Several years ago, in 1993, our then Director of Missions, Ed Pope, shared a vision for a church on the growing eastside of Sioux Falls. After prayer and a summer of survey work, plans were put in place to begin work in this growing area. On a cold February day in 1996 a handful of people, with Jesse Moore as pastor, began meeting in John Harris Elementary School as a new church on the eastside of Sioux Falls, SonRise Baptist Church. After four years in the gym the growing group moved to Sioux Falls Christian High School, which was then in a building at the corner of 17 th and Sycamore. Although chairs had to be set up each week, it was a little better as there was access to a kitchen and classrooms for Sunday School. The church members were able to have fellowship meals and lengthy meetings writing a constitution and discussing building options. In the summer, the music room was used for services, which allowed the privilege of keeping chairs set up!

Wishing to be church for a community SonRise sought to find a building in a neighborhood. After two years in the Sioux Falls Christian High School, SonRise began meeting in the Prairie Hills Covenant church building where a purchase agreement was made. The building was shared by the two churches for a year. In 2003, the congregation took full ownership of the building. SonRise had found a home, from a vision to a reality. Vacation Bible School, block parties, holiday events, all open to the neighborhood helped us establish ourselves in the community.

Our vision was and still is to reach people for Christ with a message of love. Our church is shared by many now who share the same vision, a Korean language congregation, a Hispanic congregation, as well as other community organizations such as Narcotics Annonymous.