Marci and I are very excited to announce a new church planting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a cooperative effort of the Midwest US Family of Churches. Since some of you may be from that area originally or have family living there now, we are asking for any help you might be able to offer. Please read the attached article from Braxton and Jinky Kieft, the leaders of the mission team, and consider how God might use you to bless this effort.

Sincerely,
AT Arneson
Midwest US Regional Family Chair

God is moving in the Midwest United States, and an exciting new chapter is about to begin in South Dakota. We are incredibly honored to announce the planting of the Sioux Falls mission team, officially landing there in early July 2026. While our mission team will be arriving soon, the dream for a church in Sioux Falls has been many years in the making. We are profoundly grateful for Shannon and Janella Van Zee, who made a courageous move to Sioux Falls in 2018 and have faithfully laid the foundation for this church planting. 

For our family—Braxton, Jinky and our 16-year-old daughter, Roann—joining this mission is the ultimate adventure of faith. We’re currently selling our home and packing up our belongings, incredibly eager to see what God has in store in Sioux Falls. Having served in full-time ministry since 2015—from the mission fields of Guam, to leading a region in Phoenix, to most recently leading the Northwest Indiana Church of Christ—we have seen firsthand that God loves to do the impossible when his people step out on faith. 

Our vision is to build a diverse, vibrant and multi-generational church, an effort made possible by the incredible kingdom support we have received. We are deeply grateful for the financial contributions of the MMA (Midwest Mission Alliance), and we are constantly being encouraged by disciples in the Midwest family of churches who are rallying behind this new work. To build a thriving spiritual ecosystem, we are looking for 30 courageous people who possess the “Faith for the Falls” to join us on this church planting. We are thrilled to share that we already have five disciples joining us, and several more are considering making Sioux Falls their future home. 

To complete our team, we are specifically praying for a balanced group of disciples across distinct life-stages: 10 young professionals, 10 mid-life disciples and 10 prime timers (55+). As Jesus shared in Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Even if you aren’t able to move with us to South Dakota, you can still play a vital role in this planting. If you have any family, friends or former contacts living in or near the Sioux Falls area, please reach out and let us know because we would love to connect with them. 

Most importantly, mark your calendars for our Inaugural Service on Sunday, October 4th, 2026. We invite you to come to Sioux Falls and join us for that entire weekend, a great time of family, fun and sharing the gospel. We have seen God do amazing things on the mission field, and we can’t wait to see what he does in South Dakota. 

Do you have the faith for the Falls? If God is prompting your heart to change careers, relocate or step into a new spiritual frontier, you may very well be the direct answer to our prayers. 

Get in touch 

If you are interested in joining the team, learning more or sharing local contacts, please reach out to us directly: