Many don’t know exactly what I’m doing here in South Dakota.
About a year ago I was called to Flandreau to serve as the Chaplain at the Flandreau Indian School. FIS is the oldest continuously operating federally run American Indian Boarding School in the United States. We have nearly 300 high school students on campus from 35 tribes and 25 states. Students come to us for a variety of reasons: some are here for better educational opportunities, some because family members attended, some prefer to be with other Indians and some are here by court order—either they attend our school or they go to jail or JDC.The goal of the Chaplaincy program is to:
- serve the students and staff of Flandreau Indian School, providing spiritual guidance for those who seek it;
- relate as a Christian friend to students and staff;
- share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with students who, in turn, take their faith back to families and tribes;
- counsel and help students in dealing with critical needs on and off campus;
- be a liaison between the school and local community.
The Chaplaincy is financially independent from the school operation and is fully funded through donations from churches and individuals. Thanks to that support, the Chaplaincy has continued an ongoing partnership with the Flandreau Indian School for almost a century offering weekly, large group activities, hosting special events for students and staff, and providing ecumenical worship services each Sunday.
Consider making a financial gift so that we can continue to reach Native American teenagers with the love of Christ.
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