Staff
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EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
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Steve Norby
Lead Pastor |
Aaron Cloud
Ministry Development |
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CREATIVE ARTS
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Kyle Marker
Creative Arts |
Virginia Sprang
Design |
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FAMILY MINISTRY
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Ryan Koltiska
Family Ministries Pastor |
Jaena Gormong
Student Ministry & Oasis Worship |
Brennen Schmitt
OASIS (College & Young Adult) |
Kate Bergstrom
Preschool Director |
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COMMUNITY LIFE
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Matt Douglas
Connections and Care |
Vicki Norby
Communication |
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MULTIPLICATION & NETWORKING
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Jeff Ruggles
Watertown Pastor |
Jenna Engen
Resident |
Jacob Engen
Resident |
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OPERATIONS
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Amber Hobbie
Operations & Office Manager |
Jodi Krogman
Receptionist |
Nancy Stewart
Office Staff |
Larry Hobbie
Maintenance |
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Steve originally joined the staff at Brookings (now GracePoint) Wesleyan in 1996 as the Discipleship Pastor. He left a 15-year career at 3M company where he had held positions ranging from Project Engineer to Plant Engineering Manager. He has a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota and he earned a Bible degree from Indiana Wesleyan University while employed at 3M.
After being on staff here for 3 years, Steve was called to the lead pastor position at New Hope Wesleyan in Williston, North Dakota. He spent 10 1/2 years in ministry there until called back to Brookings in January of 2010. Steve is married to his high school sweetheart, Vicki. They have 6 children and 13 grandchildren. Steve loves to spend his spare time working out, golfing and hiking in the mountains with Vicki. Leading people to authentic relationship with Jesus Christ is Steve’s passion. He is committed to preaching God’s Word in a relevant and life-changing way and desires for people to become crazy in love with Jesus. |
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Aaron joined the staff in April of 2011. He studied Christian Ministries and Biblical Literature at Indiana Wesleyan University and completed his M.A. in ministry leadership from Wesley Seminary and an M.A in Theological Studies from Nazarene Theological Seminary. Aaron met his wife, Lauren, at Indiana Wesleyan. Aaron and Lauren have 3 daughters, Eisley, Emery & Indie!
As the ministry development pastor Aaron works with Steve, our lead pastor, to provide tangible direction to the GracePoint vision of helping people encounter grace, grow in grace and become grace givers. To this end Aaron provides vision, development and direction to the GracePoint staff while also working to cultivate a healthy culture centered around our Church’s vision. In his spare time, Aaron enjoys photography, cycling and reading. |
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Kyle originally joined the staff at GracePoint Wesleyan in 2009 in the role of Interim Worship Leader and served in that role for just under 2 years. After that Kyle served as the Worship Pastor at Living Hope Wesleyan Church in Madison, SD for a year before being called back to GracePoint to serve as the Technical Director.
Kyle met his wife Kelsey at Madison High School and they got married in June 2010. Kyle graduated from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in spring of 2013 with a degree in Ministry and Leadership. Their son, AJ, joined the family in January of 2016! Kyle is passionate about seeing people enter into a time of authentic worship. He also loves to see the way that technology can be used to spread the message of Christ. In his spare time, Kyle enjoys golfing, disk golfing, playing guitar, and playing board games. |
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Nathan was born and raised in Indiana/Michigan as the second of four siblings with a strong commitment to family. His passion for children’s ministry is rooted in his own faith story of coming to know Christ through his second grade Sunday school class. He has a deep desire for children and families to know and live in relationship with Jesus!
Nathan joined the GracePoint staff as our Children's Pastor in July of 2021 after completing his Master’s in Practical Theology for Christian Ministry from Indiana Wesleyan University. Nathan is extremely competitive and will give his best shot at any sport, card game, strategy game, etc. His favorite sports to play are baseball and disc golf! He enjoys following sports, but more specifically the Detroit Tigers and professional disc golf. Nathan is newly married to his lovely wife Kira, who he met at Indiana Wesleyan. They both love all things outdoors, serving people, and engaging in competition together. |
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Virginia earned a degree in graphic design from SDSU, and afterward did freelance design work while raising her family. She had helped with visual design at the church for many years before officially joining the staff in 2012.
At GracePoint she's responsible for everything visual from sermon series branding to stage design to paint colors. She likes everything to "coordinate" and makes sure we all use the right fonts! Her goal is to help create an environment that is warm, inviting and memorable, to allow people to meet Jesus without awkwardness or distraction. Virginia and her husband, Jon, have four children: Tyler, Jenna, Keira and Meili. She loves healthy cooking, studying nutrition and reading. |
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Vicki is a ministry assistant at GracePoint. Her communications responsibilities include the website, facebook page and newsletter.
She is married to her high school sweetheart, Steve. They have 6 children and 13 grandchildren. She loves spending time with her family and enjoys playing Ultimate, hiking and seeking adventure. Vicki's favorite Bible verse is 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, “For God, Who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” |
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Hey! My name is Jacob Engen. I was born and raised right here in Brookings. I’ve attended GracePoint my whole life, and this church practically raised me. I went to college at Indiana Wesleyan University, and I graduated in April of 2021 with my bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministries. I felt a call into ministry the summer after my sophomore year of high school while I was on a mission trip in Mexico, and over time God has developed that call in miraculous ways. I have seen God move time and time again, and I am excited to see how he continues to move.
In my free time, I love to play and watch sports, and I mean any sport. I don’t care if I’m good at it or not, I love being active. I love learning about other cultures and trying new things, especially if those new things are food. |
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Hi! My name is Jenna Engen, and I am so excited to be working with Point FourFive and the outreach team here at GracePoint. I grew up in Brookings, and have been a part of this church since I was a baby! I recently graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University, and I am excited to continue to learn and grow as I serve the students and community here at GracePoint.
In my free time, I love to do pretty much anything outdoors, play piano, and explore new places and cultures:) |
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Kate joined the GracePoint Preschool staff as the Director after 13 years of teaching Physical and Health education in both the public school (K-12) and college settings.
She earned her Bachelor's degree in Education from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2002, her Masters degree in Teaching and Learning from St. Mary’s University in 2005, and a second Masters degree in Adaptive Physical Education from Minnesota State-Mankato in 2014. After moving to Brookings in the spring of 2017, Kate and her family began attending GracePoint. She has served on the GracePoint Preschool Board, leads the “IF: Gathering” women's group at GracePoint, and serves on the Brookings Fellowship of Christian Athletes Board. Kate is married to Brian and they have three children: Krayton, Beckett, and Berkley. |
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Ryan was born and raised in Sheridan, WY. Ryan initially went to college for Musical Theater but God called him into ministry during his senior year. Eventually, this led him back to the Sheridan Wesleyan Church where he spent 10 years as a pastor leading worship, teaching and preaching, and leading community outreach. In 2017, Ryan became the Executive Director of Sheridan KidsLife, a Christian youth organization for kids from 3rd grade through high school with the mission of connecting kids to Christ.
Ryan is especially fond of Ashley, his wife. They both love the mountains, good music and theater, and singing together. Ryan & Ashley have four children, Levi, Ethan, Eliza and Olive. |
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Shawn grew up and graduated from high school in Tea, South Dakota. Following that, he attended South Dakota State University and, after switching majors from chemistry to English education, graduated with an English Education degree in 2017. Throughout his college career Shawn knew that he wanted to teach, but was unsure of what he wanted to teach. While interning at GracePoint, he realized his call to teach about Jesus, not a school subject.
Some of Shawn's favorite things are: reading, playing drums, cheering on Seattle sports teams, enjoying hoodie weather when it’s gray outside, and playing every and any kind of board/card game. |
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Ben originally joined the staff of GracePoint Wesleyan (at that time, Brookings Wesleyan) in 2010 as Interim Youth Pastor before moving to Minneapolis in the summer of 2011 to help plant a church. More recently, Ben has been serving as Worship Pastor at Cornerstone Church in Watertown, SD. After five years as Cornerstone’s Worship Pastor, Ben was called back to GracePoint to serve as Pastor for the Oasis Young Adult Ministry.
Ben met his wife, Abby, while attending SDSU and they were married in June of 2010. Ben graduated from Crown University in 2015 with a degree in Christian Ministries and is currently working on his Masters of Divinity degree through Sioux Falls Seminary. Ben and Abby have three children: Wesley, Alice (AJ), and Otis. Ben has a passion for helping people grow in the character and competency of Jesus through leading worship, teaching, and making disciples with a priority on multiplication. |
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Brennen grew up in Sioux Falls, SD before coming up to South Dakota State University and earning degrees in Economics and Communication Studies. Now, Brennen is pursuing his Master’s of Divinity from Wesley Seminary. Brennen first felt his call to ministry in his later years of high school while taking on a leadership role in his youth group. After serving in various roles within GracePoint’s Youth Ministry (GSM) and College and Young Adult Ministry (Oasis), Brennen has transitioned from the residency program into the College and Young Adult Pastor role. Brennen’s love for organization, people, and Jesus make him a great leader for this ministry. Even better, Brennen was a regular attender at Oasis and served on their leadership team before working at GracePoint. His heart is to provide acceptance, identity, and purpose through Jesus in young adult’s lives.
In his free time, Brennen loves hanging out with his wife and friends, watching and playing soccer, playing cards and board games, and eating Qdoba. |
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Jaena Gormong is graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in December of 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts, as a double major in Applied Music and Christian Worship. Jaena grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, and felt her call to ministry developing over the four summers of her college years as she served in a variety of roles in camp ministry. She comes from a family of farmers and pastors and is excited to continue the line of ministry present in her family.
Jaena is passionate about helping young people come to know Christ, and experience life-giving, chain-breaking, Holy Spirit-filled worship. In her free time, Jaena enjoys reading, sewing, spending time with friends and family, and being outside in the sun. |
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Dave joined the GracePoint team as the Community Life Pastor in early 2015. He studied Recreation Management at Indiana Wesleyan University, completed his M.S. in Leadership and Higher Education at John Brown University, and received his ministerial license through the Cross Training program at Oklahoma Wesleyan in early 2016.
After finishing his undergrad, Dave felt God's calling to Columbus, Ohio where he started working for Ohio Christian University. He spent seven years on staff there and had the chance to work in several different ministries, primarily in Student Development helping program Student Activities, Residence Life, and Student Success where he helped teach the incoming freshman class. He also began coaching volleyball on the side and was able to practice his leadership principles. As the Community Life Pastor he works to implement the fundamental values of GracePoint into the growth groups and organizes our Global Outreach efforts. He also enjoys officiating weddings throughout the year and the occasional speaking engagement. Dave met his lovely wife Heidi in Ohio, even though she is from Florida and he is from Indiana. They have four children: Phoenix Zoey, Zion and Asher. When they are not in Brookings, the family enjoys going on exciting journeys. Their favorite pastimes include some sort of recreational exercise or traveling; if not to see family, then to visit new places. Dave still enjoys volleyball and will participate in any hobby from ping-pong to rock climbing. |
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Matt joined the staff in May 2010. He left a 9-year career in the manufacturing world, 7 years with Daktronics Inc. as a Crew Leader and 2 years with Rainbow Play Systems Inc. as a Design Engineer.
Matt studied Manufacturing Engineering and Industrial Management at South Dakota State University while working full-time for Daktronics and Rainbow. He is now taking ministerial classes through the Wesleyan Church. Matt met his wife Stacie while working for Daktronics. They have a daughter Morgan, 2 sons, Jacob and Owen, and two wonderful dogs. Matt’s passion is to come alongside those who are seeking to grow in their faith and connect them with the vibrant faith community at GracePoint. Matt oversees the connections and care ministries. |
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Serenity and her husband, Jeff, have been members of GracePoint since early 2012, finding their church family here. Together, the two made much-needed, life-changing connections through GracePoint growth groups held at the home of Pastor Steve and Vicki. Soon after, God began to issue an unexpected call into ministry. In the fall of 2015, Serenity graduated cum laude with a B.S. in biblical studies from Indiana Wesleyan University. She then continued working through ordination requirements via the non-trad program at Oklahoma Wesleyan University online, and she is now pursuing an M.A. in counseling through Sioux Falls Seminary.
Prior to this, Serenity gained over a decade of experience in media/events, followed by several years in manufacturing support roles here in Brookings, while discerning God’s call on her life. She was brought on staff in the summer of 2017 as a ministry assistant with the Community Life team, then transitioned in the spring of 2018 into a full-time role, serving our hospitality and local outreach ministries at GracePoint. Knowing personally how much Jesus can transform a life, Serenity is passionate about addiction recovery, jail ministry, mental health, and one-on-one mentoring. Her mission in Christ is to change the world by showing you how you can change the world, too! |
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Born and raised near Flint, MI, Jeff is an avid University of Michigan fan, and loves all Detroit sports, even the Lions. He and high school sweetheart, Kate, got married when they were 21 and a few years later, they left Michigan for Virginia Beach, VA. There Jeff worked as a Polysomnographic Technician (a sleep tech) for a Virginia Beach hospital, and they became core members of a Wesleyan Church plant.
After about 4 years, Jeff felt a pull toward full-time ministry, and began pursuing licensing through the Wesleyan Church FLAME program. Through a long course of events, Jeff and Kate interned for New Hope Wesleyan Church in Williston, ND in 2008, under the leadership of Pastor Steve Norby. In May, 2009, Jeff accepted a position at Watford City (ND) Wesleyan Church, where he served as lead pastor for 9 years. While there, he and Kate had two children, Olivia and Makenzie. In 2018, Jeff and Kate felt God’s pull again, calling them away from Watford City and toward the church revitalization project in Watertown, SD. |
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Amber joined the GracePoint staff in May 2007 as the church secretary. In June 2018 she changed roles & became the Operations & Office Manager. She oversees & manages the facility as well as coordinates the many events at the church.
Amber grew up attending GracePoint with her family. After graduating from Flandreau High School she attended Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, OK, where she received a degree in Elementary Education. She lives on the family farm southeast of Brookings & loves spending time with her nieces & nephew, cheering on the SDSU basketball teams, spending time with friends, traveling, Broadway musicals & just about everything else in between. |
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After spending 14 years living and working in Mississippi, Jodi felt the Lord leading her back closer to her family. Born and raised in Brookings, moving back “home” was affirmed over and over showing her she was making the right move.
Prior to joining the staff at GracePoint in August 2019, Jodi was managing a busy day spa where she learned all about southern hospitality! She is so excited to be back in her hometown and can’t wait to see familiar faces and meet many new people! When Jodi isn’t at work, you can find her with her sweet puppy, Willow Mae, along with keeping up with her niece and nephew. She loves spending time with her family and friends, watching endless amounts of SDSU sporting events, and working out. |
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Nancy experienced a life-changing encounter with Jesus when she was 38. Following the Savior has been a great adventure that has included extended times of fasting, mission trips to Russia and Alaska, week-long trips in the summer to the Wesleyan Camp in Rapid City, and wonderful life-giving friendships with fellow believers.
She started coming to GracePoint Wesleyan Church in 1993 and a year later, she joined the staff in the church office. She serves the ministry staff and the congregation to express her devotion and faithfulness to the One who saved her. |