A Baptist Church on Old Lakeport Road
Southern Hills Baptist Church gathers on a quiet stretch of Old Lakeport Road on the south side of Sioux City, Iowa. The congregation describes itself as an independent, autonomous, and self-governing local body of believers that chooses to cooperate with the Southern Baptist Convention for the work of church planting and missions. From a single campus at 4301 Old Lakeport Road, the church runs a weekly rhythm of three Sunday services in two languages, a packed Wednesday evening for kids and students, and Life Groups that meet in homes and on site across the week.
Three Sunday Services, Two Languages
Sunday mornings at SHBC begin at 9:00 a.m. with Sunday School for all ages, held at the same time for children, students, and adults so that families can arrive together. The English-language Worship Service follows at 10:15 a.m. and is described as Family Worship, with a nursery available for children four and younger during both the Sunday School hour and the worship hour. A Korean Worship Service meets at 1:00 p.m., giving the church a bilingual footprint unusual for a congregation of its size.
Visitors who cannot attend in person can watch sermons live through the Messages page, where recent teachings appear alongside recordings of special services.
Wednesday Nights for Kids, Students, and Adults
Wednesday evenings are the busiest night of the week at SHBC. Three programs run from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in parallel so that families with children of different ages can come at the same time.
- Awana for Kids welcomes children from age 3 through 6th grade for small-group time, large-group time, and game activities.
- Youth Group gathers students in grades 6 through 12 from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. for teaching, fellowship, and discipleship aimed at helping them grow as believers.
- Life Group Bible Study meets in the Living Room (the upper classroom) from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., with child care provided so that parents can attend.
A separate prayer time and Bible study also takes place at 6:30 p.m. in the foyer for anyone who wants a shorter, more reflective gathering on Wednesday nights.
Life Groups Across the Week
Life Groups are central to how SHBC does discipleship. These groups are places where members experience authentic community, build deep friendships, and encourage one another to love and serve the Lord. Two on-site gatherings anchor the week: the Wednesday Life Group Bible Study with child care, and a Friday lunchtime Life Group Prayer that meets at noon in the big classroom at the end of the long hallway, where attendees bring their own lunch and share for about an hour. A Women's Bible Study also meets on the church campus at 5:30 p.m. every Monday. Anyone interested in joining a group can sign up through a form on the Life Groups page.
Kids and Students
The children's ministry is built around three touchpoints. On Sunday, nursery care is provided for children four and younger during both the Sunday School hour and Family Worship. K through 5th grade Sunday School meets at 9:00 a.m. On Wednesday nights, Awana serves ages 3 through 6th grade. The Youth Group, for grades 6 through 12, meets on Sunday mornings for Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. and on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. The church's stated goal for students is to share Christ and build believers by connecting them to one another, to adult leaders, and to God.
Senior Pastor Daniel Southwick and Associate Pastor Bob Dillman
Daniel Southwick serves as Senior Pastor. He joined SHBC in 2024 after fifteen years of ministry in several pastoral roles. A U.S. Army veteran originally from California who has also lived in Oklahoma and Germany, Daniel and his wife Andrea have four children, one in college and three at home. He enjoys reading, watching and playing sports, and traveling.
Bob Dillman serves as a volunteer associate pastor. A graduate of Clear Creek Baptist College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Pastor Bob spent thirty-three years in ministry, twenty-four of them on staff at SHBC from 1999 until his retirement in 2023. He and his wife Linda have been married for forty-four years and have four adult children and four grandchildren. He also served as a hospice chaplain from 2020 to 2024.
A Volunteer Ministry Team
Around the pastoral staff, SHBC is served by a team of ministry leaders. Lisa Holzerland leads the Worship Team, Roger Edwards leads the Prayer Team, Matt Widman leads the Outreach Team, Beth Armstrong leads the Fellowship Team, Jerry Dage leads the Properties Team, and Dennis Gallagher leads the Administrative Team. Beth Lamb serves as the church's administrative assistant and also helps lead the Discipleship Team.
What SHBC Believes
SHBC holds its doctrinal positions in agreement with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the confession of faith used across the Southern Baptist Convention. The church's beliefs page organizes its teaching around six headings: God's Word, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, Man, and Salvation. The church's gospel presentation, posted under a separate page, centers on God's love for sinners, the payment Christ made on the cross, and the need for each person to confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead.
The mission statement of the congregation is to seek holiness as members covenant together as a faithful local body of Christ and to engage in the Great Commission by making disciples in their homes, communities, and around the world.
Missions at Home and Around the World
Through its cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention, SHBC supports more than 3,500 missionaries internationally, takes part in church planting and church revitalization across the United States, its territories, and Canada, and contributes to one of the nation's largest disaster relief ministries. Locally, the church supports the Gospel Mission, Child Evangelism Fellowship, and Youth for Christ. An Outreach Team led by Matt Widman coordinates the church's local mission efforts.
Practical Notes for a First Visit
Visitors arriving for the first time will find the church at 4301 Old Lakeport Road on the south side of Sioux City. Sunday School for all ages begins at 9:00 a.m., with English worship at 10:15 a.m. and Korean worship at 1:00 p.m. Families with infants and toddlers up to age four can use the nursery during Sunday School and Family Worship. Giving can be done online through the church's Breeze ChMS portal, and sermon recordings and live streams are available on the Messages page.