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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Children's Ministry Kate Bergstrom
Preschool Director |
Ben Gietzen
OASIS (College) Brennen Schmitt
Oasis Assistant |
Jaena Gormong
Student Min Worship |
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COMMUNITY LIFE
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Dave Hopewell
Community Life |
Matt Douglas
Connections and Care |
Vicki Norby
Communication |
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CHURCH PLANT
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Jeff Ruggles
Watertown Pastor |
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OPERATIONS
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Amber Hobbie
Operations & Office Manager |
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 hopes that people become crazy in love with Jesus. He is committed to preaching God’s Word in a relevant and life-changing way. |
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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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Jordan Lynde joined the GracePoint Staff in December of 2016 as the Media Producer in the Creative Arts team. He works closely with the pastors and Creative Arts team to help produce videos and photos that tell the stories of what God is doing in the lives of people in our community. He also oversees the Video & Media volunteer team for Sunday morning services.
Jordan grew up in Britton, South Dakota, and went to Madison in the fall of 2008 to begin his college education at Dakota State University. He graduated with a degree in Network & Systems Administration, a General Studies degree in the focus areas of education, technology, and arts, and also received a Coaching Endorsement. He married Rachel in 2010, and moved to Brookings in 2012. They have a daughter, Maggie, and new son, Rowan. Jordan started helping with the youth ministry at GracePoint during college, and that was the first time he realized ministry was going to be a big part of his life. In his free time, he learned photography and videography. This became a driving passion which led on to new opportunities like wedding and portrait photography. He is very thankful to pursue his passion at GracePoint, and how God is going to use it. |
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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 responsibilities include keeping the website and facebook page up-to-date, and assisting around the office as needed.
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 hiking, playing Ultimate, adventure-seeking, and getting high scores on her Fitbit. Her 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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Jessey joined the staff of GracePoint as Children’s Pastor in October 2013. He studied Children’s Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University and is currently studying at Wesley Seminary in Children and Family Ministry MA program. He was called into ministry as a 7th grader and has been following that call ever since.
Jessey is full of energy and excitement and is able to connect with children on their level, teaching them the importance of following God, loving others, and getting into the Bible. As the Children's Pastor, Jessey oversees the nursery, preschool, and elementary-aged programs ranging from birth-5th grade. Jessey was married in 2016 to his wonderful wife, Natalie. They have one son, Thor. In his free time, Jessey enjoys playing board games, training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and reading comics. |
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Brandy is married to Eric, a football coach at SDSU. They have 4 children Eli, Otto, Isla and Olive. GracePoint Wesleyan has been the family’s church home since moving to Brookings in the spring of 2010.
As a family, they enjoy cheering on the Jackrabbits, riding bikes to the nature park, visiting extended family, and playing in the backyard with neighbors. A tradition they started a few years ago is making a summer bucket-list. Every spring they make a list of as many low cost/free items as they can think of to accomplish over the summer. It has been a fun way to spend time together and take small adventures out into Brookings and the surrounding communities. |
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Steve joined the GracePoint Wesleyan staff in the Summer of 2016 as the Youth Pastor. Before coming to Brookings Steve served as a Youth Pastor the previous 11 years in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. He met his wife Shiree at Indiana Wesleyan University where he graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Youth Ministry.
Steve is passionate about seeing young people come to Christ and as a result attempt to impact their sphere of influence for the Kingdom. |
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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 with Pastor Jessey 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 has been 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 two children: Wesley, 4, and Alice (AJ), 2. 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 where he graduated from Roosevelt High School. Since then, he has been a student at South Dakota State University studying Economics and
Communication Studies. 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 interning with Pastor Ben at GracePoint for a year, Brennen has transitioned into an assistant position within the Oasis Ministry. Brennen’s love for organization and people makes him a great partner for Ben. Together they strive to expand the name of Jesus in the daily lives of college students. In his free time, Brennen loves watching and playing soccer, hanging with his girlfriend and friends, playing cards and board games, watching movies, and eating Qdoba. |
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Jaena Gormong is a recent graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University. She finished 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 welcomed their first child, Phoenix, in November of 2015, and their twin girls, Zoey and Zion, in September of 2017. When they are not in Brookings, they are going on exciting journeys. Their favorite pasttime includes some sort of recreational exercise or traveling; if not to see family, then to 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 as the Discipleship & Connections Pastor. 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 Grace, a son Jacob William 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, assimilation 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.
Prior to this, Serenity gained over a decade of experience in media/events, followed by several years in manufacturing support roles in Brookings. 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 overseeing First Impressions & Local Outreach. As a long-time prison penpal and women’s mentor, Serenity is passionate about addiction recovery, community outreach, mental health, and soul care. Her personal mission is equipping individuals to become leaders in their own lives by following after Jesus. |
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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 when they were 24, they left Michigan for Virginia Beach, VA. There they lived for 6 years with no children. Jeff worked as a Polysomnographic Technician (a sleep tech) for a Virginia Beach hospital, and became a core member of a Wesleyan Church plant.
After about 4 years, Jeff felt a pull towards full-time ministry, and began pursuing licensing through the Wesleyan Church FLAME program. Through a long course of events, Jeff and Kate, still no children, wound up interning for New Hope Wesleyan Church in Williston, ND in 2008, under the leadership of Pastor Steve Norby. In May, 2009, Jeff accepted a lead pastor position at Watford City Wesleyan Church, where he served as lead pastor for 9 years. While there, he and Kate had two children, Olivia, now 7, and Makenzie, now 6. 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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Kayla grew up and graduated high school in Jamestown, North Dakota. Following that, she attended South Dakota State University and graduated this year with a bachelors in Hospitality Management. After her freshman year at SDSU, Kayla felt called into ministry and interned at GracePoint from 2017-2018 on the Community Life Team with Pastor Dave. She also served as the team leader for our 2018 Portland missions trip. Working as our receptionist gives Kayla further experience as she continues to work toward vocational ministry.
Some of Kayla’s favorite things are: coffee, cooking, traveling, being with friends and family, reading a good book, playing card games, hammocking, and running! |
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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. |
Larry has attended Brookings Wesleyan/GracePoint Church since 1963 when he was a sophomore in high school. There he met his wife, Connie, and they were married in 1969. Previously Larry had served in the US Army for three years. He has been a farmer all of his life and received the Outstanding Young Farmer award in 1982. Larry & Connie have two daughters, Tricia (Steve) Wilkins and Heather (Dan) Dubro and 8 grandchildren. Larry is currently semi-retired, but enjoys the maintenance position at GracePoint, as well as helping Adam Wiese during planting and harvest seasons.