check-in and respond to a challenge issued each week.
• The Sunnycrest pastoral care team developed a call team. Members of the team call every person who attends Sunnycrest weekly to check-in. 
• The pastoral care team developed a prayer request program. Each Sunday, Pastor Charlie prays for the requests during the online service.

Hispanic ministry and community thriving 

• The Hispanic Ministry at Sunnycrest is starting up a new campus in Mitchell, South Dakota, for the Hispanic community, this week.
• The Kingdom Kids, Sunday school participants, held a food drive for members of Sunnycrests’ Hispanic Community.
  

  Food drive at Blessings Repeated in Plankinton.

• The congregation bought Pastor Herman a new vehicle last week. Pastor Hermon drives to Mitchell and Plankinton at least three times a week as he establishes a ministry in those communities. He often packs his vehicle with food and clothing donations from members of Sunnycrest in Sioux Falls. 
• The congregation conducted a drive for HyVee gift cards for folks in the Hispanic community in Sioux Falls. HyVee is the main grocery store with several locations in Sioux Falls, S.D. More than $4,000 in gift cards were donated.
• Members of Sunnycrest UMC delivered groceries to Hispanic community members who were affected by the COVID pandemic. Weekly deliveries were made to multiple families. 
• At Blessings Repeated in Plankinton, South Dakota, four food drives have been held for the Hispanic community.
• Hot meals are served every day for Hispanic folks in Plankinton who are affected by the COVID pandemic. The meals are prepared at Blessings Repeated and delivered to 29 people each day. 
• Sunnycrest has conducted clothing drives for the Hispanic community in Plankinton. Pastor Herman packs his car with the donations and drives them to Blessings Repeated. 

Pastor Charlie says, “Amazing stuff isn't it! The best part is I have only to say. ‘go.’  I have had nothing to do with any of this.  Amazing servants coming out of this church.  Leadership and individual congregants have done it all!”

Sunnycrest is worshipping online and will start to gather in-person on July 5. On July 14, they plan to hold a celebration for all of the ways God is moving.

The mayor of Sioux Falls sent an e-mail to Pastor Charlie Moore, thanking Sunnycrest UMC for all of their work for the community of Sioux Falls.

“I walked into the sanctuary, prayed, and cried,” says Pastor Charlie. “I have done that several times in the past 100 days. Never put a limit on what God can do. Create space and allow God to work.”