The Firehouse Underground and The Underground House of Prayer are not accidents. They are callings for Mike and Sue McComber.
By Veronica Stoneall, Living Stones News Writer

God is at work in His business of saving lives and caring for hurting people at Firehouse Underground in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D.

Located at 400 N. Main St., this coffee house is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 7 p.m. to midnight under the leadership of Mike and Sue Mc Comber. A new ministry, Underground House of Prayer, is also in the works.

Mike (left) and Sue McComber view their business — Firehouse Underground — as a ministry, a meeting place where they can witness to their guests.

“Firehouse is a relationship ministry. We pray each day for the opportunity to share our faith as we get to know our guests,” Sue said.

The Firehouse Underground is a social hub. It is a gathering place for teenagers, church youth groups, college students or homeless people who just walk in and have many needs in their lives. It is a gathering space for anyone needing a blessing and a safe place to hang out for a while.

Often on Friday and Saturday nights, Firehouse Underground has local Christian bands volunteer to come and share their musical gifts with the guests. Occasionally a well-known band or vocalist from another part of the country comes to perform. Having a band or vocalist play and sing is one more way to share the message of Christ to those who come.

“We pray for the presence of the Lord every night before we open,”
Sue said. “We pray for the people who will come and that we can be a blessing to them.”

UHOP, or Underground House of Prayer, is a new ministry opening side by side with Underground Firehouse. The McCombers’ vision is to have prayer rooms open 24/7.

However, for now the hours will coincide with hours for Firehouse Underground. Rooms for prayer are open now, but the McCombers’ intention is to eventually have the rooms staffed with people who can pray with the guests.

“When people know there is a place to pray, it becomes an invitation for them to draw closer to God,” Sue said.

“We hope for basic transformation of the city,” Mike said. “We know there are other people praying for the same thing. Our goal is to draw people and churches of all denominations together to worship and to love our Savior.”

UHOP is not an accident. It is a calling for the McCombers as much as the Firehouse Underground.

“We have never been the same since visiting The House of Prayer in Kansas City, Kan.,” Mike said. “It is set up for 800 people and is amazing to see and feel the presence of Christ. We have been there four times. It is our inspiration to set up our own House of Prayer here in Sioux Falls. UHOP will be tailored to the needs of Sioux Falls.

“One of our favorite Bible verses is James 4:8, which says, ‘Draw close to the Lord and He will draw close to you.’”

As children, Mike and Sue’s families both attended First Baptist Church in Sioux Falls. They remember attending the Old Firehouse coffee shop on 22nd and Minnesota as teenagers. This place had a positive affect on them. You walked in and were warmly greeted and totally accepted, no matter who you were. This kindness lived in their minds for many years.

The McCombers were later married, but they said things did not always go smoothly. Drifting away from Christ and a bout with alcohol and drugs made Mike’s life difficult. Mike was afraid to have children because he thought his drug use could cause a child to be less than perfect.

But the season of their lives changed when they returned to church and began attending Prairie Hills Covenant Church. They began coming back to the Lord, and Sue became pregnant with their first child.

“When I had a perfect daughter placed in my arms, I was transformed,” Mike said. “I was so excited, I showed everyone my beautiful baby girl. I never had the desire to drink or take drugs since. Two years later, we were blessed with a perfect baby boy.”

The McCombers said they continued to reminisce about the Old Firehouse. Twenty years had gone by, but the same picture kept coming back over and over. There was still a need in Sioux Falls for a place for teenagers.

“Open your doors and be the presence of Christ. This is for the city. By watching Roger Fredrikson at the Old Firehouse, we learned how to care,” Sue said. “We could not shake the idea for a coffee house. It was a calling.”

In March of 2000, they contacted Fredrikson, who founded the first firehouse. He helped them get started by telling them to do three
things: Get a board of directors, become incorporated and file for nonprofit status.

The Firehouse Underground opened in March 2002. The McCombers will celebrate its sixth anniversary this month with a fund-raising event called “Adding On.” This will include a banquet and program. You can contact Firehouse Underground for more information by calling (605) 335-6500.

Three faithful volunteers help the McCombers every week. Volunteers come to help from as far away as Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. Youth groups volunteer to help make “Puppy Chow” to sell at the Firehouse. They may help pop popcorn, which is free each night. They may work behind the counter or help with games. Firehouse Underground also gives teenagers who need to do court-appointed community service a place to serve.

“We have a hunger to be closer with the Lord, and we do that through prayer time alone with Him and studying His Word. The Lord honors that and His Spirit fills and transforms you. We want all people to experience this,” Sue said. “We need to be filled with the fruits of the Spirit. It is our job to pray for those who need hope in their lives. This is very exciting to think of how God changes a person’s life from bad to good.”

“Our life is full in a wonderful way. It is a joy to serve in this place,” Mike said.