Good News Church on Valley View Road
Good News Church meets at 1800 South Valley View Road on the west side of Sioux Falls. It is a contemporary Reformed congregation with a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere and a clear outward-facing mission. Members describe themselves honestly: "We're not perfect - and that's okay. We're a church that depends on God and walks alongside one another through life's challenges." Each Sunday the building fills with two worship services, kids heading to Sunday School and nursery, youth meeting in small groups, and adults gathering for discipleship and connection.
What Good News Believes
The mission is short and clear: "Commissioned by God to GO make disciples of Jesus Christ." The vision adds the heart: "Through Jesus, we are called to love and serve."
Six values shape the congregation:
- Biblically Rooted - God's Word as the guiding light for beliefs, decisions, and actions.
- Continual Spiritual Growth - A lifelong journey of becoming disciples who make disciples.
- Open Handed - Welcoming the way God welcomes, ready to give and receive.
- Devoted to Service - Helping each person discover and use their God-given gifts.
- Relational - Spaces where people can be honest, fully known, and deeply loved.
- Committed - Wholehearted engagement of time, talent, and treasure.
The church's logo tells the same story. A diamond compass with arrows pointing in the four cardinal directions represents the outward mission: the church gathers so it can be sent out. A cross is integrated into the negative space at the center, and the entire mark leans forward - like the reverse flag on military uniforms - symbolizing movement into the mission field.
Sundays at Good News
Two services meet each Sunday at 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM, both with a relaxed, come-as-you-are feel. The church invites visitors to "bring your coffee and feel right at home." Worship is contemporary, and the building intentionally welcomes every generation together in the same service.
Between the two services, from 8:45 to 9:30 AM (September through May), a full slate of discipleship classes meets for ages 3 through adults. Sunday School for kids ages 3 through 5th grade runs during the first service, while adults gather in room M10 for Adult Discipleship. Nursery care is provided during both worship services for children from birth through 35 months, and changing tables are available in the east and south wing restrooms.
After worship, the Connection Hub is the place to stop. The team there loves to meet newcomers, answer questions, and hand out a small thank-you gift. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 5 PM; the office is closed Fridays.
Children's Ministry
Children's Ministry serves kids from birth through 5th grade with the goal of partnering with families at every stage. Shonna Willats leads the team and creates a safe, engaging environment where children learn about God through age-appropriate lessons, activities, and relationships.
Three weekly touchpoints keep families connected:
- Sunday School (8:45-9:30 AM, September-May) - Kids ages 3 through 5th grade meet during the first service.
- Nursery (both services) - Loving care for children 35 months and younger.
- Wednesday Night Kids Discipleship (6:15-7:15 PM, Fall and Winter) - A 10-week program for ages 3 through 5th grade, with video lessons, hands-on crafts, games, snacks, and friendships.
Children are always welcome in the worship services themselves. The Parent Cue app and the Center for Parent and Youth Understanding are offered as free resources to help parents navigate each stage.
Youth Ministry
Kirby Willats leads the youth ministry with the goal of creating a fun, welcoming space where students can ask real questions, build friendships, and grow as disciples of Jesus. The rhythm centers on three weekly patterns:
- Sunday Morning Discipleship (8:45-9:30 AM) - Students grow in their faith and dive into Scripture with caring adult leaders.
- Wednesday Night Youth Group (school year) - Middle School meets 6:15-7:30 PM and High School meets 7:45-9:00 PM. The night combines small groups organized by grade and gender, large group teaching, and plenty of fun.
- Special Wednesday Nights - Small Group Nights focus on relationship-building activities, and Serve Nights send students out to serve in the Sioux Falls community.
A free RightNow Media account is available to every family through the church, opening access to thousands of Bible studies, devotionals, and kids' videos.
The Good News Children's Center
Sharing the church's campus, the Good News Children's Center is a year-round, Christ-centered childcare and early education ministry with the mission of transforming lives to be fully devoted followers of Christ. The center partners with families to reinforce Christian principles through hands-on activities in a small-group setting, following the South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines and the One In Christ curriculum.
Programs include:
- Toddler Program for 1 and 2 year olds in two classrooms of up to 10 children, with a 1:5 staff-to-child ratio.
- Full-Day Preschool for 3, 4, and 5 year olds, divided by age.
- Half-Day Preschool meeting 2-3 days per week - 3/4 year olds on Tuesday/Thursday and Pre-K on Monday/Wednesday/Friday.
- Before and After School Program for Kindergarten through 5th grade, with transportation to Discovery, Oscar Howe, JFK, and Pettigrew schools.
- Summer School Age Program with daily field trips, swimming at Kuehn pool, devotions, and service projects.
The center partners with Hope Coalition, accepting scholarships and welcoming children from across the community. Optional Soccer Sprouts classes meet on campus for an additional fee. Tammy Westergaard directs the program, with Krista Dorsett serving as assistant director.
Adults: Discipleship, Small Groups, and Rooted
Spiritual growth at Good News happens in community. Several pathways help adults connect, study, and belong:
- Small Groups - Mid-sized groups designed to grow in faith, ask questions, and build meaningful relationships.
- Rooted Experience - A 10-week discipleship journey connecting participants with God, the Church, and their purpose.
- Adult Discipleship - Sundays, 8:45-9:30 AM, in room M10.
- Women's Bible Study - Meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 10 AM.
- Senior Coffee and Fellowship - The 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 10 AM.
Stephen Ministries
When life gets hard, the church's Stephen Ministry provides confidential, one-to-one Christian care. Stephen Ministers are laypeople trained to walk alongside people through grief, loneliness, divorce, hospitalization, disability, job loss, and other difficult seasons. The ministry's Stephen Leaders are Debbie Tellinghuisen, Lisa Jennings, Peggy Almond, and David Spitznagel. Anyone in the congregation or community can request care, or step forward to be trained as a new Stephen Minister.
Missions and Outreach
Good News partners with ministries both locally and globally, supporting them through prayer, giving, and hands-on service:
- Alpha Center - Mobile pregnancy care bus serving South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota.
- Call To Freedom - Supporting victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
- Center of Hope - Mentoring people with the hope of redemption through Jesus Christ, including a free evening clinic for the uninsured, pastoral counseling, clothing ministry, Coats For Kids, prison transition aid, and Bible studies.
- Feeding South Dakota - Monthly food distribution held right at the church campus.
- NightWatch Canteen - Mobile meal service at Hayward Elementary; Good News serves the second Monday of each month.
- Inspiration Hills - Retreat and discipleship center near Sioux Falls.
- YouthFront Missions - Church member Amber Booth Rios serves in the Argentine neighborhood of Kansas City, a Hispanic, working-class community.
- Mission Haiti - Village-by-village ministry in Haiti.
- Touch of Hope Haiti - Education, orphan care, and job creation through the Starfish Program and Rosie's.
Leadership and Care Groups
The staff team is led by Senior Pastor Justin Jenness, with Executive Pastor Kayla Schnider, Youth and Family Pastor Kirby Willats, Worship Arts Director Jacob Van Engen, Children and Family Director Shonna Willats, and Children's Center Director Tammy Westergaard.
A Consistory of elders and deacons provides spiritual oversight and congregational care. The congregation is divided into Care Groups organized alphabetically by last name (A-D, E-H, I-L, M-P, Q-T, U-Z), with an elder and a deacon assigned to each group:
- Elders - Jeff Erickson (A-D), Brad Koopman (E-H), Ryan Lefever (I-L), Larry Schnabel (M-P), James Reeser (Q-T), David Spitznagel (U-Z)
- Deacons - Jeremy Gacke (A-D), Shannon Verhey (E-H), Steve Mossberg (I-L), Cory Vander Lugt (M-P), Tony Korver (Q-T), Mac Rops (U-Z)
A Member of the Alliance of Reformed Churches
Good News is a member congregation of the Alliance of Reformed Churches, a family of churches committed to pursuing God's kingdom together. The church is Reformed in its convictions and contemporary in its worship, with an emphasis on making disciples who are then sent out - whether across the street or across the world.
Services are streamed online for those who can't attend in person. Giving is available online, and sermon recordings and series notes are accessible anytime. Visitors with questions can stop by the Connection Hub any Sunday, or reach the church office at office@hisgoodnews.com or 605-361-6718.