Month: December 2021

December 28, 2021 The Homeschool Ministry

Over the past three years, the homeschool group has hosted parenting discussions for all of the parents that are in the church.  The discussion are held quarterly and include a discussion that aims to help us do a better job of discipling our kids. This past quarter, we finished the most recent series that we had spent the last year and half covering. Below is a summary of that series.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 states: “”Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

A person who is driven to follow Jesus does not become a disciple by showing up to church once, or even twice a week. It is a process that needs to occur every day as we get out of bed, as we go about our day and as we end each day. Raising our kids to know Jesus will also happen in the same way. It is an ongoing, day to day, moment by moment process. As parents, we first need to have that day-to-day relationship with Jesus that will spread to our kids through our day-to-day interactions with them. During our parenting discussions, we talked about how we can best promote faith discussions with our kids by looking at the T.E.A.C.H. acronym.

Travel Time – We discussed how to use the time we spend traveling to talk to our kids or listen to Bible programs or perhaps praise music on the radio.

Eating Time – How can we make the best use of our family meals together through family devotions or mealtime discussions.

Arising Time – What can we do each morning as we start our day together.

Closing Time – What does the end of the day look like? Do we pray together or read the Bible as the kids go to bed?

Holiday Time – Are there family traditions that point us to Jesus that we can make the best use of? This month we talked a bit about the idea of taking trips or “adventures” together as a family.

All these areas included practical discussion that allowed each family to decide what they can incorporate into their schedule to make the best use of their time together. Throughout all the discussions we had, it seemed that the main point that we often came back to is that a disciple builds other disciples and discipled parents will build discipled kids. All the discussions had some good practical steps to give us ideas of things we should be doing as families but in the end, we can only give to our kids what we first have ourselves.

In Deuteronomy 6, it tells us to diligently teach our kids as we sit in our house, as we walk, as we rise, and as we eat.  We must always remember that as parents, or non-parents that are looking to disciple others,  before we are given such an instruction, we are first told to love our God with all our heart, soul, and strength. Only then we can pass anything of value on to our kids.

December 25, 2021 Shofar Missions Cebu

See what is happening with Shofar Mission Cebu.

On December 16, a storm signal 4 was raised in Cebu City. Some staff and students we know in Cebu Island were evacuated as much of the city lost electric around 4pm. The storm hit Cebu City between 9pm-10pm with very strong winds picking up shacks (small houses usually with tin roofs) sending the roofing tin flying through the air. Doors and windows couldn’t keep the rain out and the wind shredded leaves and tore through the trees.

Street Level Ministries

Earlier this month, we got into the community to do a live radio broadcast with Street Level Radio. This gave us an opportunity to meet a few new students. We also started distributing Word on the Street Magazine at two local cafes. We planned to host a Murder Mystery Christmas Party, but the storm cancelled it. Maybe it could be a New Year’s Party… we’re done with weekly Bible discussions for the semester and look forward to restarting in January. Hopefully, we’ll get to have more students join us in the office for phygital discussions.  

Exploring Creation Science

Earlier this month we had several opportunities to reach out to local churches and schools that we work with in Metro Cebu. We were able to bless the staff with a fruit basket and card for the holiday season. Since they were set to hand out items for next semester before break we also left new Explore Booklets and certificates.

Whether teachers were ready or not the semester ended early. Due to the storm, it was clear there would be no classes on December 16, 2021. Exploring Creation Science lessons ended for the holiday break with a couple of schools offering an opportunity to host a review with the students. Instead of playing a review game students received the review information via messenger. Some students will start the year joining from a temporary home due to the typhoon. When classes continue in January there are several different ideas of how to continue amid the typhoon clean up.

Please continue to pray for the Philippines specifically those affected by the typhoon!

December 22, 2021 Pastor Tim Dodson | Menomonie

Recently I saw a covenant member and elder leave his church and will not be returning. And it was beautiful…

Certainly, over the years we have seen and been on the receiving end of the mayhem of someone who said they were a part of us and loved us only to eventually wreak havoc as they firebombed the church spiritually speaking. We all individually and corporately have been stunned by what can only be seen as demonic behavior come forth from people who feigned unity and love and played on until they wanted a power position they did not get, wanted a sin they could not resist, wanted attention they were not getting, etc. The list of reasons is quite long and sordid, and not really the point of this article. The question we all were, and perhaps are left with is this: Can a person leave a church without having to roll a grenade into the room on their way out? I for one was beginning to doubt. The lies and evil behavior that I witnessed throughout 3 decades of ministry certainly would excuse my skepticism. I even remember one woman telling me that Satan told her and her husband to leave. And then she left. Ya,  creepy for sure…

Paul Simon sang a song back in 1975 called “50 Way to Leave Your Lover” that maybe we apply to this issue and put out as a church tri-fold:

You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free

Hmmm. Nice worldly mantra. It even rhymes. One is left wondering where Jesus…the Holy Spirit…yes even rudimentary Christianity is on all of this. But back to my initial remark about the beautiful departure…

While visiting a church in Louisiana during a recent missions trip down there, we happened to attend on Sunday when the church…especially their Covenant Body, was saying goodbye to a family who were Covenant members, active church participants, founding participants, and he was even a church elder and board member. Over what we understood to be a lengthy period of prayer… with the church fellowship, seeking counsel… with the church fellowship, they had come to the conclusion that God was directing the man to take a position as a federal law enforcement officer and would be moving to Washington DC. On that Sunday we were privileged as outsiders, to witness a deeply insider event. The family came upfront and the pastor and elders laid hands on them in prayer. There were emotional words of memories and thanks. There was embracing. There was weeping. There was unity and love and most of all, there was God.

I know that some might be uncomfortable exposing this dirty laundry that certainly is a quiet pain and an embarrassing reality within almost every church in America. But I am reminded that God seemed to never sweep such mud under the rugs of history. There we have it in black and white…in the most published book in history: David’s adultery and murder, Moses’ anger, and sin, Noah got drunk which led to some messy family issues, Peter’s fearful denials of Christ, etc, etc! The reality is that there will always be those who will find their way into a church fellowship with a lot of different reasons to be there and faithfully loving, serving, growing, discipling is not on their list. Perhaps we could say that being in a church doesn’t emphatically declare one’s salvation standing, but their departure certainly casts a bright light! (Not my judgment…that is the emphatic declaration of scripture itself!)

Truth be told, the way that people who call themselves Christians treat others who call themselves Christians is tainting the pool for sure. Really…if that’s the way it is inside, who would want it? The fact is, church people are notorious for bad behavior. Some church people are just downright mean. Why is this? In some recent surveys, it appears that most people in our culture believe that Christians are about as trustworthy as car salesmen and lawyers.

I myself am certainly far from a perfect man and many of the greater church people I know behave in far worse ways than many of the unbelievers I know. I am always amazed at the grace, love, support, and forgiveness that is found among the “unchurched” which is rarely found among those who go to church.

Sometimes our behavior is a result of our understanding of God’s grace and forgiveness. We feel that because God forgives us for all our sins, we can treat others in terrible ways, and God will still forgive us. It’s “pre-planned forgiveness.” We’ll just square it with God after we burn down the village. While it is true that God will forgive us for such behavior, we need to know that such is not a “get out of jail free card.”

Scripture speaks much about our relationships and right standing with one another on matters such as this: Matthew 5:23-24, Luke 17:3-4; Ephesians 4:32; and Colossians 3:13 are just a few. We cannot argue that if our relationship with the Lord is right, then our relationships with other people will fall in line. Thus if relationships with other people fail to be Christ-like, then why should we think that He is indeed a part of us?

In the Jewish world, on Yom Kippur, Jews ask God for forgiveness, but “on the day before” Yom Kippur, called Erev Yom Kippur, Jews ask forgiveness from one another. It seems that there is something to the understanding that “you can’t ask forgiveness of God until you’ve asked forgiveness of people you sinned against.”

The events of that day in that Louisiana church were both sad and joyous. I felt their pain…all of them…but I also felt their love and unity. I felt Jesus in their midst and in their handling of all of it. And if I wasn’t a Christian and had stumbled into that service that day, I undoubtedly would be left thinking… “wow, these people have something different than the world.” And maybe, “I think I would like to have some of that please…”

December 19, 2021 River Falls Ministry

What do church, gingerbread houses, and cookies have in common? This is how we ended out the semester in River Falls. Keep reading to find out more!

Church in the Heart of Campus

We recently had our final meeting of Believers Campus Church for the semester. We’re thankful to have the space on campus this semester and meet a lot of people looking for church. Many came and went, but some stuck around to hear God’s word taught each week. Complying with the university mask mandate is a relational barrier that we’ve needed to overcome, but people have really made the best of the now-familiar strangeness.

Christmas Party

This is where gingerbread houses and cookies come in. Street Level ended the final meeting for the semester with a Christmas Party. With the students help planning and executing, we baked (and ate) cookies, had a gingerbread house making contest, played trivia, ate pizza, and overall had a good time of fellowship. The party was during finals week, so was a good way to spend the last meeting together.

Looking into 2022

Overall, 2021 has been a challenging and blessed time. We’re thankful for work God has done in our lives and others, and now we have another year ahead of us. We will be using winter break to pray and prep for 2022. Before we know it, Campus Church will be back in our familiar room, Street Level will be fellowshipping, and we’ll no doubt have new stories to share about God’s work.

Please pray for….

  • The Spirit to work in individuals lives, giving them a desire to fully serve God.
  • Wisdom as to what and how to plan for the next semester.
  • The effectiveness of coffeehouse ministry to both disciple and outreach.

For Further Information

December 13, 2021 Believers Church Duluth

As we conclude 2021, we are so thankful for the work that God has done and is continuing to do with our fellowship here in Duluth.  Lots of changes took place over the last year as Covid restrictions started to lift.  We tried to take advantage of every opportunity we could in order to reach out to our community and to deepen our relationships within the church.  This past month has been much like the others, as we continued our rhythm of fellowship, Bible teaching, service, and outreaches. 

OUTREACHES:

Before it got too cold, we were able to get in one more outreach at a local park.  This time we invited the whole church to join our Community Group for a game of “Ultimate Kickball”.  Those who were brave enough joined in the game, while others gave away popcorn and apple cider to those in the park.  We had a great time with each other and it was another great opportunity to connect with people in our community. 

STREET LEVEL SUPERIOR:

Street Level has had a full month as well.  They had the opportunity to connect with River Falls and Menomonie’s Street Level group digitally.  They also hosted a “Late Night Game Night” themed evening with Jimmy Fallon style games in the student center and even gave away prizes from local businesses.  Then they hosted an authentic Thanksgiving meal at the Street Level house.  Their day was filled with lots of food and games including football and basketball.  They had a great time at both events, and they even had some international students join them for the meal.

TEACHING:

We are still going through the book of Romans on Sundays, and we are now in the book of 2nd Peter at the Street Level garage on Wednesday evenings. It’s amazing how warm and comfortable it is in the garage. We have been having great fellowship before and after the study, and the relaxed atmosphere has been great for having an opportunity for questions and discussion after the study.   

SERVICE:

We had a Prayer Breakfast and workday at the church in mid-November.  Workdays have been few over the past year, so it was really nice to have another one.  We started the day with breakfast and broke off into groups for men’s and women’s studies.  We then worked on a variety of projects that included: painting the sanctuary, tuck pointing, organizing the balcony, cleaning, and some office work. 

FELLOWSHIP:

This past month we were also able to have a members meeting and a game night.  During our member’s meeting we were able to video chat with Brittany and Laura, and then spend the night playing a variety of board games.  We also went as a large group to a local Christmas tree farm in order to cut a tree down for the sanctuary.  We then spent the evening eating pizza & cookies while decorating the tree and the sanctuary for Christmas. 

As we conclude 2021, we are so thankful for the work that God has done and is continuing to do with our fellowship here.  We were able to send a few people to participate in the domestic missions trips, continue to use our coffeehouse trailer for various different events in the community, be a part of drilling wells overseas, and we were able to deepen relationships in our church as we reached out to the community around us.  Please continue to pray for our church and the outreaches we are doing.  – Sara  

December 11, 2021 Pastor Jesse Moss | Duluth

Christmas can be an overwhelming time. Cultural and familial pressures all around us tend to push and pull us in all directions at once. Messages are screamed at us about what to buy, where to go, and who to be with. The cultural pressure presents unrealistic expectations to please everyone and give a picture-perfect image during this season. It can lead people to feel frazzled and frantic. This feeling of being overwhelmed by these things is entirely unnecessary. There is no reason for Christians to allow our culture to push and pull us as it does, but that is not the point I want to make.

I believe that Christmas is intended by God to be overwhelming. He wants us to stand still in awe of the season. Not because we tend to give in to every whim of our culture, but because of the incredible work of our God. As Christians, we know that God in all of His glory was pleased to come to this earth as a man. We also know that He did this for us.

Easily Forgotten

The sad reality is that we all too often become numb to this truth. It isn’t that we don’t know it or believe it, but it is just that we are apathetic to it. The reality of the gospel should be overwhelming. It should leave us in awe and wonder. Being reminded of the fact that our God left the perfection and majesty of heaven to come to this fallen earth for us fallen creatures is astonishing.

Equally astonishing is that those of us who know it to be fact can let life pass us by as though it doesn’t matter. This time of year, we are far too easily overwhelmed by the necessity of the perfectly made Christmas cookie, all the while unmoved and unaffected by the gospel. Christmas is a reminder that Christ did come. If He hadn’t, we would be left with no savior and no hope for salvation. There would be no real peace and no real joy. Christ accomplished much in His coming to this world. Here are just a few such accomplishments found in the account of His birth found in the Gospel of Luke.

Peace – “To guide our feet into the way of peace” Luke 1:79

Colossians 1:20 tells us that Jesus brings us peace with God through the blood of His cross. Apart from Jesus, it is impossible for us to have peace with God. Our sins cause us to be at enmity with God. This leaves us in a constant state of turmoil between Him and us that we could never repair on our own. Jesus left heaven to mend that turmoil.

Joy – “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy” Luke 2:10

At times it seems like this world gives us very little reason to be joyful. God through Christ gives us every reason. John 15 tells us that we can be friends with Christ. Good friends make you happy. The best of friends brings real joy. Jesus says that He brings us real and abundant life. He also gives us a purpose to live for. Our Lord has come and because of that, we can have joy.  

Light – “To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,” Luke 1:79

If Jesus is the light of the world as He claimed to be, that means that apart from him the entire world is living in darkness. Your options are either Christ or darkness, there is no third alternative. The light of Christ illuminates and exposes the darkness of sin, and also shines on the goodness of God. We take a light into a room to dispel the darkness. Likewise, the light of Jesus Christ had to come into this darkness of our sin to illuminate and deal with that darkness.

Salvation – “To give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins” Luke 1:77-78

The natural state of mankind is broken, fallen, dying, and headed for destruction. The only possible way to alter that trajectory is Jesus. On the first Christmas, “unto us a savior was born” which is good news for us because we were in desperate need of one. Jesus did not come for the healthy. He didn’t come to give us some moral lessons, or simply to live an example of the “good life”. He came to save souls.

Being overwhelmed is typically not a good thing. But the facts of Christ should leave us overwhelmed and in awe. The creator of the universe came to you and me. God dwelt among us, and He did it because of a love for us. Just this once, let yourself be overwhelmed.