2024 Pine Ridge Vision Visit Day 3

On our last day together, our group worshiped in three different local churches in Pine Ridge: Pine Ridge Gospel Fellowship Church, Pine Ridge Baptist Church, and Oglala ReCreation and Worship Center. Here are some of our experiences.

Pine Ridge Baptist Church

Stephan and Jenaya attended Pine Ridge Baptist Church, a church founded in 2012 by Pastor Ken Trivette and his wife, Sherry to serve the Oglala Lakota in Batesland, SD.

On this day, around 70 people, mostly Lakota, worshiped and broke bread together. At the end of an in-depth sermon on Mark, Pastor Ken invited those who wanted to commit their lives to Jesus to come to the front and pray. Praise the Lord, eleven people made the decision to follow Jesus that day.

As affirming as that was to see, one precious moment also stood out that morning: Stephan got to chat with a young girl and asked her what her favorite Bible story was. Her response? Jesus Calms the Storm.

Oglala ReCreation and Worship Center

Most of our team was able to visit the Oglala Re*Creation and Worship Center (ORWC). ORWC was founded in 1997 by Tim and Elaine Harris, who envisioned a church as a home and a place where children would feel safe.

Since 2001, the church has been under the steady care of Pastor Eric and Pastor Leon. Over the years, they have witnessed the beautiful growth of their families, church staff, ministries, and facilities.

Just this past year, the church was able to partner with and host the Oyate Hope Academy, a local Christian school that serves primarily Lakota children. ORWC is in the process of adding more classrooms to the church grounds and is looking forward to what this next year will look hold.

After spending time in worship and conversation with such welcoming staff and members of the congregation, what stood out to us most in our visit was the centrality of prayer and a Lakota congregation hungry for the word of God.

One young man in particular even showed me his Bible and excitedly told me he had made the decision to become a Christian just a week ago. His Bible was covered end-to-end with colorful post-its marking his favorite passages and the passages he wanted to read next. While our conversation was cut short because service was starting, being able to worship and pray side-by-side as brothers and sisters in Christ was something that will stay with me.

Takeaways

After church, our team departed Pine Ridge and headed back home to Chicago.

We had first come with a shared heart for Pine Ridge, a shared posture to listen and learn, a shared desire to seek the Lord’s will and not our own, and a shared hope in the Gospel’s transformative work.

And we were able to leave knowing there are many more workers, teachers, pastors, and churches who have faithfully loved and are loving Pine Ridge. They too desired and are desiring to seek the Lord’s will and not their own. They too have longed and are longing for the Gospel to take hold, to transform and renew.

God has been at work, but His kingdom is still not yet complete. The work is not done, but truly, we cannot do it alone. Our broken world will be made whole again, so then let us— freely, joyfully, and courageously— take part.