First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte

P.O. Box 170, Eagle Butte, SD 57625

(605) 891-1704

Dear Friends,

Greetings to you all, from First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte!

I am super excited to be writing to you all today, as there is so 

much great news that has happened over the past few months. 

Not the least of which were the Aurora Borealis, 

which brilliantly showed themselves about a month ago.

Summer is now upon us, and the formerly-barren prairie has 

burst into bloom, with gorgeous green fields on every side. 

My wife, Tiffany recently finished a year of teaching, and is 

now embarking on a new career as a professional librarian! 

I’m so proud of her. 2024 has been shaping up to be a great year so far!

Windswept  Academy Does Sports Now!

Our local Christian school, Windswept Academy, has 

been developing a solid, accredited, K-12 academic 

program for years now. But one thing that has always 

eluded them was a sports program. All of that changed 

this spring, when the school fielded a team in its first 

sport-archery! Our first tournament was on the Pine Ridge 

reservation, in the southern part of the state. We did well, 

scoring third place out of five teams! But more importantly, 

our students showed good sportsmanship and represented 

the name of Christ well.

Graduation and Awards

When Windswept reached the end of its academic year, 

an awards ceremony was held at the Oglala Lakota 

Community College. Children of all grade levels received 

awards in every subject. As Windswept Academy’s Lakota 

teacher, I had the honor of presenting the awards for 

Lakota language. The kindergarteners, meanwhile, enjoyed a 

graduation ceremony. The children were delighted. Some 

of the high schoolers even took the opportunity to dress up, 

so they could take some photos. It was a good time had by all, 

and a milestone to the academic accomplishment of all these 

young people!

A New Floor, and Old Friends

In the late spring, First Baptist Church played host to some 

of our oldest and dearest friends. Hailing from Burkemont 

Baptist Church of Morganton, North Carolina, these men 

took it as their project to put down flooring in three of the 

church’s rooms. One of these was the fellowship hall, which 

was very large.Such a project normally would have taken a week.

But through teamwork, skill and enthusiasm, these men 

managed to do all three rooms in only three days! Since they 

had some spare time, they also installed a lock on the door of 

a local woman, who was finding it difficult to latch. They 

were even kind enough to move all the furniture back where 

it was supposed to be! I am so grateful to each of them for 

donating their time and energy. And I am grateful to Burkemont

Baptist Church, for sending these great helpers!

Revival Services!

Sometimes, good things take extensive preparation and

patience. And sometimes, the Lord just chooses to bless 

you. I have recently experienced one of these occasions, 

to my delight. This spring, I received a phone call saying 

that Blue Baptist Church of Connerville, Oklahoma was 

looking for a place in Eagle Butte to hold a tent revival. I 

had had limited contact with this church before, but some 

friends of mine vouched for them, so I told them they could 

set their tent in our parking lot. I was ever so glad to have 

said yes! Blue Baptist Church was run by good people, 

who did a great job. They hosted a revival meeting in our 

parking lot, every night, for four nights. On one of those 

nights, two people prayed to accept Jesus! I am grateful 

to Blue Baptist Church for all the good work they have 

done here, and I look forward to working with them in 

the future!

Vacation Bible School!

Calvary Baptist Church of Sparta, Illinois has long had

a relationship with First Baptist Church and Windswept 

Academy. Two weeks ago, they drove to Eagle Butte for 

a week of hard work. They collaborated to put on a 

beautiful Vacation Bible School at our church, which 

enjoyed steadily increasing attendance as the week went 

by. The children played games, did crafts, sang songs, 

and learned Bible lessons. It was truly a privilege to have 

a part in it! Following that Vacation Bible School, our Sunday 

School attendance increased. So the children’s lives were 

affected in a meaningful way.

Wishing to have an even greater impact, Calvary Baptist 

Church took on two large projects. They attached a metal 

roof to a teacher’s house at Windswept Academy, and put

an awning over the front door of another teacher’s house.

They were both very grateful to our friends from Sparta, 

and so am I!

So perhaps you are wondering how you can become 

a partner with us in our ministry here in Eagle Butte? 

If so, we welcome your help, since we treasure any 

assistance from the body of Christ. Here is what we 

need the most:

Prayer. It may be true that our church is getting along 

well at the moment, and that God is doing great things

here. But it is precisely when a church is being used 

by God that Satan does all in his power to destroy it. 

So please pray, my brothers and sisters. Pray that 

our leadership will keep their hearts pure and humble, 

and that we will live at peace with each other. Pray that 

we will be protected from the power of the enemy, and

that God’s Holy Spirit will shine through in our lives. 

Pray that the Lakotas in the community will come to 

know the Lord, and that the commitment they make will 

be real and lasting. 

E-mail addresses. For those of you who have e-mail 

addresses, please send them to me. That way, these 

newsletters can be forwarded to everyone in your church 

who wants one! Just send your name and email address 

to me at benfarrar777@hotmail.com, and I’ll make sure 

you receive this newsletter as often as it comes out.

Financial Assistance. Our church is fortunate to have 

members who are generous in their giving. But some of 

our most generous members still have very little that 

they can give. We have long been blessed with assistance 

from outside churches and individuals, and we work hard 

to use those gifts wisely and well.

If any one of you wishes to bless the church with a financial 

gift, you may send it to:

First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte

P.O. Box 170

Eagle Butte, SD 57625

If you wish to give a donation in memory of another person, 

or in that person’s honor, we will recognize the person you 

designate in our newsletter. 

May God bless you all, and draw you closer to Himself each and every day.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Ben Farrar

Pastor 

First Baptist Church of Eagle Butte