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Spirit Lake Ministry Center offers teams from around the country the opportunity to put faith into action to share the love of Christ with the Spirit Lake Nation and surrounding communities.
Mission Fees are $400.00 per person for the week. Fees include meals, lodging, and project materials. A deposit of $50.00 per person ($500.00 minimum( is required before your team can be schedule and the ministry dates confirmed. Half of the remaining fees for the mission are required 90 days prior to the scheduled mission dates with the balance due upon arrival. Deposits are non-refundable and will count toward the total mission fee. VIM teams are requested to arrive between 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. on Sunday and depart before noon on Friday. Other arrangements can be made for arrival / departure days and times with prior approval from the Ministry Center staff. Please send your deposit to the correct address after you have completed the online contract, or make your payment through the Dakotas Conference of The United Methodist Church by finding Spirit Lake Ministry Center under the Give to Conference Ministries heading. If you would like to schedule a mission period shorter than Sunday – Friday, please contact the Ministry Center.
Let us know how many of you would like to come serve with us, and when!
Spirit Lake Ministry Center (SLMC) is a year-round ministry site which works with, and in support of, the peoples of the Spirit Lake Nation. We provide ministry and fellowship opportunities throughout the year for adults, you, children, and persons with disabilities.
June through August are our busiest months as Spirit Lake Ministry Center hosts volunteer teams from all over the country and across denominational lines. Visiting teams are invited to provide Vacation Bible School for the local community, or to serve as a work team doing light construction work on our grounds or throughout the reservation. We partner with area organizations to help provide needed renovations to homes, Tribal buildings, and grounds. And while the summer months are always full, and usually spent outside, we also provide opportunities for small work teams to do interior work, or for groups to join us in the fall, winter, or spring months for multi-day retreats.
Spirit Lake Ministry Center is a mission of the Dakotas Conference of The United Methodist Church and is a Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) approved location. SLMC sits on a beautiful 80 acres in the Wood Lake District of Spirit Lake Nation, just three miles from Tokio, North Dakota. The Ministry Center has four dormitories, an up-to-date restroom / shower facility, a workshop, a kitchen and dining facility, warehouse, and a Christian Life Center. There are three separate devotional areas, walking trails, a Disc Golf Course, a basketball court, and a large fire pit available for the use of our teams. Wherever you’re from, you are welcome here! Teams can drive to our location, fly into Grand Forks or Bismarck International Airports and rent a vehicle, or take the Amtrak route into Devils Lake and rent a vehicle.
Whether you are volunteering on the grounds of SLMC, or working in the community, all activities are hands on and involve close interaction with the elders and children of the reservation. Teams may include adult and youth members 14 and older. Younger children may be accepted if accompanied by a parent and approved by the Ministry Center staff prior to the mission dates; and we can also make arrangements for families or individuals who would like to serve at SLMC. As a Safe Sanctuaries site, clearances for team members 18 years old and older are required. Contact your Annual Conference (or denominational equivalent) for more information about how to obtain a volunteer clearance so that we can have a safe and spirit-filled week together.
We look forward to partnering in ministry with you,
Kim and Paulette Paulson
Spirit Lake Ministry Center sits on the traditional land of the Spirit Lake People. Learn more about the Tribe, their traditional lands, events, news, and more!
You can also follow them on Facebook.
The Spirit Lake Reservation is located in north central North Dakota. The Dakota at Fort Totten are called the Mni Wakan Oyate —“the people of the Spirit Water.” Read more about their history.
This history and culture guide is part of a collaborative project between the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and the Tribal Nations of North Dakota, including interviews with elders and Indian educators on the Spirit Lake Reservation.