Sioux Falls, South Dakota, located in the heart of the Midwest, is a great place to live in lots of ways. We have many of the amenities of larger cities (symphony, parks galore, malls, variety of housing levels, private Christian colleges, good schools, etc.) without most of the problems. Sioux Falls is definitely a great place to raise children. However, my intention in this article is not to play the part of the Chamber of Commerce for any hapless readers. Instead, I wish to expound on the regional and spiritual benefits of attending seminary in the Midwest.
Attending a Midwest Seminary - Benefit 1: Pace of Life.
Let’s face it – the pace of life here is potentially better for spiritual health. The Gospels recount how Jesus would often turn aside to a lonely place to pray, restoring his energy and recalling his goals in the midst of busy days preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God and healing the sick. The busy factor in Sioux Falls is just as strong as the rest of the world, but somehow the pace is more conducive to a healthy rhythm of life.
We tend to drive slower than the rest of the country. My mother (now deceased) demanded on one of her visits that I drive faster. My speed was too slow for her. Events receive guests early or on time by and large. Seldom do you see a mass of late arrivals and early departures like in Los Angeles. Daily occurrences of foul hand gestures between strangers seldom occur (I can only remember one such communication over the last 24 years although other people tell me they have witnessed it more often than that).
Even the weather tends to cooperate to slow things down. A snowstorm or thunder storm arrives and everything shuts down or slows down. Things still seem to get done with such enforced breaks.
This pace allows more reflection. For a person’s spirituality, pace is crucial. If we would listen, God will speak to us. Our environment here lends itself to a healthy pattern. So,attending seminary in the Midwest is a great way to take advantage of this pace of life.
In Sioux Falls people remain friendly, caring, and honest, qualities often missing in other places. When we moved here in 1984, I was always surprised when people out walking would greet me. That never happened in Denver or LA. Usually a can of mace would be hidden in a person’s hand and certainly no friendly greeting would be forthcoming.
Neighbors here still try to find out who is moving into the neighborhood. They look out for each other if someone is ill or goes out of town or is absent from the family on a business trip. Some people do not lock their homes unless they are going out of town. I have left the trunk of my car wide open by mistake when golfing for four or five hours and nothing was missing from the trunk or car. My wallet was in there. Extra golf clubs and golf balls sat open for all to take.
When one of our friends gets sick, meals are brought in. When a son or daughter graduates or achieves a milestone, everyone celebrates, providing gifts and food, but most important, presence. When a service club produces wheelchairs for third world countries, the sharing of the gospel is just as important as the wheelchair.
For faculty this environment is nice for family. For students, it gives hope that such community remains possible in a world that mostly goes the other direction. However, when a student leaves seminary, they may not serve in such a setting. In our equipping of students, we take into account the “real” world. In the meanwhile, this environment nurtures and grows students. Experiencing seminary in the Midwest, you will be surrounded in community as you clarify your call to ministry.
Attending a Midwest Seminary - Benefit 3: Real Ministry Contexts.
Sioux Falls and this region provide real ministry contexts for students in their preparation for a lifetime of ministry. When I was in seminary in southern California I preached twice in class. Since I served a church on staff, I also got a couple of opportunities to speak during my time in school.
By contrast in the Midwest, seminary is an experience. Most of our students find a place of service where they preach every week, do the “marrying and burying,” and provide the pastoral care for a church. Some churches in this region have only had student-pastors serve them since 1949. By the time our students leave for post-seminary service, they have a wealth of experience in a context where faculty are nearby and can help out when necessary. Some churches give student families a parsonage. They are supported with some income and a housing arrangement, all with ministry support resources nearby.
The Midwest, seminary life, and this region provide an incubator for ministry preparation. And we are only making more intentional ministry contexts like these.
Bottom line—except a few months of cold temps (that we love to brag about anyway)—it’s just a great place to live and minister, especially in fostering close relationship with our Lord. There is perhaps no better place to attend seminary than in the Midwest, specifically Sioux Falls.
