Reflecting + Refining
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:1-4 ESV)
Happy May! Though some days still feel a bit more “winter” than spring, here at tre we are in a season of gratitude for what the Lord has done and anticipation for what He will continue to do in young adults’ lives everywhere. We have had amazing things going on here in the past months, and we would love to celebrate them with you and look forward together as summer draws close!
A TIME OF GRATITUDE + BLESSING
Spirit of Volunteerism Awards.
On April 19th, our team was blessed to have been an honoree at the Spirit of Volunteerism Awards! The Spirit of Volunteerism Awards is run by Helpline Center, and it is a way to highlight and celebrate those who intentionally invest time, effort, and skill back into their community. A handful of our staff were able to attend the Awards breakfast, hear from Mayor Paul TenHaken, and spend our morning with the other honorees. We are truly grateful for our tre family and all of you who walk with us in God’s call for our ministry! Without your prayer, support, and generosity, we would not be able to serve and love on young adults in the same capacity as we do together.
Young adults participating in Run Club, Friday night hangouts, and building community with one another!
Young adults at Friday night hangouts, and a picture from our summer mission trips.
Praise the Lord with Us!
As a tre staff, we are praising God for the community He has been cultivating in young adults! We hear more and more of relationships being built outside of our walls, and that is the heart of tre! Programming and events are not the end goal; we long to be a catalyst of belonging, purpose and hope. True community expands beyond the walls of any building or program, and it happens in the context of every day life - over coffee, food, and as friendships intertwine with our routines.
We see the Holy Spirit working in and amongst young adults! As we lean into Him, start to see things from His perspective, and trust Him with our daily interactions, we have the opportunity to share our living, breathing faith with those who don’t yet know Him. The heart of the gospel is good news for everyone. It is belonging, purpose, and hope for those who feel lost and alone, for those who are striving for acceptance and to be “good enough”. Many within our community are currently walking through this — sharing stories of Jesus in their own lives with friends, co-workers, family members, and having the opportunity to witness to the gospel daily as people are receptive and open to the Holy Spirit. Praise God for His heart to see the kingdom grow and that people are beginning to know His goodness! Pray for continued boldness and receptivity as young adults share the gospel!
The mission of tre Ministries is taking root in peoples’ hearts. We are amazed and filled with gratitude at the support, generosity, and commitment you have to value young adults and seek God’s vision of belonging, purpose, and hope.
New Season, New Opportunities
Summer Hours.
Summer hours begin May 22nd! Our building in Sioux Falls will be open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9:00a - 4:00p, as a place open to young adults to come study, work, read…or work on a puzzle and play ping pong! We also have an awesome lineup of programming throughout the summer - check out our events calendar to see more details!
Mission Trips.
In June and July, our team has 4 mission trips in the lineup with Sioux Falls churches! As a ministry, our heart behind mission trips is to empower this generation to fall in love with serving and meeting peoples’ needs. Through the planning process with youth pastors and students, we have already seen students step into authority and carry the mission of their local church. We are so excited to see how God works in and among us as we serve this summer!
Back to the Drawing Board.
With changing routines comes the opportunity to evaluate this year’s programming and seek the Lord’s direction as we plan for next Fall. Our team has been hard at work in creating intentional, and widespread programming that pushes tre’s mission forward: equipping and empowering young adults to live out their God-given purpose. We could not be more excited to see how this refining process breathes life and hope into our community, both for those who are already plugged into tre, and for those who will be! Be on the lookout for more details by following us on social media @treministries on Instagram + Facebook!
Note from Sandy Berven
If I could tell anything to the tre Family, it would be: be open to where He’s calling you, and be fearless in stepping out. When you do this, you realize it has never been about you. When you are stepping out and you are saying yes to Him, more things come your way, and there is a continual need to step out and trust Him...over and over again. The fun in all of this is when you are actually aware that you’re stepping out in faith! We all hear about it, we read about it, we see it clearly in scripture — you see bumper stickers and t-shirts about it! “Walk in Faith...” And it can be quite easy for us to say, “I get that” or “I understand that”…but to actually experience it and to be aware that you are walking with Him is amazing. It’s this quiet thing you have with the Lord — these moments of trust — and it’s yours with Him. I want everyone to experience that.
— Sandy Berven, CEO + Founder of tre Ministries
Pray with us!
Father, as we feel the shifting of the physical seasons with the sun shining and bright green grass all around us, we praise you for new life! Thank you that your mercies are new each morning, and your faithfulness continues through every season. Open our ears to hear your voice, lead us in the paths and the work you’ve set before us, fill our hearts with gratitude as we remember today that we are your children, the sheep of your pasture. Help us to see your beauty as we go throughout our days. Give us the courage to step out in faith today and trust You. Thank you for your grace, your love, and your joy today. We love you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
