Gabe Steinmeyer

Gabe is the oldest of five kids in a family built on faith and dairy farming. He remembers being raised in church, getting baptized at age six, and mostly operating off his parents’ faith plus a lot of head knowledge about God. The older he got, though, the more the distractions of the world replaced any connection he had felt with God as a young child. 

After graduating from high school in Vermillion, South Dakota at age sixteen (perks of homeschooling), Gabe wanted to put some distance between him and his family to make his own way, and he headed to Berry College in Rome, Georgia. Gabe describes his college years as the following: “Gabe doing what Gabe wanted to do regardless of it being the best or wisest choice.” He got involved in all kinds of activities, including intramural sports, Model United Nations, logging thousands of volunteer hours for scholarship, and eventually becoming fraternity president, but he didn’t set aside any time for his faith. 

During Christmas break of his senior year, his parents asked him to take two of his siblings to a young adult conference in Kansas City. There, he experienced what he can only describe as the Lord calling him to turn from his ways and come back to Him. The same message was confirmed a few more times that weekend, including word-for-word from a stranger.

When Gabe returned to campus, he reached out to some believers to get involved in the faith community, but he still struggled to break the chains of his bad habits. Graduating with less-than-stellar grades, Gabe had limited opportunities for work and ended up getting a job back home in Vermillion, South Dakota. After his mom gave him a book that inspired him to get a graduate degree, Gabe landed at Tel Aviv University in Israel, where he pursued a degree in Middle Eastern Studies. Within a few weeks, Gabe had filled his schedule; he was recruited to play semi-professional tackle football with the Israel Football League and began attending a Bible study with other believing international students. Though he viewed this overseas move as a chance to redefine his lifestyle and who he was, he was still caught up in old habits and living a double-minded life. 

After another instance of Gabe attending Bible study and then going out drinking, a good friend confronted him about how he claimed to follow Christ but lived as if he didn’t. Gabe was convicted and recognized his need for intimacy with Christ versus just operating out of head knowledge. 

After finishing up school, Gabe headed back to the States and worked in a few different cities in economic development. Eventually he ended up in Sioux Falls, where he got involved in a church that emphasized single-minded living through repenting and turning from sin in order to follow Christ. Soon, God led Gabe on a path of reevaluating his life plan and fully yielding to God and His plan. 

Sometime during this pruning process, God placed folks from Collision in Gabe’s path who excited him about the prospect of using his skills to work in ministry. Named Gabriel, or “messenger of God,” Gabe had long felt a call into ministry and experienced a peace and excitement about joining the Collision team to serve the Lord and not himself. 

As Director of City Development, Gabe operates as a main point of contact between Collision and the communities Collision seeks to establish new chapters in. His background in economic development shines brightly as he focuses on assessing the assets of a community, networking with key stakeholders, and bringing resources to bear to establish partnership and help the community grow. An outgoing lover of people and travel, Gabe is grateful to play a part in supporting students who need to be steered away from societal pressures and toward relationship with Jesus.