Paul Cunningham of rural Pipestone is serving as our President. Paul has served 4 years. Paul leads our worship and prayer time at Noon on Tuesday and Thursday. He is also the one that comes around and checks on the maintenance of the building. Paul is our “jack of all trades” and helps us with anything we need. His full time job is Cunningham Telephone, setting up phone systems for businesses and individuals. Paul and Toni live on an acreage and have 3 married daughters and 6 grandchildren.
Ivan Vogel
Ivan Vogel of rural Chandler is our Vice-President and has served on the Board for over 12 years. He has a willing heart to serve and comes with a variety of gifts that benefits the board. Ivan is part owner of VIP Floral and Garden Center in Slayton. He is committed to meeting and helping with any construction we have here at ATLAS or emergency needs of a client. Ivan is married to Amy and have 2 children. We are so thankful for all Ivan and his family have done for ATLAS for so many years.
Lisa Hubers
Lisa Hubers of rural Pipestone has served as Board Member for 3 years. Lisa has an RN degree in nursing and is part time pastor in Jasper. Lisa leads many Bible Studies and mentors many women. She is a gift to our staff as she prays for us regularly. Lisa is very gifted in sharing God’s Word and praying with people. We appreciate her so much and her leadership. Bruce and Lisa have 4 children and 6 grandchildren.
Mavis Fey
I was born in Southwest MN in a small town of Tyler and graduated from Ivanhoe. I was proud to serve our country for 2 years in the military. I have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. I recently retired from the Split Rock Creek State Park after working 35 years. I loved my job there and met many wonderful people. Now being retired, I have many interests and hobbies that I can work on. In fact, I love almost anything that I can work with my hands. I like to figure things out and make them work. I have always believed in God but watching my husband die from cancer had a big impact on me. Walking beside him through that and then the last day when he went Home, I knew that I wanted to make a commitment and I was born again! My favorite verse changes from day to day. Today it is Ephesians 4:2: Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. I joined the ATLAS Board because I saw God working through the ministries at ATLAS. I wanted to use my gifts to help the ministry and be a part of making a difference in Pipestone County. I also knew that I could grow in my faith walk working with other Christians at ATLAS. I am looking forward to seeing God work in amazing ways.
ATLAS Staff/Volunteers
Roxie Mulder - Director
I was born and raised by Edgerton on a farm. Graduated SWCH. Married Arv Mulder shortly after high school. Blessed with 2 children, Matt and Mindy. Owned a Christian Book/Gift Store and also did 1 day tours through the store, after 18 years sold the store and began doing extended tours.
I committed my life to the Lord at the age of 12 at a Bible Camp. I have made many mistakes along the way but I am so thankful that "his mercies are new every morning." I am so thankful I was raised in a Christian home and have that foundation of being taught in His Word at home, church and school. I have been encouraged by many Godly mentors, taught in Bible Studies and Christian events that encouraged me in my faith walk. We attended Cursillo several years and I served on the Dunimas (power of the Holy Spirit) team for 6 years and learned so much about prayer ministry and the power of the Holy Spirit. . I desire to share that with others so we can be disciples and with the help of the Holy Spirit point them to Jesus.
During the last 20 plus years, I was always interested in the ministry of ATLAS. I remember praying with the founder years ago and God began a work in me about the ministry. A group of over 20 people prayed a whole summer to "listen" for God's will in starting an ATLAS in Pipestone County. ATLAS for Life began in 2004. I volunteered and prayed for the ministry and in 2010 I was asked to join the Board. Being on the Board and hearing about all the opportunities for ministry began a stirring in my heart to be more involved. In 2014, I began to volunteer on a regular basis and then the board asked me to be the director in 2015. I was humbled and not confident that I could do that position but after much prayer and support from other volunteers that were willing to help with some of the duties I was not qualified in, I said yes, knowing that the True Director will always be the Lord. The board/staff were also willing to help out so I could continue my tour business. The years have flown by and we have seen the ministry grow and be a blessing in Pipestone County. I can't tell you how rewarding it is to see transformed lives, client friends come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord and walk alongside them in the hard things of life. We are so blessed with a great team in the board, staff and volunteers. We are so thankful to the Churches, Individuals and Businesses that contribute every year to make this all possible. Through tremendous support, our services are all free to anyone that comes into ATLAS. We pray that everyone feels welcome and that God will give us an open door to people that we can walk alongside, pray with and point them to some resources that may be helpful but ultimately point them to Jesus. We are not about a hand out but a hand up. It is so fun to see everyone's gifts working together to accomplish what God sets before us. I love learning from what God has taught others in life and hearing testimony to His faithfulness! A favorite verse is Psalm 91:4: "He will cover you with His feathers and Under His wings you will find refuge" I give God thanks for allowing me to be a part of such a great ministry. I have learned so much and am truly blessed! Thank you Lord!
Merle Knobloch - Mentor - Tree House
It is a great joy to be a part of the ATLAS ministry and use what I have been blessed with to help others. Prayer is a part of who I am which is a foundational fit here at ATLAS through intercession, prayer blessing and ministry. I also enjoy mentoring and spiritually fathering which brings many blessings as people are set free and find the healing they so desire. The encouragement of 2nd Corinthians 12:9 is so real where Jesus says onto us, “My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast all the more in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota near Hills MN and later was blessed to raise a family of two wonderful children while managing the family farm. Then, through a time of transition and transformation of several years, I found myself going from a farmer who cares for animals and crops to praying for and intentionally loving people. This became my life and it is my greatest joy to experience life as I walk alongside of others.
Jess Bosma - Bread of Life
My educational background is in nursing which I practiced for fifteen years. Most of my time was spent in public health where I received the blessing of working with many individuals and families. I was able to build relationships with them and learn so much as they shared their stories. A deep desire to connect with and empower the beautiful people God placed before me was born, and it continues to grow. I am humbled and in awe of the opportunity to be part of the amazing team here at ATLAS, and I pray that I heed to God’s leading in each and every step of this journey. I am married to Ryan who works with a fuel company called BioAg Energy Services. I am blessed to be mom to three boys, Riley, Blake, and Kason. I would be remiss to not mention Millie Grace, our English Springer Spaniel who quickly became a beloved part of our lives. As a family we enjoy time outside fishing, hunting, and playing whichever sport is in season together. I prayerfully strive to point others to the hope and salvation found in Jesus Christ and the truth of the fulfillment only He provides. John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will ever go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Laurie Westerbur - Mentor
I grew up on a farm on the north shore of Lake Benton, until age 13, when my father was killed in a car accident, and my family moved into Lake Benton. After college, I met my husband, John, who was a parts person for Pipestone Implement and Amdahl Motors. He passed away in 2018 of brain cancer. We have 3 children, all married, and 6 grandchildren. I am retired from 37 years teaching, mostly kindergarten, but also Gifted and Talented, and tutoring reading and math, as well as 8 years as the teacher at the Heartland Hutterite Colony. When I was able to retire, I looked for an avenue to help the kind of families I worked with all my career. I wanted to be able to reveal the answer I suspected so many were looking for, which as a teacher, I was not able to share. ATLAS was the perfect path to walk alongside hurting people, opening their eyes to the special treasure I had found in Jesus, one which gave me identity, security, purpose and peace. I love to travel, to camp, to hike, and to spend time with my children and their families. I paint, quilt, and work in stoneware sculpture. My verse for my work at ATLAS is James I:27, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
ATLAS Staff/Volunteers
Aundria Onken - Receptionist
Andria Onken - Receptionist
Jessie VanderPoel - Brave Moms
I grew up in DeSmet, SD on a cattle ranch. What a lovely way to be raised, working alongside my family while riding horse everyday! My husband is Scott VanderPoel who grew up in Pipestone, Mn. We have four children, Drake, Neva, Denae and Claire. Scott is a veterinarian, so we always have lots of different animals around our acreage. I spend my days homeschooling our kids, and enjoy reading, gardening, and playing games. Time with friends and family si such a delight to me. I grew up learning about God and Jesus, but did not accept Christ into y life until my sophomore year at SDSU in Brookings. I struggled with becoming legalistic and strayed more toward truth than grace or mercy. Luckily, God continues to teach us and did not leave me in my ignorance. He continued to put me in circumstances and call me to people and responsibilities that changed my heart of stone and allowed me to see how self-righteous and prideful I was. Before we moved to Pipestone, God called me to reach out to single moms. I was confused and bewildered by this. A few months later we found out we would be moving to Pipestone. I then got plugged in with ATLAS to start this ministry. (I had no idea what I was doing or where it would go.) As they say, the rest is "history" (Or I like to think "God's Story") I love Philippians 4:8, 2 Cor 3:4-5 and 1 Timothy 1:15. I also love Ps 23. How do you pick one verse. God's working through Moses is always a very relational story for me.
Mike Pater - Mentor
In the late 1990's while doing my first prison ministry service, I visited with an inmate who had a few months left of a 20-year sentence. I asked him how many visits he had in those 20 years. He said he had one visit. That touched my heart and inspired me to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the hurting. We continued to do praise and worship services in prison and witnessed the Holy Spirit change people. I felt the Lord's leading to mentor those new believers. I worked at the South Dakota State Penitentiary for 2 years. Also, I have worked with those addicted to drugs and alcohol in Marshall for the last 18 years at Project Turnabout. Murial and I farmed near Holland until our children were through high school. We moved to Marshall in 2004 and lived there for 16 years. I am now retired and we recently moved to Pipestone to be closer to family. We are blessed with 3 children, a daughter in Sioux Falls and sons in Pipestone and Edgerton and 9 grandchildren and we enjoy spending time with them. A meaningful passage for me for mentoring others is Paul's instruction while he was in prison. This comes from Colossians 3:2-3, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful, and pray for us too that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ."
Judy Steuck - Accountant
Judy has recently retired from 42 years of service at First Bank and Trust on Pipestone. While employed there she filled various roles from a teller to a mortgage loan officer. She has been married to her husband, Bill, for 43 years. They are members of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Pipestone, where Judy is one of the pianists. The live on a dairy farm south of Pipestone. They have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. Wendy and her husband Travis Blankespoor live in Rock Valley, Iowa with their two boys, Eli and Jonah. Jason and his wife Amy, live south of Pipestone, and have 3 girls, Alyssa, Lauren, and Hailey. Lance and his wife Brittany lie near Hawarden, Iowa with their girl and boy Hazel and Bennett. Judy enjoys spending time with family and gardening. It was Judy’s desire after retiring to work at a Christian based organization.