At Believers Church Duluth, we’re part of a story. It’s the story of God bringing a bunch of sinners together, teaching them to love and serve, and inviting them to live lives of purpose. What you’re about to see are the newest pages that have been written. God has been very good to us the last few months, providing opportunity to engage each other and our local community. Keep scrolling to see what we mean.
FALL FEST
Chester Bowl, a local park and ski hill in town, holds Fall Fest each September. Around 10,000 people from the community attended the art and craft fair this year. There were also a handful of food trucks, including our coffee trailer. A group of us worked in shifts to take orders, pull espresso, steam milk, and serve a variety of drinks. By the end of the day we were all the good-kind-of-tired. Events like this teach us to work together as a team, help us make connections in the community, and raise money for missions.
YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
Our young adult ministry is a group for those who are post-college but not yet over-the-hill. We took a trip on the Brule River and paired up for a total of 12 canoes. Some of us were veterans on the water, and some of us were not. Some folks got soaked and some got scraped. Needless to say, the four hour trip was a bonding experience because we made it to the end…together.
In October, our group set up a brunch tailgate at one of the UMD football games. We cooked pancakes, bacon, and eggs on a grill and camp stove in the parking lot. Later on, we closed up shop and headed over to the stands to watch the game. Hot breakfast + thrift store blankets + football = cozy Fall vibes.
CAMPUS OUTREACH
A new Fall semester means Street Level is back in session on Monday nights in Superior. Other than being physically located close to campus, we’ve been meeting students through JacketFest (an org. fair for students held at the beginning of the year), as well as regular tabling at the student center.
Across the pond, we’ve had a few tabling events at UMD. In the past, we’ve brought plant clippings for students to add a little green to their dorm rooms. It was a huge success, so we’ve turned it into an annual event. We brought as many plants as we could this year, pallets worth, and still ran out before the afternoon.
At our next UMD table, we gave out stickers instead of plants. It was incredibly eye-catching because it was fun to sort through them and look at all of the designs. There were stickers for every interest: star wars, hiking, animals, vintage, and more. We met a lot of new students as well as connected with some who knew us from the plant giveaway.
INTERNATIONAL POTLUCK
In November, we gathered at the Streel Level house and garage for a potluck to beat all potlucks. Some folks brought dishes from their home countries, and some others made dishes inspired by a country of their choice. The evening couldn’t have been better–enjoying good food and good friends.
LIFE TOGETHER
On occasional Sunday afternoons we gathered at a trailhead not too far from church. It’s a decent length to stretch our legs, but the best part is the new dairy store (with ice cream!) at the turnaround point. You know we spend a lot of time together when we start dressing alike.
Our game night brought out the diehard boardgame players and those more or less there for the junk food. Either way, we had a great (and late) night.
We are studying the book of Acts on Sundays, and we have a rotating schedule on Wednesdays: verse-by-verse through the Old Testament, men’s and women’s studies, and rewind small groups. Our Old Testament study is currently in the book of Daniel. The stage production group Sight and Sound recently released Daniel as a filmed version of the stage play. We watched it as a group, and boy did it inspire all of us. The quality was top-notch and truly brings history to life.
Last, but not least, we celebrated the 15th anniversary of our church being in its current building. So much has happened over that time, and God has been intimately working through it all.
If the last few months (and last 15 years) are any indication, God is writing a pretty great story. We are thankful for what’s behind and eagerly await what’s ahead.