Campus and young adult ministry

Young Adult and Campus Ministries continues to support the ministries in churches and on campus that help to create younger adult missional leaders. We continue to find ways to inspire new ministry and connection.

Campus ministry

Dakotas Conference Campus Ministers are busy working with students to change the world in the name of Christ. If you have any students in your congregation at Black Hills State University, Dakota Wesleyan University, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, or the University of South Dakota, please contact the appropriate campus minister to let them know. Also, be sure to tell your students about our Dakotas Conference campus ministries.

• Black Hills State University contact:  Rev. Scott McKirdy, Spearfish United Methodist Church, 845 N 5th St, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-642-3457, E-mail.
• Dakota State University contact: Rev. Randy Hedge, Madison UMC, 304 N Egan Ave, Madison, SD 57042, 605-256-2162, E-mail.
• Dakota Wesleyan University contact:  Rev. Eric Van Meter, DWU Campus Ministry, 1200 W University Ave, Mitchell, SD 57301, 605-995-2919, E-mail.
• North Dakota State University contact: Rev. Ray Baker,  Fargo Faith UMC, 909 19th Ave N, Fargo ND 58102, 701-232-6844, E-mail.
• South Dakota State University contact: Rev. Krista (Wisener) Ducker, Brookings First UMC, 605 5th St, Brookings, SD  57006, 605-692-4345, E-mail.
• University of South Dakota contact: Rev. Teri Johnson, Vermillion UMC, 16 N Dakota St, Vermillion, SD  57069 605-624-2179, E-mail.

Young adult ministry

Do you have a unique way to invite young adults to be part of a ministry?  Grants are available to churches to reach out to young adults and inspire their faith.  Proposals can be submitted through the Breakthrough Ministry Grant application.  Click here for the application. Grants are awarded on a quarterly basis  and can be automatically renewed for a year based on proposal. 

Connect your young adults to faith communities away from home

Pastors, if you have young adults moving to another community to attend a post-secondary institution, please contact the pastor or church in that community. Let them know who you are sending, to assist your young adults in finding another loving, welcoming, and nurturing congregation, and a connection to United Methodism in the Dakotas Conference. Please use the links above, or download a PDF list of all the Dakotas UMC churches in communities with post-secondary institutions.

If your church has young adults moving outside the Dakotas Conference, please help them connect with a local faith community by using the Find-a-Church tool from United Methodist Communications.

Also, see the wealth of resources and ideas our denomination has curated for connecting young adults with Jesus and worshiping communites. UM Communications has them all organized for you at UMC.org.