Brethren, I’m happy to report that this past month has been an encouraging effort when it comes to the mission of God. We’re pushing the offense, gaining momentum, and making ourselves a prime target for spiritual attack. It’s quite exciting.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

First, we finished our second round of membership class (a year in the making) and welcomed a handful of candidates to the official roster. Since that class is complete, we can offer another round of Believers Class later this Spring. In Discipleship Class, we’ve been discussing what it means to disciple others and be disciples ourselves beyond a mere intellectual approach. A real disciple sleeps with one eye open, so to speak, and does the hard work of prayer and preparation so that when God’s call comes there is little to no hesitation.

NEW MINISTRY

Also, we started Believers Campus Church at UMD on Wednesday nights! Despite the numerous other Christian organizations, the campus is so large we believe there is still room for us to minister. We paired the Wednesday services with tabling to spread the word. Some students just wanted coffee, but some genuinely showed interest in our format and our topic. In the weeks we have left of the Spring semester, we are going through the book of Exodus start to finish.

God has certainly blessed us with student interest at UMD and renewed energy for campus ministry. Though we are at UMD, we are not letting go of Street Level at UW-Superior. Monday night studies are still happening, and the crew is trying new things like English language help for international students. Please keep both campuses in prayer as we seek God’s direction for the fall.

NEW ADVENTURES

Furthermore, there’s nothing that induces warfare more than missions. We are sending out a large crew for the Street Level trip all the while applications are getting turned in for more domestic trips. Locally, we are planning where we can utilize the coffee trailer in the months to come to raise money for well-drilling. Prayer would be appreciated for the hearts and minds of everyone involved—that we remain laser-focused on Jesus and pleasing Him through it all.

Getting out in the community and beyond would be a weak effort if it wasn’t for what we’re learning. We finished the book of Romans on Sundays and are taking some time to dissect the Gospel. This is paired with watching the film American Gospel on Wednesdays. We’ve been challenged to consider if we really know and really believe the Gospel for ourselves. Unfortunately, we are more susceptible to the prosperity gospel, the American dream, and plain ‘ol morality than we realize.  In a few Sundays we’ll be back in the New Testament and will start the book of Matthew.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Finally, we like hanging out with each other so we gathered for a Super Bowl party one Sunday, and on another occasion we all went ice skating at Bayfront Park.  It’s these small, but consistent, opportunities that do much to reinforce our unity.  

Keep fighting, keep striving, and we’ll do the same.

-Kelsey

• 

• 

• 

Winter is wonderful as evidenced by the many delightful opportunities God has brought our way over the past handful of weeks.

Fellowship

There have been impromptu gatherings of assorted folks from our fellowship where we got to enjoy the things our Creator and the local and neighboring communities teamed up to offer. Earlier last month, a small group went ice skating at the Bayfront ice rink and ended up playing a rousing game of hockey.  The following Sunday after church a few went together for a free self-guided tour of Glensheen.  Some members were at a missions meeting and came over to catch the tail end, then we all went to VIP pizza for dinner to finish the day.  OneLife recently invited the Duluth couples to join them and the homeschool group to go snow tubing in Wheeler, which was a blast – what a beautiful place to enjoy the outdoors with great friends!

Street Level

Street Level Superior recently had the opportunity to travel to Menomonie and join the other campuses for a missions presentation and Broomball on a warm(ish) January weekend.  A YWAM missionary shared her experiences of work in various Asian nations and the path God took her on to get there.  The next day, only minor injuries were sustained as everyone came together for a mighty clash on the ice with an activity best reserved for the young – broomball.  I’m pretty sure they had a good time based on the stories told the next day. Street Level also partnered with a local Christian high school to fold and staple the next issue of Word on the Street right on the UWS campus.

• 

• 

Outreaches

Who knew the Zoo could be such a valuable place for outreach?  The Community Group got the opportunity once again to set up a booth at Duluth Zoo during their Winter Wonderland event.  It was a bit quiet as the temperatures were scarce, but this provided a great opportunity to meet local families and even get to know the always-helpful Zoo staff!  We also had a nice time chumming with each other and the neighboring monkeys.

Despite generally high covid cases in the area, God paved the way for us to visit a local nursing home and teach Bible studies on a few Sunday afternoons.  The Community group is on rotation for this every other week with different volunteers leading and assisting.  It’s a privilege to see people we would otherwise possibly never meet, to share God’s word with them, encourage them in their faith, and help them get to know Jesus better.

Teaching, Videos & Discussion

In light of the current overall push to “distance” and “isolate,” a string of Monday night classes was particularly helpful.  The first three Mondays in January, we went through a book called “Evangelism as Exiles” by Elliot Clark. This dovetailed with our recent trek through 1 Peter well, as the book draws heavily from this text.  The author challenges us to consider carefully our motivation and approach to sharing Christ with those around us and increase our awareness of what really holds us back.  It might be the opposite of what we tend to think.  This is an excellent read, and we only covered the first three chapters.  Pray that God would use it to shape the way we think and how we act around our fellow humans.

On Sundays, we’re continuing through the last chapters of Romans and considering how our strength and freedoms in Christ intersect with our fellow believer’s sensitive consciences and weakness.  On various Wednesdays we’ve been gathering in small (or micro) groups to review and discuss the sermon from Sunday.  This is immensely helpful in re-orienting our brains toward what the Holy Spirit has to say to us and see clearly how these truths impact our lives.

We hadn’t been in it for a while as we took a break to go through 1st and 2nd Peter, but on a recent Wednesday, we took a refreshing dip back into the book of Jeremiah.  This was looking at the sad state and fate of faithless Zedekiah (and the people of Judah as a whole) who refused to listen to God through Jeremiah, and the silver lining of redemption for one sinner who would repent.  

Please pray for upcoming events – There is a big push to minister to the UMD student body starting mid-February, and a Street Level missions trip departing in March.  A potentially busy summer is on the horizon, so pray for God to help us all keep our heads in the game, moving forward, following His will, and for boldness to take advantage of the opportunities He provides.

-Karla

Happy New Year!

As we begin 2022, it’s already been a month of transition and changes here in Duluth. We gathered to kick off the New Year with a party this past Friday which included some awkward photos, games, and laughter along with a slideshow recap showcasing some memorable moments (click here). As we reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past year, we hope this fuels our passion and excitement for greater fruit and effectiveness in the year to come.  

SERVICE

During the month of December, Community Group had the special opportunity to help wrap gifts for families and children at a local shelter. While some members of Community Group were listening to Christmas music and writing labels on gifts, another group of volunteers was simultaneously kicking off the first of many Bible studies in a local Health & Rehabilitation Center; please pray for wisdom and fruitfulness as we venture into an area of ministry unfamiliar to most of us volunteers. In addition to these local service and outreach opportunities, some Duluth Street Level folks are preparing to participate in the Street Level spring mission’s trip.

We are thankful for the opportunities to serve outside our church building, but want to continue to be passionate about the opportunities within our church as well. As we gathered for prayer early this Sunday, we looked about and realized that keeping a church operational is no small task. Starting this past week, some of our volunteers will be returning to prior service roles while others are starting out in new areas of ministry such as sound/technology, kitchen, and ushering. Please pray that we’d all not lose sight of the privilege it is to serve God while keeping our focus on the people and not simply the tasks at hand.

TEACHING

One of the major changes in the past month has been our Wednesday service location. We have stopped meeting in Superior for the time being and are back in our Duluth building on Wednesday evenings. We finished the book of 2 Peter in December and have switched to a different format: Pastor Justin gives a quick summary of the main points from Sunday’s sermon, and we then break off into small groups for discussion questions.

We continue to march through the book of Romans and have been specifically looking at how a right understanding of God’s love should evoke a response in our practical living. Our small group discussions have been helpful in showing us how we are or aren’t applying God’s truth to our lives and allowing us to encourage one another. Much of our teaching as of late has been focused on the need for personal surrender as the key to unlocking the power of God in our lives.

During the month of January as Street Level is on winter break, we have been able to come together as a church on Monday nights to focus on the topic of evangelism. We are going through a book called Evangelism as Exiles: Life on Mission as Strangers in our Own Land by Elliot Clark which we hope will help us grow in both our understanding and application of evangelism.

We appreciate your support and prayers of the work that God is doing both through us and in us in Duluth.

-Matt

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 2^nd 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  

Happy November from your friends in Duluth! In the spirit of the season, we have so very much to be thankful for. Our plates have been full of good teaching, outreach, fellowship, missions work, and service. Thinking back one year ago when the world was still mostly shut down, it’s been our joy to now be hard at work, taking advantage of all that God has put in our path. Here’s what we’ve been up to the past month.

FELLOWSHIP

Earlier in October, the couples were invited to join Menomonie for a camping trip at the JFB campground in Connorsville. As usual, there were lots of snacks, jokes, stories, long hikes with falling leaves, and weird noises from behind the fence.

We ended October in the spirit of Halloween with a good old-fashioned costume party. Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, so we got to hand out candy to the neighborhood kids in addition to playing games, feasting on chili, and eating (too many) tootsie rolls.

OUTREACH

Last year was the first time our Community Group brought the coffee trailer to “Boo at the Zoo” right down the road from the church. They invited us back again, and with COVID restrictions lifted, people were flooding in. We served coffee at the entrance, while another group of us gave out candy to literally thousands of people as they walked through the grounds. We spent three weekends in October at this event, and it was exciting to see so many people getting the church’s information into their hands.

Not only did we get our name out there, but there were several promising conversations and connections made with individuals who crossed our path. We’ve had billboards and bus ads for the church posted around town for a few months now with our “Live Like You Mean It” slogan, and some people were able to recognize us because of this. Please pray for fruit to come from our outreach efforts as well as for continued direction for our Community Group as we seek God’s direction for the winter months ahead.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Our pastors had a new outreach opportunity of their own that came about recently. Justin and Jesse were invited to host a mid-week Bible study at the assisted living home right across the street from the church. We’ve had a couple members of that community join us on for services on Sundays, and several more of them have been attending the study each week. Please pray for these individuals, that God would use his Word to reach them at a heart level.

Street Level has been continuing their series called Alpha. They’ve been partnering with Street Level Menomonie and River Falls over video for some of these studies. Recently, before dinner at the Garage, they have been meeting on campus to read a short excerpt from a book called, “What if Jesus was Serious?” and talk about it, devotional style. Street Level also co-hosted a pumpkin carving contest on campus at the end of October. Please pray for God to move through our campus and bless our efforts at reaching students for Him.

TEACHING

We’re continuing our study through the book of Romans on Sundays, and on Wednesday evenings, we are working thorough 1 Peter. In both books, two themes keep coming up: suffering and love. We are learning about the inevitability of suffering in our lives, how to handle it in a godly way, and how to continue loving our Church and our neighbors. Romans eight brought a refreshing and timely reminder of God’s love for us as the fuel for our love for others.

Later in October, we took a short break from Romans, and Pastor Jesse took us through a mini-series in Luke 12. It was all about setting our hearts on Christ’s mission and priorities and preparing ourselves for Jesus’ return. Jesus says that where our treasure is, there will our heart be as well. We looked at how to identify what we truly treasure in our heart and how we can direct our attention and affection to the Kingdom of God, so we don’t end up being fools in the end. We were challenged to answer the question, “Are you ready and eager for Jesus’ return? Or do you need more time?”

We hope you can thank God with us as we take time to praise Him for all He is doing and will continue to do. Thank you for praying for us; we hope to see you soon!

-Annie

• 

• 

• 

• 

It’s already October??!!! Okay, here is what has been happening in Duluth. 

TEACHING

On Sundays, we are continuing in the book of Romans (6-8). Here we have learned that you either obey sin or you obey Christ. There is a difference between servant and slave. Under the law, you die, but Jesus is the perfect husband. God’s law reveals the truth of the condition of your soul. To fight sin, start with the renewal of your mind. When you were born again, you were born into war (sin vs. flesh). Victory over sin is possible (through Jesus). On Wednesdays, at the Street Level house we are going through 1 Peter (1-2). Here we have learned that we should get to a point where God can utilize our character, and that character refinement is wonderful! We should “abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul”. And we have also learned the importance of submission. Please pray that we remember this in the coming months and years ahead, and that we can strengthen and encourage one another through love of what scripture has said. 

OUTREACH

Beyond just the weekly outreaches, Community Group was provided two separate ways to reach the community in bigger ways this past month. Superior had their East End Days (whole community having a rummage sale) that we were able to use as a way to reach a neighborhood that we have not before. A couple allowed the church to set up a rummage sale in their yard that day, as well as providing information about who we are as a church. On the same day, a separate group was in Chester Bowl (a Duluth community on the East side of town) and participated in their Fall Festival. It was so chaotically fun!! Those who were at the Fall Festival had the coffee trailer set up as a vendor and a way to also provide information about the church. Looking ahead, the Community Group has been invited back to Boo at the Zoo through the church. Please pray for us to not take it for granted and that God would provide those opportunities where we get to show what He is like. 

STREET LEVEL

Street Level has been busy as well this past month. They started a series called “Alpha”. They have used several nights to have dinner together and chat ,or watch movies, or even just fellowship by playing games. After the rummage sale, they were able to set up a booth on campus to provide students with hot beverages in the morning, as well as get the word out on who they are. Street Level was then able to host Burning Dog Radio for a live broadcast at Jacket Fest. This weekend they were headed to the summit hosted by the Street Level in Menomonie. Please pray that God would provide people for Street Level, and that God would direct the group in what endeavors they need to pursue. 

I think that’s all I’ve got for now…… Until we see each other again. 

-Amber