SFC Stories

Brewing Confidence

A message of purpose has turned into a meaningful partnership designed to give students hands-on job experience.  

Last spring at an employment workshop, SFC Middle School/High School Inclusion teacher Kelsey Bolkema heard Kathy Luke, owner of the Yakkity Yak Coffee Shack in Sioux Falls, present about the coffee shop’s mission. Their goal is to teach students with different abilities from various area schools how to gain job skills, pursue employment and advocate for themselves. “I immediately thought, my students can be involved in that,” Bolkema said.   

After the workshop, she reached out with an idea for a partnership that would connect classroom learning to real-world job skills. “The whole goal of this lesson and this relationship, this partnership with Yakkity Yak was to give my students some experience outside these walls,” Bolkema explained. “So we put our curriculum in line with the process of finding a job.”  

Luke was all in. “We started from the very beginning and built that course over five weeks from start to finish: what it looks like to obtain a job, maintain a job, and gain some job skills,” she said. Students practiced completing applications, preparing resumes, and learning how to interview.   

The experience also includes customer service. “They showed us how to make drinks and they also showed us how to do the cash register,” said Kaylee Steensma (‘28), one of the participating students. Eventually, students took the biggest step yet. They ran the coffee shop themselves, inviting friends and family to attend. “They felt like they needed more  practice,” Bolkema said, “but they were excited to get their hands dirty.”  

“Each week they opened up a little bit more, but [running the shop themselves], they flourished,” Luke said. “They were excited, they laughed, they were confident.”  For Steensma, serving her family was a highlight. “We got to make drinks for our parents and grandparents. That was one of my favorite parts.”  

“You could just feel a sense of pride,” Luke said. “They couldn’t wait to show what they’d learned.” With a strong foundation in place, both partners are eager to continue. “We’re excited to keep partnering,” Bolkema said. “And my students are more than excited to come back.” 

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Seen, Valued, & Connected 

by Jake Pettengill, Middle School Principal

At the beginning of this school year, I shared a story with our middle school students that has deeply shaped my leadership and my hope for our community: the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19.  

Zacchaeus was a man who was overlooked, disliked, and pushed to the margins. Too short to see over the crowd, he climbed a tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus passing by. What happened next was remarkable. Jesus stopped, looked up, and called Zacchaeus by name. In a moment, Zacchaeus was seen. Jesus then invited Himself into Zacchaeus’s home, communicating that Zacchaeus was valued. 

Through that personal connection, Zacchaeus’s life was transformed, and Scripture tells us that salvation came to his household.  What began with one man being seen led to an entire family encountering Jesus. That story captures my Deep Hope for Sioux Falls Christian Middle School. 

My Deep Hope is that every student and every adult would feel seen, valued, and connected as part of a Christ-centered family.  Over time, this hope became more than a guiding belief. It became a clear Storyline that shapes how I think about community, discipleship, and student life: See > Value > Connect > Family  

Throughout Scripture, this pattern appears again and again. Jesus sees people others overlook. He values them by entering into relationship. That connection leads to transformation, not just for individuals, but for families and communities. I believe this same Storyline matters deeply in a middle school, where students are forming their identities and longing to belong.   

This Storyline directly influenced the development of the HOUSE system. We wanted a structure that reflected how Jesus builds community in intentional, relational ways with lasting impact. The HOUSE system is one way we seek to live out this Storyline in the everyday rhythms of school life.  

In the HOUSE system, students are first seen. Each student is placed into a smaller, consistent community with adult leaders who know his or her name and take time to learn his or her story. In a busy middle school environment, being seen matters more than we sometimes realize.   

Students are also valued. Houses provide regular opportunities for encouragement, celebration, leadership, and contribution. Whether through positive recognition, shared responsibility, or simply being invited to participate, students are reminded that they matter, not because of what they achieve, but because of who they are as image-bearers of God.  

From there, students connect. Shared experiences such as HOUSE meetings, games, competitions,  service opportunities, and conversations create meaningful moments that bring students together across grade levels and social circles. These experiences build trust, empathy, and joy. Connection grows when students walk through things together.  

The ultimate goal is family. Not a perfect family, but a Christ-centered one where students feel supported, challenged, forgiven, and loved.   

Just as Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus extended beyond him to his household, my prayer is that students experience a community that reflects Christ so clearly that it shapes how they live, love, and lead both now and beyond middle school.  

At its core, the HOUSE system is not about points, colors, or competition. It is about discipleship and belonging. It is one way my Deep Hope becomes visible in daily practice.   

My prayer is that every student who walks through our doors leaves knowing these truths:  You were seen. You were valued.  You were connected. You were part of a family.

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