country, the school and the world around us. An evening meeting was ... Mr.
Tracy Buer also blessed those in attendance, playing the guitar and leading the
audience ... meals for the weekend. See www.sunshinbible.org for more
information.
servant [sur-vuh nt]: noun a person in the service of another
Winter 2014 Issue
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Megan Hall Touches Young Lives
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egan Hall graduated in May 2007 BS - Crown College, 2007 and married Lucas in August. They Elementary Education worked together in youth ministry at their church until April 2008 when they realized Teaches lower elementary their time there was finished. They took a grades K through 3 mini-vacation before deciding what to do next and in July stopped to visit Allen and Head volleyball coach since 2011 Asst. Volleyball coach in 2010-11 JoAnn Kellogg. While attending church with the Kelloggs the Halls met many people from SBA who were, as Hall says, “very proactive in telling us their open positions, which were a Boy’s Dorm counselor and Elementary Teacher.” They visited the school then, interviewed at the end of the month, and moved on their one-year anniversary. The Halls now have two young boys and Lucas is still a resident supervisor in the boys’ dorm. Hall says, “I love my job and the joys and laughter it brings to my life. I never imagined myself teaching in a Christian school, let alone a one-room, 4-grade classroom. I wouldn’t have it any other way and I’ve enjoyed getting to know, as I refer to them, ‘my kids’ throughout the years and seeing them grow up before my eyes. I love being a part of the SBA family, starting and raising a family here and I absolutely love my job.” 2 | The Crusader
FEATURES
School Board Tom Young, Chairman Onida, SD
Gary Wilken, Vice Chairman
Faculty Spotlight
2
From Our Superintendent
4
New Faces
5
Elementary News
6
Getty Concert
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Day of Prayer
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Buddy Bowling
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Winter Banquet
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Meadow, SD
Paul Beckwith, Secretary Pierre, SD
Phil Hamburger, Treasurer Seneca, SD
Gaven Banik Hartford, SD
Kelly Hettich Onaka, SD
Kent LaDue Meadow, SD
Daniel Paul Carson, ND
Doug Clark Nisland, SD
God’s Truth for Today’s Youth. According to its Articles of Incorporation, Sunshine Bible Academy exists to provide “for the general education of youth in the essentials of culture and in the arts and sciences, giving emphasis to the Christian doctrines and the ethics revealed in the Holy Scriptures; combating all atheistic, agnostic, pagan, and so-called scientific adulterations of the Gospel; unqualifiedly affirming and teaching the Inspiration of the Bible (both the Old and New Testaments); the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; His identification as the Son of God; His vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood on the cross; the resurrection of His body from the tomb; His power to save man from sin; the new birth through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit; and the gift of eternal life by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.”
Co-Curricular Activities
12
Guest Devotional
14
Servant Days
15
SBA Auction
20
Christmas Concert
22
Honor Roll
23
Crusader Athletics
24
SBA Foundation
26
Livestock Program
27
Giving
28
Alumni News
30
Calendar
31
The Crusader | 3
From our Superintendent
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od is Good! I know that is not news to you, and sometimes it might even seem cliché, but it is absolutely true. What a privilege it is to get to watch from a front row seat how He continues to show Himself faithful to Sunshine Bible Academy! At the beginning of December I sent a letter to all of SBA’s friends and supporters asking for their help with a very specific prayer request. The request was that, despite the loss suffered by so many in the SBA family in the October blizzard and the resulting impact that would have on their ability to give, that, through His people, God would provide at least the amount of money we budgeted for year-end giving in response to the letter. I would like to also note that I sent that letter just before the annual auction on December 7, so when I wrote it I had no way of knowing that the auction would be a great success but would not quite meet our budgeted goal for the year. At the end of the letter I said that I was looking forward to sharing with you in the next issue of The Crusader exactly how God had answered our specific prayer. The time has come for me to do that...and I am, as my grandparents might have said, tickled pink! I did not state in the letter what our budgeted amount for year-end giving was, but I am thrilled to tell you that God abundantly answered our prayer! Giving in response to that letter exceeded our budget! I am even more thrilled to tell you that when the budgeted amounts of the auction and year-end giving are combined they total $99,500. As I write this at the end of the first week of January SBA has received from the auction and year-end giving $99,856.82. So, forgive me for repeating myself, but I need to say it again...God is Good!
4 | The Crusader
new faces
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yan Arentsen joined the staff this year as a resident supervisor. After studying youth ministry at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids MI, he had the great privilege to be the youth director at his home church in Hingham WI for 2+ years. Ryan’s passion is working in youth ministry and loves nothing more than to see kids grow in their faith as evidenced by one of his favorite Bible verses from 3 John verse 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” When he’s not working, you can find Ryan cheering on his beloved Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears.
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manda Beckler joined the SBA staff in December as a high school English teacher. Beginning second semester she is teaching English IV, one section of English III, Creative Writing and Speech. Amanda was born and raised in Western Oregon’s Willamette Valley and attended a small Christian high school that she says was much like Sunshine. After high school, she moved to Bourbonnais, IL and spent a year at Olivet Nazarene University before she transferred to Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, where she spent four enjoyable years studying and growing in her faith. Amanda graduated from OKWU with a bachelor’s degree in English Education in 2010. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, traveling and spending time with family and friends. Of joining the faculty at SBA she says, “I am excited to be at Sunshine Bible Academy, and am looking forward to serving the students as they progress through their studies.” The Crusader | 5
Elementary News
The high school students tend to get most of the attention at SBA but we have a thriving elementary program, as well. Here is an update on what the K-6 students did during the first semester.
Lower Elementary - by Megan Hall e’ve been really busy this semester learning all sorts of things. I asked the students what they have learned this year and what was one of their favorite memories so far this year and here are some of their responses.
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Kindergarten - All of the kindergarteners said pretty much the same thing, they have learned their numbers and letters, and one of the favorite things that they remember this year is playing with their new friends. In 1st grade they have enjoyed learning to read, add and subtract and one of Jesse’s favorites was learning how to count by 5’s to 100. In 3rd grade Trinn and Winnie are busy learning their mulitplication facts and division, which is one of Winnie’s favorite. They are also learning how to tell time to the exact minute and as the oldest in the class, Trinn just loves hearing everybody laughing and having fun together.
On October 9 South Dakota First Lady Linda Daugaard visited SBA as part of her campaign to promote literacy. She read several stories to the students in grades K-6. 6 | The Crusader
Upper Elementary - by Lisa Deal re we already halfway through this school year? Many activities have filled our days since the first day of school. I’ll share a few of the highlights from the viewpoint of Speedy, our classroom pet turtle...
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Most mornings I awake to sounds of a student or two leading this group of talented singers in singing and devotion time. Each week they’ve studied a different character trait and I hear them share a song or two and Bible verses related to it. This classroom has very gifted singers and song leaders! About once a month or so, Mrs. Van Zee comes to visit our room. I hear her reading a good book and then she gives prizes to any students who’ve met their reading goal for that month. Recently, the students and I listened to a great adventure story called Stone Fox. Their teacher then shared the movie, Iron Will, with them to teach the students how to compare and contrast the book and movie. The students were surprised at the number of differences between the two. I’ve heard all the students share very imaginative stories using their spelling words. Some stories are becoming novels. I personally wasn’t able to leave my home to join the students in making popcorn balls in the cafeteria, but I heard they made over 300 of them for the Miller “Christmas on the Prairie” community event. These students have very generous hearts. They recently collected $61.87 in change to donate to Allow the Children for Bibles and food for needy children. They’ve also collected 15 pounds of stuffed animals for an orphanage in the Ukraine. Well, that’s all for now. Happy New Year! Christmas by Cassidy Watson Looks like snow on the ground. Sounds like crinkling wrapping paper. Tastes like gingerbread and spice. Smells like cinnamon and spice. Feels like sweaters and coats.
A Trip to the Zoo by Titus Deal I hear a lion roaring. I feel a monkey crawling on my back. I see a blue parrot flying. I taste the sweet ice cream. I smell fresh popcorn popping.
Thanksgiving by Taylor Michaelis Sounds like leaves calling me to jump in them. Feels like fun will be around the corner. Smells like dinner and a good dessert. Tastes like turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pie. Looks like friends, family and good food. The Crusader | 7
Getty Concert
by Kevin Waller he Getty concert, which featured Keith and Kristy Getty and their band, as well as the choirs of SBA, Mitchell Christian, James Valley Christian, Dakota Christian, and Rapid City Christian, took place at the Corn Palace in Mitchell on October 19. The concert included over 100 musicians from six different organizations who came together for a night to worship God through music. The concert was the culminating activity of many months of work and preparation. SBA was the host school, and with that came additional responsibilities. Jason Watson contacted the other schools about this collaborative effort. While Watson was in charge of much of the administrative side of the concert, most of the musical parts of the concert, for the students, was under the direction of Kevin Waller. Whenever information was given to either Watson or Waller, they had to share that information with the other schools. The music for the choirs was received in the middle of August, and preparation on the music with the students began after that. Before the concert on October 19 there was a worship leaders workshop led by Keith Getty. There were about 25 people present, and there were opportunities for them to ask Keith many different things about music in the church. They also looked at a hymn, completed the week before the concert, that the choir would be singing that night as a school premiere. The song was titled “For the Gifts of Heaven.” It was a song celebrating the many gifts God has given, and its subtitle was “Harvest Hymn.” At the concert, the mass choir of over 100 high school students sang on many of the songs the Gettys performed that night. They were directed by Waller and music teacher Billy Ward from Rapid City Christian. The other students were prepared by Kathy Liesinger of Mitchell Christian, Kim Zomer of Dakota Christian, and Lorena Blom of James Valley Christian. The Getty group was in front of the choir, and the choir filled up the rest of the stage. Many people felt blessed with their time at the concert, either as a listener or as a performer. After all of the work that went into the concert, Watson said that one of his highlights was “How many people told me how much of a blessing it was for them.” Senior student Elissa Stiegelmeier said that “Singing with professional musicians made me realize that they do a lot of work to make these concerts happen. The concert was a really good experience, and I had a lot of fun.”
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Day of Prayer
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ednesday, November 6 brought many students and staff members alike to their knees and into the throne room of God. The SBA Day of prayer began with a layer of fresh snow on the ground and a devotional time in the chapel at 7:45 a.m. Pastor Phil Hahn led the devotional and reminded those in attendance to be thinking and praying throughout the day. Hahn asked students to imagine that they were standing before the cross. Students then volunteered to pray for our country, the school and the world around us. An evening meeting was held in the east gym, with the SBA worship team singing a few songs to set the mood to receive Pastor Hahn’s message and to spend time in prayer. Hahn’s key verse for the evening was Hebrews 4:16, and the theme was “Welcome to the Throne Room.” “It gives me peace to know that Jesus is praying for me,” Hahn said. Hahn invited everyone to literally get on their knees in prayer during the service. Mr. Tracy Buer also blessed those in attendance, playing the guitar and leading the audience in singing several songs he has written. Advisory Council member Ken Shay said, “It is very encouraging to be around the SBA family when we can fellowship around work and pray together as a group.” Senior Elisa Hahne commented that the service was different from other services she has been to, but said that what Hahn shared “really spoke to me and the music really touched me. It was something that I really needed to hear.” Junior Jaden Brockel added, “I thought that it was amazing to see all the kids stand up and pray in front of their peers! It was a very powerful night and you could really feel the Spirit moving in the place!” Advisory Council member Randy Hahne agreed, saying that the part of the service that meant the most to him was “the worship. I just sensed the presence of God.”
Seniors Allison Deal, Madison Howrey and Elissa Stiegelmeier contributed to this report.
The Crusader | 9
Buddy Bowling
by Reagan Erickson (‘15) pares, strikes, and crazy lights filled the night as the students of Sunshine headed off to the annual buddy bowling in Huron on October 30th. The event planned by the Student Council consisted of bowling, eating at a restaurant and shopping at Wal-Mart to finish up the night. After school ended on Wednesday, the group of students headed off to Huron with the juniors and seniors bowling at one alley while the freshmen and sophomores bowled at the other alley. Different competitions with fun lights and music were a great way to spend time with each other outside of school. When the games were finished at the bowling alley, the students were given an option to eat at either Panda Garden or Godfather’s Pizza. With stomachs filled, the evening was completed with some shopping at Wal-Mart. The students had fun being able to spend time with their friends, but made some new friends during the evening as well. Junior Cassie Beckwith says of the evening, “It was an enjoyable experience, and it was nice being able to bowl with friends and eat great food.” Sophomore Denver Paul also had a great night, commenting “Buddy Bowling was an exciting time with our friends, and was enjoyed by all.”
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MEGATEEN When: Friday - Sunday, April 28-30 Where: At SBA! Who: Junior High and High School Students How Much: $40 Why: MegaTeen is an exciting weekend retreat filled with fun activities, great worship services and messages from God’s Word and an opportunity to make new friends! Fee includes registration, lodging and meals for the weekend.
See www.sunshinbible.org for more information. 10 | The Crusader
Winter Banquet
by Allison Deal (‘14) n Tuesday, November 26, the cafeteria was transformed into a diner reminiscent of the 1950s, complete with records and ‘50s music. Students could play three songs for a quarter on Mr. Seaman’s “jukebox” on his iPad, with the proceeds going to Feed My Starving Children. In typical winter banquet style, the staff dressed up and served the students. The students were given a choice of onion rings or fries to go with their burgers, and a chocolate or vanilla milkshake for dessert. A contest was held to see who had the best ‘50s costume. The winners were freshman Grace Germain and senior Dalton Gerbracht. Pastor Paul Hathaway from the Family Worship Center in Mobridge was the speaker. He entertained with songs from the 1950s and related parts of them to our lives as Christians. He also sang a few songs that he wrote.
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Clockwise from top left, L to R: Heather (11), Ben (7) and Allison Deal (12); Grace Ellingson (10), Alexis Lane (11) and Susan Wilken (8); Dalton Gerbracht (12) and Erin Rogers (12); Brian LaDue (12) and Trig Clark (12).
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Oral Interp
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by April Teel
lthough smaller than previous years, the oral interpretation team did well this season. This year’s team was made up of juniors and seniors. The Readers’ Theater included Tricia Wilken, Allison Deal, Elisa Hahne, Andrew Shumake, and Heather Deal. They performed a piece “Our Crazy Mixed Up Language” about the many, and often frustrating, grammar and spelling rules of the English language. Elisa Hahne also participated in Serious Plays with her piece “Ashes,” and Allison Deal was a competitor in Humorous with “Coffee Crazed Confusion.” The duet team of Andrew Shumake and Jaden Brockel performed “The Tooth Hurts.” This piece told a story about what would happen if the tooth fairy was retiring and trying to train his inept replacement. The team members began practicing in September, but did not compete until October. The first competition was in Arlington on October 24th. Both the readers’ theater and duet received a Superior Plus in their categories. Allison Deal received a Superior in Humorous, and Elisa Hahne also earned a Superior for her performance in Serious Plays. The district competition was held in Huron on November 13th. Elisa Hahne’s serious play, the readers’ theater, and the duet advanced to the region competition. On November 18th, the team traveled to DeSmet for the region oral interpretation meet. Jaden Brockel and Andrew Shumake’s duet advanced to the state competition.
All State Chorus by Kevin Waller
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llison Deal, Heather Deal, Daniel Seaman, and Andrew Shumake represented SBA at the All-State Chorus and Orchestra Festival held in Sioux Falls on November 1-2. This experience featured 960 singers from over 150 schools and 161 instrumentalists from 24 different schools. The guest director was Dr. Joe Miller, who is the director of Choral activites at the Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. He is an editor of the Music from Westminster series of music, and is a composer and clinician throughout the U. S. The students spent over ten hours of practicing with the choir, and also sang four pieces of music with the 161 person orchestra. They performed music by modern composers and classic composers, including “Lacrimosa,” which is the last piece of music Mozart wrote. Shumake’s highlight was “Being able to perform with most of the schools in South Dakota…The overall experience was worth the work that goes into the weekend.”
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Crusader Concepts Robotics 2013 by Todd Seaman
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his year’s challenge was to design and build a robot for a 3-station assembly line computer plant. The robot was mounted on a carriage that was rotated between the 3 assembly stations and moved laterally along the assembly area. The robot needed to be able to lift and place cylinder objects in vertical tubes, pick and place hangers on two levels of horizontal posts, and then place tiles on an inclined table. The team consisted of last year’s returning members: Noah Appel, Mikeal Desta, Tucker Hamilton, Zach Sybesma, and Sergey Pretre. Joining the team this year were Cailey Banik, Jacey Gregg, Jessica Kim and Dylan Bowar. Charlie Harkins assisted me with leading the team again this year. (Thank you, Charlie). This year’s design gave us a few setbacks. By practice day and a week to go till game day, we hit a motor torque limit that required major rework of the design. Tucker figured out our programming control issues and our manufacturing crew had the robot functioning by Thursday night. Jessica and Jacey designed our grasping apparatus and had that ready for game day. Twelve of the fourteen teams showed up in Brookings for the competition and we were able to make it into the quarterfinals of the top 8 teams. We had difficulty scoring on two of the stations and did not make the final four. It was great to see the team get the robot functional and score well in the seeding rounds. Our five drivers (Tucker, Noah, Zach, Sergey, and Jessica) worked well with their teammates in placing the robot in scoring situations and the manufacturing team was able to make some mid match changes that improved the robot’s capabilities. We look forward to next year’s challenge.
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GUEST DEVOTIONAL RADICAL by Cassie Beckwith (‘15)
During the junior class Servant Days trip Cassie Beckwtih led her class in devotions using the following outline based on Revelation 3:16... “So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Real~ Are we taking our faith seriously? Active~ Are our actions reflecting our faith? Daring~ Are we too comfortable in our comfort zone? Intensity~ Do we realize we are in a spiritual war? Certainty~ Do people have to puzzle over whether you are a Christian or not? Attentive~ Are we paying attention to the needs around us? Living~ Are we advancing the King and His kingdom? These are great questions for all of us to consider, and we trust they will prompt a time of reflection for you as well.
RADICAL 14 | The Crusader
Servant Days
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he freshmen class went to Sioux Falls for their Servant Days trip and volunteered at The Banquet, the Salvation Army and the Food Bank. They also went to the Ronald McDonald House for a tour and to deliver pop can tabs collected by SBA students. The Banquet is an organization that feeds people struggling with finances. Students were able to sit down and talk with these people, enjoying a nice supper while having great conversations with them. Students were also able to work at the daycare at The Banquet, helping to watch the children there. At the Salvation Army the class helped wrap presents for the inmates that would not be making it home for Christmas. There was a big table filled with presents that students were able to wrap. Then they took tags that were filled with heartfelt notes from the inmates, taped them onto the wrapped packages and set them aside to be shipped to the families. The students separated different kinds of food into groups at the food bank, after which the workers put the food onto the shelves for the less fortunate to take home with them. Students enjoyed seeing how the whole system works. The Ronald McDonald House tour was a great experience and it was interesting for the students to see the many different things that they do there. The facility is somewhat like a hotel but it is for people who live far away from the hospital and need a place to stay while a loved one is receiving treatment. The Ronald McDonald House is a great and caring place. The eyes of the ninth grade students were opened during this trip as they saw how many individuals who are less fortunate live and have some of their needs met. by Elizabeth Schultz The Crusader | 15
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he sophomore class had the opportunity to go to the Eagle ButteDupree area this year and to stay at the Moreau River Sanctuary. Upon arriving on Monday, we unloaded the Suburbans, played football or went on a hike, ate dinner and then had some free time until devos. The devos that night were given by Brady Bickel, a former SBA student. Brady gave his testimony and really emphasized that Christians are in a spiritual battle here on earth. On Tuesday and Wednesday Stetson Erickson, a fellow sophomore, led devos. He emphasized our walk with God by focusing on how we should treat others and how God wants us to act. On Wednesday he focused on eternity. He told us to trust God and reminded us that choices on earth will impact eternity. On Tuesday morning we went to our main work projects. We loaded back into the Suburbans and went into Eagle Butte to help the Dosch family work on a church they are building. We were split into three groups: one for cleaning brush, one for house-wrapping the building and one for building the entryway. We helped at the church into the afternoon, and after lunch we were split into two groups. One group stayed at the church while the other went to a youth center in Eagle Butte known as “The Main.” Here we took down some decorations and then divided up to wash walls, take inventory of and wash dishes or sort Christmas items. This opportunity was especially neat because we were able to witness to a nonChristian organization. by Staci Seaman 16 | The Crusader
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he junior class was in Platte to help with the task of chopping, loading and transporting wood for the Eagle’s Nest Life Center in Wanblee, a ministry of Gus and Terry Craven. After stopping at Trinity Lutheran Church in Platte to unload their luggage the juniors traveled a few miles out of town to meet Gus and began the task set before them. When they finished filling a side-dump trailer the juniors went back to town where they enjoyed a meal provided by Platte’s youth group. The evening ended with music led by Miss VanHolstyn, Jaden and Heather and a devotion on unity led by Reagan. In the morning the class enjoyed donuts and eggbake provided by ladies in the community. Cassie led devotions and challenged her classmates to live a RADICAL faith, using the acronym for Real, Active, Driven, Intense, Confident, Attitude and Life. The class then packed up and went back out to cut and load more wood. After filling a flatbed with wood the class climbed back onto the bus and set out for Wanblee. After lunch the class unloaded the bus and quickly got to work restacking the wood on the Craven’s property. They worked hard until all of the wood was stacked and then enjoyed a meal prepared by some of the girls. The games “Baby, if you love me” and “Never have I ever” occupied the time between supper and devotions. Mr. Boersma led devotions based on Romans 12:1 challenging the class to sacrifice something in their lives. Some of the guys prepared breakfast Wednesday morning, and after cleaning up the church, the class headed out to Glory Ranch, run by the Craven’s son. There they rebuilt a fence and re-sided one side of a barn. Zach Sybesma said of the trip, “[My favorite part was] seeing that how little we did really impacted the community [of Wanblee] a lot.” Reagan Erickson shared, “Servant Days was a great time for us to be together as a class and hear God speak to us in different ways.” by Heather Deal The Crusader | 17
Senior Servant Days
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n a sunny, crisp November morning the SBA class of 2014 loaded the bus and set out for Missouri. The group included twenty-one seniors, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Burma, Mr. Lucas Hall, and Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Paul. The first night was spent in Council Bluffs eating pizza, checking out Bass Pro Shops, sharing devotions and swimming in the hotel pool. The group arose bright and early the next morning to continue on to their destination, New Tribes Mission (NTM) in Roach, Missouri. Along the way the group enjoyed a chicken lunch on a hill, “looking much like a band of vagabonds,” said Madison Howrey, and also stopped to check out the castle ruins at Ha Ha Tonka State Park in Lake of the Ozarks. Upon reaching NTM the group unloaded their belongings and were told they needed to get registered. The people registering them, however, were speaking a different language—much to the confusion of some of the students. The reality was that the registration process and what took place over the next couple of days was part of NTM’s Flashpoint Adventures, a program that exposes participants to many of the challenges and realities of being a missionary to unreached people groups. As part of this program, which involved sleeping outside on cots in tents with propane heaters, the group gained a glimpse of what missionaries go through in learning a new language and developing an alphabet for tribes with written language. One of the key lessons several students mentioned about the Flashpoint experience is that not everyone is called to the foreign field, but everyone is called to the mission field. Another valuable lesson was recalled by Dalton Gerbracht, who said, “Things have a different meaning [in other cultures] than our meaning in the U.S. and the only thing that all cultures have in common is that there is a problem with sin.” On Thursday the group toured NTM’s tech center, where they build and troubleshoot things like water purification systems and solar powered electrical systems. Also on Thursday the group relocated from their tent sites to a house that is being built as a place for missionaries to stay after coming back from the mission field. The group split up and did different jobs around the house. They raked leaves, painted and built a retaining
18 | The Crusader
wall. “I had fun painting,” said Elisa Hahne, “but I think I came away with more paint on me than what we painted inside!” After leaving NTM the group headed back to SBA by way of Kansas City and Omaha, spending Saturday night at Grace University where several SBA alums attend. The group had a tour of the campus and spent the night in the dorms, partnered with Grace students. On Sunday the group attended a mega church in Omaha, an experience David Paul said was “fun one time, but I don’t need to do it again.” Commenting on the trip Erin Rogers said, “My favorite part of senior trip was by far the interaction with my classmates. It’s always interesting getting to know people on a deeper and more personal level. Some people react differently to certain things. Having devotions brought the class together on a more emotional and spiritual level. Working together also tends to reveal the true nature of people. Finally, the bus rides offered a great opportunity for conversation with people we might not normally converse with.” Melinda Schroeder commented, “Growing up in the church life, I always heard, ‘please pray for the missionaries.’ To me it was normally a short prayer asking God to help these people raise enough money for supplies that they needed, and that was it. But this week made me realize that there is so much more going on besides financial issues for missionaries. They are sometimes persecuted and made fun of, lied to and ignored, but these people keep striving on toward the plan that God has for them.” Elissa Stiegelmeier said, “If there’s one thing that got to me on senior trip, it’s Matthew 9:37, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.’ Whether it’s being a prayer warrior back home for other missionaries or going out into the bush to bring the gospel to a tribe that has never heard it before, each and every one of us can be a worker in God’s fields.” Noah Appel, Allison Deal, Madison Howrey and Brian LaDue also contributed to this report. The Crusader | 19
Annual Auction
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hat makes the auction so special? Jon Lane, new Development Director at Sunshine, said that he really enjoyed the time of fellowship and getting to know more of the SBA family. Each year is it’s own celebration! Each year has it’s own surprises. Every year brings many familiar faces, and some new friends to meet, and the opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness through the years. This year was no different. God provided for our financial needs, and provided the opportunity to celebrate with friends and family. Close to $75,000 was raised for the general operating budget, and we had about 170 bidders this year. The numbers were down a bit from last year, according to Heidi Seaman, auction coordinator, but the fellowship was abundant, and God faithfully provided for the needs of the school. All of the students participated in some form of service for the auction itself, and this year many students helped to create things to sell! Upper elementary students made tin can collections that contained everything from edible goodies to gift items for teachers, new moms, and friends and raised $200. Sixth grader Shariah Brockel tied a fleece blanket that brought $125. Each high school class put together a basket of goodies raising a total of $300. Seniors Trig Clark and Brian LaDue also used their skills to create many horseshoe racks and hooks adding about $2000 to the total sales. Paula Pedersen made her famous sour cream peach pies, Ralph Zieger created a beautiful deacons bench and Barb quilted a couple of table runners, Renee and Heidi Seaman painted pottery and Dale Paulson was busy in his wood shop creating tables, shelves, picture frames and a beautiful mirror. Bing candy, homemade buns, puff caramel corn, and JoDean’s famous donuts were in abundance as well. Maurice Hinman made a cattle chute that brought the top bid for any individual item ($6,250). We had an anonymous donor give 300 bales of alfalfa (proceeds split with Mitchell Christian) raising almost $9,000 total, and the Orthodontic package from Dr. Roth in Pierre raising $5,300. We were thrilled to have many of our faithful auctioneers back this year too -- Alan Bales, Jim Anderson, Brad, Matthew, Brad Jr., and Gordon Magness, Mike Corcoran and Todd Waring. We were also excited to have Joe Sovel and Allen Odden join us this year. Cobbie Magness helped us remember the team (Glen Stewart, Jack Ufen, Arnold Johnson and Elton Anson) that started the auction “back up” in 1980 by auctioning off a pair of baby booties made by Mary Rae Anson. Cobbie was listed as the only auctioneer back on October 31, 1980!! 20 | The Crusader
God has certainly been faithful to supply the financial needs for the school since that time. With over 1200 items, certificates for services, or coupons for food donated this year, we know that it takes lots of variety and creativity to make the day special for everyone. We are so incredibly thankful for all who shared their talents, skills, and professional ser vices to make the auction a huge success and a day of celebration!
From top: Friends enjoying the auction; Brad Magness and sons auctioning; Cobbie Magness auctioning baby booties; Susan Wilken and Reagan Erickson working the food stand; Brian LaDue and one of his horsehoe creations. The Crusader | 21
Christmas Concert by Kevin Waller he SBA “Christmas Classics” concert took place on December 13 in the event center. The concert featured eight different music groups, and the theme included performances of a variety of classic Christmas songs. The elementary program started the evening with a musical written by SBA staff member Dorie Trumbo. The skit focused on the roles the characters in the Bible played in the Christmas story, and how they might have felt about their role in the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Trumbo also wrote the first song in the musical, and the rest of the songs they performed were traditional Christmas hymn arrangements. Following the elementary program, grades 7-12 spent the rest of the evening sharing their music that they had learned. The Ladies Ensemble was the first high school group to perform, followed by the All-State Ensemble singing a song they sang at the All-State Choir Festival. The band followed with three pieces, including “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and “Selections from the Nutcracker Suite.” After an intermission, the Men’s Ensemble, Small Vocal Ensemble, and Handbell Ensemble each performed two pieces of music. The concert concluded with the full choir singing five songs, with juniors Heather Deal and Andrew Shumake accompanying the choir for one song apiece. The concert closed with “Echo Christmas Joy” which included parts of the classic Christmas song “Joy to the World.” Craig Brockel, accompanist for the vocal groups, stated “I am always encouraged to see the students use their gifts for God.” Most of the music throughout the night focused on sharing the joy and blessings that we have been given from Jesus. Sophomore Samantha Rogers said “One of the biggest blessings I have had being in the band is the bonding I get to do both in and out of the classroom with other students.” May the messages behind the music serve as a reminder to be thankful for all of the blessings that the Lord has provided us throughout the year.
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First Semester Honor Roll
Highest Honors High Honors (4.0 GPA) (3.643-3.999 GPA) Grade 7 Grade 8
Renee Seaman Susan Wilken
Grade Elizabeth Schultz Cailey Banik 9 Jessica Kim Grade 10
Isaac Clark Sarah Pedersen Staci Seaman
Grade Daniel Seaman 11 ‘
Honors (3.0-3.642 GPA) Jace Burma Dylan Bowar Jacey Gregg Jed Konechne Elise Mollenbeck Rebecca Spangler
Stetson Erickson Denver Paul Samantha Rogers Sierra Young
Cody Buer Cole Buer Samuel Clark Joseph Lopez
Cassandra Beckwith Jaden Brockel Heather Deal Reagan Erickson Jana Hunt Rebekah Konechne Alexis Lane Andrew Shumake
Malachi Clark
Grade Madison Howrey Helena Ahn 12 David Paul Allison Deal Erin Rogers Anna Park Gina Park Elissa Stiegelmeier Tricia Wilken
Noah Appel Seth Buer Trig Clark Dalton Gerbracht Elisa Hahne Naomi Harmon Kalabe Kassa Faith Kolovos Brian LaDue Drew McClain The Crusader | 23
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unshine Bible Academy’s fall sports seasons came to an end in midNovember. The football team finished 2-6 this year. Despite several serious injuries to seniors, four of them were recognized with All Conference honors. Trig Clark and Brian LaDue were named to the All Conference team, while Seth Buer and Dalton Gerbracht received All Conference honorable mention. The volleyball season was one of Coach Megan Hall’s favorite so far. The team finished with a record of 14-12, with their season coming to end with a 3-1 loss to Sully Buttes in the second round of the district tournament. Erin Rogers and Tricia Wilken made the All Conference Third Team and Sarah Pedersen received honorable mention. In Cross Country, Renee Seaman (8) and Alexis Lane (11) advanced to the state meet. Seaman finished 39th with a time of 17:26.28 and Lane finished 75th with a time of 18:05.73 (in a distance of 4000 m). Jace Burma (7) also advanced to state where he finished 62nd with a tme of 19:45.30 (in a distance of 5000 m). Winter sports are now underway. Boys basketball is coached by Jamie McClain, assisted by Lucas Hall. Girls basketball is coached by Lindsey Hettich. Wrestling is coached by Jason Burma. Cheerleading is coached by Julie Lane. Scores and stats for all athletic contests can be found by visiting the SBA web site at www.sunshinebible.org/athletics.html and selecting the sport.
Back row L-R: Denver Paul, Jed Konechne, Cahden Howrey, Ben Stiegelmeier, David Paul, Coach Jason Burma; Front row L-R: Allison Deal (stats), Melinda Schroeder (stats), Jade Burma, Jace Burma, Dalton Gerbracht, Trig Clark, Evan Lopez, Noah Appel 24 | The Crusader
athletics
Back row L-R: Rebekah Konechne, Heather Deal, Susan Wilken, Jessie Harrison, Cassie Beckwith, Sarah Pedersen, Reagan Erickson, Sierra Young, Jana Hunt, Grace Wollman; Middle L-R: Jessica Kim, Tierney Connell, Cailey Banik, Grace Germain, Elizabeth Schultz, Renee Seaman, Rebecca Spangler; Front L-R: Tricia Wilken, Elissa Stiegelmeier, Gina Park, Anna Park
Back L-R: Joseph Lopez, Isaac Clark, Brian LaDue, Malachi Clark, Stetson Erickson, Cole Buer, Jaden Brockel; Middle L-R: JT Hunt, Felipe Sawaki, Drew McClain, Sergey Pretre, Cody Buer, Sam Clark, Kalabe Kassa, Seth Buer, Joseph Lane; Front L-R: Dylan Bowar, Samuel Pedersen, Travis Hass, Christopher Hass, Joshua Hofman The Crusader | 25
SBA Foundation David Paul, Chairman
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n the last several issues of the Crusader we haven’t really talked about the SBA Foundation. This time we will. First and most important is that the SBA Foundation has but one reason to exist, that being to provide a tool for the support of Sunshine Bible Academy. Building endowments is one tool the Foundation uses for supporting Sunshine. There is a general endowment, one for scholarships to attend Sunshine, one for wrestling, and just recently an endowment for music has been started. Now with over three hundred thousand dollars and growing in endowments the payout to the school was about fifteen thousand dollars in 2013. Another tool is encouraging estate planning and endowments by you to help support Sunshine. Our goal is to be here for our grandkids, their kids and their grandkids; continually teaching “God’s truth for today’s youth.” The Foundation also holds in trust all money given for the building fund. This is helpful to the school board in that it draws a clear line between general fund money and the building fund. A big job for the Foundation is overseeing the school’s cattle program. We are very fortunate in this endeavor to have Steve Frusher out in the country working very hard and doing an excellent job. This past year, through these good cattle families, the program brought in enough revenue to cover 10% of Sunshine’s budget. Please feel free to contact us if you have an interest in anything the Foundation offers. “We would like to spend some time with you.” (I borrowed that last phrase from my good neighbor Hugh Ingalls’ bull marketing program.)
For information on planned giving and estate planning, visit www.sunshinebible.org and click on “Giving.”
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Livestock Program Steve Frusher, Director
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t seems like this fall has been an extremely difficult time due to the blizzard of October 4th and 5th. The resultant loss of livestock was hard to comprehend. How was I to respond and be a help to the ranchers who had sustained such losses? Prayer and telephone calls of encouragement were the answers that God gave to me. I am still praying for the ranchers as they deal with all kinds of issues as a result of the unexpected fall storm. For those who have donated livestock, money, and time, God will richly reward you. What are some of the spiritual benefits of a natural disaster like the blizzard? Hopefully, we are drawn to a closer relationship and dependence on God and do not become angry or bitter. Romans 5:3-5 says, “but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” We all need hope when circumstances seem humanly impossible. However, our hope can be easily misplaced onto material possessions or human relationships. Only God provides eternal and authentic hope. During Thanksgiving as I was looking up verses on giving thanks, First Thessalonians 5:18 stuck with me. “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you.” The verse says “in everything”. What does that mean? Are we to give thanks for a blizzard that killed people’s livelihood? No, we are to give thanks in every situation, but not necessarily because of the situation. When we do God’s will, He gives us hope, inner peace, joy, and thankfulness. Finally, in Philippians 3:13-14 Paul says, “but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” We all have situations in our lives that need to be put behind us, then reach for the goal of knowing Christ better, and to be more Christ-like. Please continue to pray for the ranchers who lost livestock.
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Gifts Gift Given By
In Memory/Honor of Given to SBA General Fund Rod Banek Della Rae Mickelson Phil & Vicki Hahn Della Rae Mickelson Rod & Elva Belle Carr Della Rae Mickelson Maurice & Debra Hinman Della Rae Mickelson Larry & Kathy Nickelson Della Rae Mickelson Larry & Kathy Nickelson Ronda Todd Beverly Traver Ronda Todd Arden Maude Irma Maude Floyd & Donna Cammack Irma Maude Mrs. Ardath Hinman Byron Hinman Mark & Becky Stiegelmeier Byron Hinman Mark & Becky Stiegelmeier Janet Newell Carroll & Jan Brockel June Haram Ronald & Edith Crosby John Olinger Marilyn Schultz Darrell Schultz Maurice & Debbie Hinman Lawrence Kruse Lawrence Kruse Estate Lawrence Kruse Lorraine Augspurger Wilbur Hurd Tom & Judith Brady Jeffrey V. Hurlbut Tom & Judith Brady Steven J. Brady Bryan & Peggy Minnich Delores (Banik) Swanson Edwin & Mae Niewenhuis Kevin Rogers John & Susan Rae Helgeland Grace Ann Ellingson Harold (Bud) Weller Clara Belle Weller Katherine Johnson Duane Johnson Glenda Huse Bertha Stahl Karen Wollman My two years at SBA Bonnie Anderson Harold Anderson Bonnie Anderson Sandi Anderson Millard & Carole Seaman Timothy Seaman Jon & Karen Bice James Rodabaugh Dale & Akae Bussell Camrynn Wagner Beverly Grabowska Les Grabowska Tom & Judith Brady John Hofer Joyce Weiss Don Weiss Wayne & Cindy Goodrich Joann Kellogg Doris Rudesill James T. Rudesill Eugene & Carol Simkins Arvis Simkins Carroll & Jan Brockel Janel Brockel Saunders 28 | The Crusader
Gift Given By In Memory/Honor of Given to SBA General Fund Roger & Beverly Paul Roger Paul John & Freda Rasko SBA Staff @ St. Lawrence Community Church Given to SBA Scholarship Funds Robert & Janice Morgan E. Stanley Morgan Scholarship Given to SBA Building Fund Rich & Millie Richer Della Rae Mickelson Sam & AnnaBelle Mortenson Jade Mortenson Daniel Todd Ronda Todd Philip & Amy Kruse Lawrence Kruse
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id you know that tuition to SBA covers only about half of the cost of operation? That is by design, not mistake. Since its founding, SBA has had the policy of keeping tuition as reasonable as possible in order to prevent finances being the reason any student could not attend the school. The board trusts the Lord to provide the balance, which He has faithfully done through His people. A letter written from Reece Bligh, SBA board chairman in the 1960s, to the Friends of SBA explains this policy well: “We’ve never intended that the tuition charges would pay for the expenses of running the school. Very few students could afford to come to a Christian high school except that the cost of their education be shared by people who believe in training youth for leadership in private Christian schools.” Those sentiments are still true today, and SBA appreciates every dollar that is given to support the ministry of teaching God’s Truth to Today’s Youth. Your gifts “fill our cup.” There are a variety of ways in which donations can be made, including online, at www.sunshinebible.org/donate.html. Image courtesy of winnod/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Alumni Announcements MARRIAGES
PUBLICATIONS
Ethan McClain (‘10) was married to Mariah Pattavina on October 19. The couple currently reside in Omaha, NE.
Pastor Tim Stahl (Dean of Students, 1977-79) has published a book entitled God Uses Hurts and Why I Must Forgive. The book can be found on Amazon.com.
BIRTHS Brandy (Young, ‘06) Pardee and her husband Josh welcomed their son Teigen into the world on October 20.
Pastor Lee Smith, who taught a Bible class at SBA for ten years while pastoring St. Lawrence Community Church and served as Bible teacher and chaplain at SBA in 2005-06 has published Reflections of a Small Town Pastor: Engaging in God’s Mission in Smaller Places. The book can be found at www.nsresources.com.
Rebecca Friedlander
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n Thursday, April 10 artist Rebecca Friedlander will share at SBA at 1:45 p.m. Friedlander uses a variety of artistic mediums to express her stories and passion for the Kingdom of God. She plays a variety of instruments and also uses a potter’s wheel as a personal way to express the Lord as the Potter and His people as the Clay. Friedlander’s SBA presentation will include the wheel as well as a time of worship in song, and is open to the public. www.rebeccafriedlander.com.
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Calendar Upcoming events... JAN 27
One Act Play at SBA - 7:00 p.m. The Taming of LaRue
FEB 3
No School - Winter Break
FEB 12
Small Group Music Contest Northern State University - Aberdeen
FEB 20
PTF Pie Auction following basketball games against Dakota Christian
MAR 7
End of Third Quarter Parent-Teacher Conferences
MAR 10-14
Spring Break
MAR 28-30
MegaTeen Retreat
APR 10
Rebecca Friedlander Concert 1:45 p.m. in Event Center
APR 15
SBA Track Meet
APR 18, 21
No School - Easter Break
APR 25
Junior/Senior Banquet
A complete calendar can be found at http://www.sunshinebible.org/Calendar.html The Crusader | 31
Address Service Requested.
400 Sunshine Drive | Miller SD 57362
SUNSHINE BIBLE ACADEMY For more information: www.sunshinebible.org | 605.853.3071
