Heidelberg Theological Seminary sinks its roots into the earth of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a growing, family-friendly city within comfortable driving distance of several other Great Plains cites. While many M.Div. courses offered are available through distance learning, students will eventually need to relocate to Sioux Falls for the completion of their degree.
Why move to Sioux Falls? Here are four good reasons!
#1) Complete Your Degree
Our seminary values and emphasizes theological orthodoxy (which means “correct teaching”). We view the Bible as the infallible, inerrant Word of God.
But it’s not enough to know these essential doctrines; pastors are called by Christ to “feed My sheep.”
This requires communication, which is a godly art: in order to benefit the listeners, all preaching, teaching, exposition, and exegesis ought to be coherent and orderly. Heidelberg Theological Seminary is ready to equip you to do that. Our main mission is to train and prepare men who are committed to being faithful and devoted pastors, all to the glory of the Head of the church, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Completing your degree will not encompass your whole schedule. Our classes are conveniently scheduled to allow ample time for a part-time job and family life.
For more reasons to consider getting your M.Div. from Heidelberg Seminary, click here.
#2) Good Churches
Sioux Falls is home to several Reformed churches. Leaving behind your church family can be less difficult when you know there is another arm of the body of Christ ready to welcome and encourage you.
Our seminary is housed in the facilities of Trinity Reformed Church, a congregation of the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS).
These two other Sioux Falls churches also belong to denominations affiliated with members of North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC):
- Grace Presbyterian Church is a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
- Christ Reformed Church is a member of the United Reformed Church in North America (URCNA).
#3) Great Place to Live
The Sioux Falls metropolitan region has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, and currently is home to an estimated 250,000 people. Heidelberg Seminary’s students get to enjoy the many benefits of a flourishing city.
Sioux Falls was ranked 10th overall in Livability.com’s 2016 Best Places to Live index, and 5th in their 2016 Top 10 Affordable Places to Live list. This ranking system does not merely evaluate “cheap”; beside the cost of pizza, gas, and haircuts, Livability’s criteria encompass factors like earning potential, “high livability,” and “low income inequality” (read more here). Livability also informs us there are more than 650 restaurants in Sioux Falls, a lively arts scene, six percent sales tax, and no corporate income tax (as in all of South Dakota).
Movoto.com reports Sioux Falls has a “stellar economy” and “boasts consistently low unemployment rates,” besides for farmers’ markets, “First Fridays” festivals of live music and street art, 5k, 10k, marathons and half marathon races, marching bands and a JazzFest, and “wonderfully quaint coffee shops.”
Forbes lists Sioux Falls as #2 in the nation on their “Best small places for business and careers” 2016 list.
#4) Parks and Attractions
Beside the robust economy, Sioux Falls affords an attractive variety of outdoor entertainment.
In the forefront stands Falls Park, encompassing 123 acres and surrounding the Falls of the Big Sioux River, the city’s namesake. It’s readily accessible from downtown via the “Phillips to the Falls,” a walking/driving trail along Phillips Ave. from 5th St. to Falls Park. The falls themselves can be watched from much of the park. A viewing platform has been built on the millrace that formerly supplied water to the Queen Bee Mill, the remains of which are still standing near the falls. The Falls Overlook Café, housed in another historic quartzite building nearby, provides family-friendly meals with a view of the river. Summer is a great time to visit the Farmers’ Market, winter offers the “Winter Wonderland,” when dark evenings are lit with 26 miles of light strings through the park, and all seasons enhance a trip along the River Greenway, a 25+ mile paved and maintained trail that starts by the river and loops through both urban and wildlife areas. For more information, click here.
Great Bear Recreation Park is another gem Sioux Falls residents can appreciate. Located in the Loess Mountain Range, it offers a variety of all-season activities on the 220 acres, including ski and snowboarding slopes, rental, and lessons for winter, and hiking trails for dog walking and bird watching in summer. The 4 miles of hiking trails are free, offering views of Sioux Falls and “of the glacial deposit areas common to this region,” as the park website states. The Lodge at Great Bear offers meals, beverages, and both banquet rooms and outdoor spaces with full catering options for weddings, business meetings, and family reunions.
Lake Alvin Recreation Area is a small park, but boasts a beach, excellent fishing, and an attractive location: it’s just about fifteen minutes from the seminary. There’s also a handicap-accessible fishing dock, hiking trails, and an entrance fee.
Conclusion
Whether you intend to visit and move on, or come to stay and live, we hope you’ll consider moving to Sioux Falls and completing your degree with us. If you have any questions about relocating to Sioux Falls in general, or attending Heidelberg Theological Seminary in particular, feel free to send them our way!
Want to Learn More? Request a Call from Admissions
Falls Park photo by Seabear70 (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons