Joel is our Lead Pastor.  He loves his wiener dog, Leo, biking, hiking, birding, (basically anything outdoors) playing guitar and drums, and hanging out with people.  He is passionate about his role as a pastor because he gets to walk alongside ordinary, everyday people--both in and outside the church--and help them to mature in their journey with Jesus.  He has a deep conviction that if Jesus is the source of all reality then we can only know how to truly live by investing our lives in obedience to his life and teachings--this is what the human heart longs for.  And at the core of Jesus' influence is that Christlike love for God and all others is what life is all about.  If we seek first his kingdom and its values, then we will have tapped into life as God intended for us, and it's this love that takes over the world.  Joel is also passionate about the church and how the Spirit has equipped each of us to play a special role in God's kingdom purposes.  If we're living out the teachings of Jesus (summarized in Matthew 5-7) and opening our hearts for the Spirit to make us more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, gentle, good, faithful, and self-controlled, together we will put the heart of God (who is love!) on full display for the world to experience.  His hope is for a church that has a reputation for looking and loving like Jesus so that others might see the beauty of God's purposes lived out in real time and want to join the kingdom mission to the glory of God! 

Kaia is a lifelong Sioux Falls resident with a deep love for people. She has loved the heart of The Point since its inception and is excited to partner with kids and families through KidsServe! Kaia's greatest desire for her daughter is that she would know Jesus; and that's her hope and prayer for the KidsServe ministry at The Point - that through every wonderful volunteer, each fun, interactive Sunday lesson, and all of the special events throughout the year would ultimately point kids to Jesus. Kaia likes playing at parks with her family, going on walks, doing graphic design, drinking iced chai lattes, and helping people buy and sell houses as a licensed realtor. She is thrilled to be part of the team at The Point!