A Family of Families on Splitrock Boulevard
Faith United Church sits on the north side of Brandon, South Dakota, at 800 N Splitrock Boulevard, just minutes from the small-town rhythm that defines this growing community on the edge of Sioux Falls. Members describe themselves as a four-generation congregation built around a single phrase: Family of Families. That idea shapes everything the church does, from the intergenerational Sunday worship service at 9:30 a.m. to the way children, students, adults, and seniors share space under one roof throughout the week.
Pastor Tony Toth describes the congregation as a creative, lighthearted group with big dreams of seeing the Gospel carried into the surrounding region and beyond. The church belongs to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), and its members trace their purpose to two of Jesus's well-known teachings, the Great Commandments and the Great Commission, summed up in the tagline Building a Family of Families.
What Sunday Morning Looks Like
Services begin at 9:30 a.m. and usually wrap up around 10:45. The tone is casual, life-giving, and grounded in the Christian Scriptures. People matter here, and leaders say a first visit often feels more like a family reunion than a formal event.
Children stay with their parents through the opening portion of worship and are then dismissed for age-appropriate teaching. Infants through pre-kindergartners are welcomed into Faith Kids before the service begins, with check-in at the kiosk to the right of the Sanctuary. Kindergarten through fourth graders head downstairs to the Kid Connect classroom, and fifth through eighth graders move to the Youth Center for their own teaching time. Parents are encouraged to wait until 10:45 to pick up their students so they can finish the service in worship.
After the service, the Family Room fills with conversation, coffee, and baked goods. Many people linger, and a steady stream of adult classes and small groups meets in the rooms beyond. The pace is unhurried on purpose: the church's leaders say real life together starts in the lingering.
Children's Ministry
The children's ministry runs two programs under Director of Children's Ministry Elizabeth (Beth) Feltes. Faith Kids serves newborns through pre-kindergartners, while Kid Connect gathers kindergarten through fourth graders each Sunday during the sermon. Trained volunteers teach the Bible and care for the children in classroom settings.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the children's ministry organizes family events throughout the year, a Christmas program, and a Palm Sunday singing presentation. In mid-summer, Vacation Bible School gives kids a chance to invite friends and grow in faith through creative, hands-on programming. Feltes and her team see children as a vital part of the church and work hard to partner with parents in raising devoted followers of Christ.
Youth Ministry
Faith Youth, led by Director of Youth Ministry Thomas Simpson, gathers students across two weekly rhythms. Fifth through eighth graders meet Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., and ninth through twelfth graders meet Sunday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Each gathering includes teaching, small group time, and games, with schedules published on the church's site for both the high school and 5th/8th grade groups.
Simpson's team is committed to meeting students wherever they are spiritually and encouraging them to take their next faithful step. Youth are also active in service projects and mission trips throughout the year, and the church regularly hosts retreats at Inspiration Hills in nearby Inwood, Iowa.
Men's Ministry
Known as the Mighty Men of David after King David's armed guard, the men's ministry focuses on encouragement, support, discipleship, and accountability. During the school year, men gather Sunday mornings from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the downstairs conference room for coffee, conversation, and Bible study. The current series walks through Acts chapters 13 through 28.
From October through March, the men also meet on the first Saturday of each month from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. in the Family Room for breakfast and a practical workshop that blends biblical insights, hands-on activities, group discussion, and unique media presentations on real-life issues facing men of all ages.
Women's Ministry
The women's ministry, called Woven, is led by women of the church and gathers for events and studies at varied times throughout the year, including Sunday mornings, weekday evenings, and Saturday mornings. The ministry focuses on three rhythms: connecting events such as coffee conversations and supper socials, encouraging events including quarterly special gatherings and an annual fall renewal retreat, and equipping Bible studies that help women draw near to Christ in every season of life.
The annual Women's Fall Retreat takes place at Inspiration Hills in Inwood, Iowa, and centers on worship, connection, teaching, craft time, and quiet reflection away from the everyday rush.
Friends of Faith
Faith United is intentionally multigenerational, and the Friends of Faith seniors ministry plays a central role. The group meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 12:00 p.m. for lunch and fellowship, often paired with an indoor or outdoor activity. Winter months feature movie matinees, skits, board games, and chair yoga, while spring, summer, and fall bring regional outings. New visitors and empty nesters are warmly invited to join.
What the Church Believes
Faith United holds to the historic Christian doctrines summarized on its Beliefs page, beginning with the Bible as the infallible, fully inspired Word of God and the supreme authority for faith and life. The church confesses one God eternally existing in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and affirms that Jesus Christ became flesh through the virgin birth, died on the cross for sin, rose bodily on the third day, and now serves as High Priest and Mediator at the right hand of the Father.
The Holy Spirit is honored as the one who convicts, indwells, empowers, and seals believers. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, and the church is understood as the united body of all who trust in Jesus. The congregation looks for the personal, visible, and bodily return of Christ, and embraces the Great Commission as a defining call to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. Members summarize their approach with a familiar saying: In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, freedom; in all things, love.
Values That Shape the Week
The church's seven core values give shape to its day-to-day life and decision-making. The Bible grounds all of life and faith. Worship is offered in spirit and in truth. Family is pursued as a Family of Families, regardless of the state of any individual household. Faithful Steps mark the journey of each disciple. Service is embraced as the calling of every believer. Excellence is defined as giving one's best to honor God. And Fun is celebrated as the natural overflow of joining what God is doing.
Getting Connected and Giving
Visitors and newcomers are encouraged to fill out an I'm New form on the church's site to learn about programming and serving opportunities. For those ready to take the next step, the church offers a four-week Next Faithful Step class that explores the beliefs, values, and ministries of both the EPC and Faith United, with the option to consider membership at the end.
Giving is supported through online donations via Church Center, recurring gifts through the Church Center mobile app, and traditional methods such as mailing a check or dropping it in the offering boxes at the exits of the Worship Center. Sunday services are livestreamed on Facebook Live, and a library of past sermons is available on the church's YouTube channel.
The Building and the Staff
The church's home on North Splitrock Boulevard houses the Sanctuary, the downstairs classrooms used for Kid Connect and youth ministry, a conference room where men gather for Bible study, a Youth Center, and a Family Room that anchors much of the post-service fellowship. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the office is reachable at 605-582-6788 or office@faithunitedepc.org.
Pastor Tony Toth is joined on staff by Elizabeth (Beth) Feltes as Director of Children's Ministry, Thomas Simpson as Director of Youth Ministry, and Brenda Bader as Director of Support Services. Together with a Session of Elders and a deep bench of volunteers, they shepherd a congregation that wants to be known less for what it asks newcomers to take on and more for the warmth it extends when they walk in.