Gifts. At this time of year, we think a lot about gifts– wrapped Christmas gifts for loved ones and friends, gifts to missions and ministry programs, and the greatest gift of all, God’s son Jesus Christ, a gift almost no one was expecting.

We also give gifts we can’t wrap with ribbons or bows. Our everyday gifts of time and talent make an immeasurable impact and grow our churches and our personal faith. No matter how small our gifts may seem to us as givers, they all help to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. In late September, a beautiful painting was presented to Sioux Falls First UMC– a gift borne of talent that will be shared for many years to come.

Hope, Love, and Encouragement

Paul Boerboom's acrylic painting of Sioux Falls First United Methodist Church is on permanent display at the church, after being dedicated on September 26, 2021 in honor of the church's 150th anniversary. Photo of painting courtesy of Paul Boerboom.

Paul Boerboom is a member of Sioux Falls First United Methodist Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and recently retired from a 40-year career as a successful architect. From his upbringing in Southwest Minnesota as a Roman Catholic, faith and a church family have always been important to him. After marrying his wife, Nancy, a United Methodist, Paul became a United Methodist and joined UM churches in Hartford, South Dakota, and Sioux Falls as they moved and raised their family. More recently at Sioux Falls First, Paul joined the “AMen’s” group of United Methodist Men.

Paul Boerboom.

When Paul turned 60, he began to rediscover a talent he’d enjoyed in his youth, but hadn’t developed. Melding the visual sensibilities of his architectural experience and his awareness of the objects around him, he began painting with acrylics. His meticulous attention to detail and sense of light and form began to give subjects new life and meaning through his canvases. Others quickly recognized Paul’s gift for creating fine art. His paintings soon led to a Best of Show award at the 2018 Dakota MasterWorks Art Show and earned him exhibits at local galleries in the Sioux Falls area. Paul retired recently, devoting even more time to painting, now including watercolors and continuing to earn awards.

Sioux Falls First UMC had meanwhile begun planning a celebration around their 150th anniversary, and committee member Dave Eiesland, leader of the AMen’s group, tossed out Paul’s name as someone in their congregation with a special gift. The church’s vision statement is “to be a sanctuary of hope, love, and encouragement in the heart of Sioux Falls. A 150^th anniversary celebration was planned for September 26^th, 2021, with Bishop Haller preaching, and several festivities to mark the date.

With the encouragement of the committee and lead pastor Rev. Sara Nelson, Paul spent the summer of 2021 creating an acrylic painting of the East entrances of his church, bathed in summer morning sunlight, which he aptly titled, “Hope, Love, and Encouragement,” reflecting his appreciation of the mission and vision of his church.

“I wanted to bring out the beauty of the morning light, the trees casting shadows across the street, and the radiant sky– not in a distracting way, but in an uplifting way,” Paul said, “accentuating the bright, original entrance and the new entrance to the historic church, the cross on the chapel wall, and the bright dome atop the sanctuary in the heart of downtown Sioux Falls.”

Paul already had a connection with the building from earlier in his career when he was involved professionally in the design of the multipurpose addition, and later in a redesign of the church’s chapel. He knew from studying the building that the church’s unique dome and architecture were iconic in the Sioux Falls area. For him, the creation of this painting was a very fitting way to share his newly rediscovered gift of painting, in addition to the gifts he's been giving by serving on the board of trustees and the church council.

“This was a wonderful opportunity to share my talents with my church, to share in this celebration of God’s work at Sioux Falls First,” he added.

Love, Hope, and Encouragement now adorns a wall at Sioux Falls First UMC and brings exactly those messages of its title when people see it up close. The talents of Paul Boerboom, like so many before him, are part of God’s gifts to us all, freely shared with all people everywhere.

Paul Boerboom's painting, "Wall Lake Sunset", is one of several he has displayed at Piper Arts in Sioux Falls, SD. Photo courtesy of PiperArts website.