MINISTRY FOCUS

In June 2021, Peter and Tanya moved to South Dakota to pioneer a new house ministry near Ellsworth Air Force Base. They accepted this assignment after serving the community of Luke AFB for six years in the Phoenix Valley. By God’s grace, The Dwelling Place Hospitality House was successfully launched and is a place where the Kinneys share the gospel and their lives with the military community, primarily with a focus on single Airmen. They desire to provide a home away from home for these young men and women, offering them a place to belong and grow in faith and God’s love. One of the main ways they serve the community is through a weekly home-cooked dinner and Bible study. They also provide weekend retreats, partner with chaplains, and help with outreach on base. They spend as much one-on-one time as possible with the Airmen by loving, discipling, mentoring, and being present in their lives.

FAITH

Peter grew up with several Christian influences. At 18, during the Gulf War, he cried out to God and became serious about making Him the Lord of his life. When the Army sent him back to Germany, Peter attended a Cadence hospitality house near post. He learned from Tony and Chris, the missionaries there, what it means to serve a living God. While his childhood church and family were influential, Germany was a strategic and formative time in Peter’s life. He considers it a blessing to now serve young men and women in the military.

Tanya accepted Christ as a young child under the guidance of her mom. She remembers sitting on the floor after misbehaving and listening to her mother share about Jesus. On that hallway floor, she asked Christ to come into her heart. Her faith was always an essential part of her childhood and journey through high school, but it was while attending a Christian college that her faith flourished.

FAMILY

Peter and Tanya attended Simpson University in Redding, California, where they met and began dating after graduation. Peter graduated with a degree in biblical studies and Tanya in liberal studies. Tanya received her teaching credential and a Master of Education. Peter and Tanya were married in March 2002. Peter worked in the educational field as an admissions representative. Tanya taught kindergarten at a local Christian school until they started their family. They were blessed with the birth of Nathan. He is in high school and loves almost anything to do with airsoft and his car. Nathan is currently a police cadet and hopes to become a police officer. God blessed their family with a “bonus daughter” during their time in Arizona. DD was an Airman in their ministry. She was in a car accident in 2018 and lived with them for three months while she recovered. She is now a part of their family. She loves to dance and work out and is currently living in Texas.