Character Connex

Character Connex is an elementary-level school assembly program developed to teach good character traits to students.  The high-energy program captures all the senses, featuring video, skits, puppets, games, illusions, and audience participation.  It gives students a better understanding of why honesty, kindness, respect, responsibility, as well as other good character traits, are important to exercise and cherish. 

Servantleader: Pastor Randy Tramp

Christian Education

In our Adult Christian Education ministry, we endeavor to reach out to people at all stages of Christian growth, using the We Build People concept. This concept provides for four levels of the Christian maturity process, like the bases on a ball diamond, all the way from the new babes in Christ to those who are seeking to minister in leadership roles.

Servantleader: Keevin Arens (E-mail)

Family Connection Time

Family Connection time is a great way to get acquainted with First Assembly. This includes all new people, whether this is your first time commitment to Jesus, a renewal of that commitment, or maybe a transfer here from another area, having known the Lord for some time. This has proven to be a wonderful place to begin to be apart of this particular family of God.

We have all enjoyed hearing each other’s testimonies as to when we knew Jesus really made a change in our lives or sharing what phase in that process we may be. Also, much information is given about our church beliefs, vision, and how each one can be a part in that. And, as it is known by some, the “pizza and pop” meeting is enjoyed by all!

Servantleader: Pastor Kathy Dehring (E-mail)

Divorce Care

DivorceCare is a 13-week seminar/support group ministry which brings healing to those in the immediate crisis of separation as well as freedom to those who have been bound by the pain of divorce for years. Divorce Care sessions are offered at the beginning of September and January. As we wish to minister at the point of your need, you may sign up for the sessions during any part of it, and pick up the rest during the next semester.

Servantleader: Pastor Kathy Dehring (E-mail)

Evangelism

Servantleader: Steve Labay

H.E.L.P.S. Ministry

Having Enough Loving People Serving

Furniture Bank

Furniture is donated and given to those in need. The special thing about the furniture bank is the cooperation between businesses, the Contact Center, other churches and agencies. Furniture businesses inform their customers about donating their old furniture to the Furniture Bank. The Contact Center, other agencies and other churches have connected us with the people who need the furniture. On several occasions, the ones donating the furniture were able to minister to those receiving. (This includes several people from other churches who in turn attempted to draw the ones receiving the furniture into their church.) It’s a wonderful joint effort by many different people. We have seen several people come into our church because of the furniture bank.

Family Partnership

We have worked with the Yankton Social Services this past year. It is our goal to reunite children with their parents when unfortunate situations occur. Social Services will contact those parents and when permission is obtained from the parents we can then be a Godly influence to these families in the areas of parenting, lifestyles, and financial counseling.

Car Care Clinic

The men of Honor Bound on 6 month basis has a car care clinic.   This is a free oil change and overall check of vehicles for single moms. 

Servantleader: Pastor Randy Tramp

Health Care Ministry

Health Care Ministry is continuous and ongoing with all of the Pastors available to pray and believe with you for God’s healing touch. This includes hospital/home visitation as well as healing prayer, which includes not only the pastors but the prayer chain. Please call us if you are in the hospital so we can pray for you we are not automatically informed by the hospital if you are there, so please give us a call!

Servantleader: Pastor Kathy Dehring (E-mail)

Honor Bound Men's Ministry

Accountability, transparency, heart to heart talk and praying are not the typical things you would find at a table of men at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning or Thursday night at 530 p.m., but at First Assembly that’s exactly what we are developing among the men of our church.

We are committed to this agenda, as it will help us to become better men of God and better husbands and fathers.

The demands of a world where loyalty and quality workmanship are not as highly valued as they once were puts more pressure on our guys to operate according to godly principles rather than the compromise and abuses of a “just get by” mentality. The meaningful relationships that are being built here stand up against the false pretense of a world that is so user friendly that you may be used in any given day to someone’s selfish ends.

Servantleader: Mike Buse & Taylor O'Bryan

Life Groups

Servantleader: Steve Roux

Hospitality

Chances are that when you came in today, someone in our Hospitality Ministry greeted you. In Hospitality, our goal is to make you feel like you are at home here at First Assembly! The ministry of Hospitality is not just limited to a few greeters and ushers, but also includes our whole church family loving and caring for one another and our guests. It is our continued vision and goal to make a difference in the life of every person we meet in Yankton and the surrounding area. It is our prayer that we can be “Jesus with the skin on” to you today! If there’s anything we can do for you, don’t hesitate to seek us out and let us know.

Servantleader: Jodie Frick

Lamb Care

Ministry to new Christians based on John 21:15 where Jesus said first, if you love Me, “Feed My Lambs”. This year, in Lamb care we ministered to people through sponsor/parents, snack packs, and lovingly leading the new Christians in their relationship with Jesus Christ and building relationship with one another. Team opportunities include sponsors, snack packers and various office skills and much prayer, we are grateful for the new Christians we have ministered to this past year. I look forward to see what God will continue do, as we are obedient to do our part. He commanded us in John 21:15, “If you love me, feed my lambs.”

Servantleader: Pastor Kathy Dehring (E-mail)

Missions

“All the families of the nations shall worship before you…”
Psalm 22

If you can imagine this verse on a Sunday morning, people with hands raised, knees bent, and heads bowed, all over the world worshiping God, it should bring a sense of fulfillment knowing many of these worshippers were brought into the kingdom by faithful people at First Assembly, who have continued to offer prayer and financial support to missions. The feeling of fulfillment comes in the form of obedience, in the continuation to achieve the mandate that was given to us as followers of Christ. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20) As a church body we support over 40 missionaries and ministries and they are a part of our body and family of believers. As we hear from them on the progress of ministry we find that they have many ups and downs, but we can always count on praise reports of healings and salvations taking place. And this brings comfort knowing that we are standing with them in times of trouble and that we are fighting the good fight of faith beside them as a mission oriented church.

Over the last year (2009) as a church body we have given $47,633 to Missions. This has been made possible by special offerings, increased monthly support, and the faithfulness of tithing off the gross amount of money brought in by tithes and offerings. Missions is an important part of any healthy growing church, so be encouraged that we are moving forward pressing through the darkness to victory. If you have not found your place in missions start praying for God’s leading.

Servantleader: Allison Schmidt

New Beginnings

This is the educational/relational element that teaches Bible basics on a 100 level. This class meets on Wednesday nights, in which my husband Fred and I co-teach. Many topics that pertain to the Christian life are discussed with answers given from the Bible. It always blesses me when we get to see new people find out the truth of God’s word and begin to apply it to their lives!

Servantleader: Pastor Kathy Dehring (E-mail)

Paraclete Ministry

Why “Paraclete”? Although this word may not be familiar to some, it is the Greek word [parakletos] used in the New Testament when Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7. He spoke of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, as the comforter: the One who would come along side for the sake of exhorting and encouraging; the One who is the Counselor, and the Spirit of truth who will testify about Jesus Christ in the world today. Jesus said before He ascended, “When I go, I will sand another counselor.” The Holy Spirit is that counselor, and not man in this ministry, thus the name “Paraclete.”

Becoming free from the hurts of the past is the focus of Paraclete ministries. This is a one-on-one ministry in which those with special training and direction (under Senior Pastor Jeff Mantz) will minister to people who are hurting and in need of healing and deliverance. We are but healing agents used by the Holy Spirit to bring freedom from bondage. This Bible-based ministry brings Jesus to the root of the problem and replaces it with His love. Hebrews 12:15 states: “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Servantleader: Pastor Kathy Dehring (E-mail)

Senior Saints (55 and Older)

Senior Saints meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month for prayer, singing, fun, food and fellowship. Anyone is welcome to join us, but our focus is on those 55 and older.

We minister on behalf of our church in the two Nursing homes in Yankton and occasionally take a field trip to a museum or a small town near by for a meal together. Times continue to change, but we try to remember some of the good ones and encourage each other as we count our blessings and find ways to bless others. As a part of the body of Christ, we are important to the life of First Assembly regardless of age, so we desire to do our part.

Servantleader: Clara Friesen

Visitation

Servantleader: Pastor Jeff Mantz