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

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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

I’m writing this Duluth update between making espresso drinks in the coffee trailer while listening to Burning Dog at the Street Level House and talking with students who actually read the Word on the Street magazines that we mailed to them. At this moment, it is abundantly clear to me how incredibly good God has been to us and how blessed we are to serve Him through all these different avenues. As I think back to last year and even further back in Believers Church history, I am reminded of God’s sovereignty to get us to this moment. What a journey it has been, and how many people have been involved all along the way.

This past Wednesday at church (at the Street Level House!), Pastor Justin said that everything we do should have an impact on generations to come. It is easy to forget that in the day-to-day routine of life, doing tasks that don’t seem directly related to furthering the kingdom of God, that everything we do does have a purpose behind it. I know I will be eternally grateful for those who have pitched in, doing those day-to-day tasks all along the way, and who were faithful to do what God asked of them.

The past month has been a whirlwind, but it sure has been an enjoyable one. After preparing the Street Level House all summer, we were thrilled to have church service there for the first time this past week. Now that students are moved in, we have also been trying to cross the street to get on campus as much as possible – playing kickball, attempting hackysack, and letting students know we are here. Our rummage sale combined with a plant and espresso giveaway for students was been quite busy. We would appreciate prayer for the interactions we have had – that us handing a student a latte or plant would be the start of something that will have a lasting impact on their lives, long after the caffeine has worn off. We are looking forward to the rest of the semester with regular SLM meetings on Mondays, church at the house on Wednesdays, and something happening in the yard every Friday. We will also be doing a live radio broadcast at the student organization fair. Our first Friday event was an outdoor movie. Please keep Street Level in prayer – specifically that we are in tune with what God would have us do, and who He would have us meet.

Street Level isn’t the only facet of the church that has been busy. The Community group has carried on with weekly outreaches at local parks and beaches as well as blanketing the greater Twin Ports area with posters. They also did a coffee giveaway right in front of the church. Currently, they are gearing up for a large festival in Duluth where the coffee trailer will be used to let people know who we are and, Who we are all about.

If you tune your TV to one of the local stations, you might see our faces in our latest commercial for the church: Live Like You Mean It. That slogan is plastered on billboards, city busses, online, and on posters all around town. This is one of our most intentional and widespread ad campaigns for the church that we have ever done. The message is clear and something we believe wholeheartedly, which is that there is more to life than just getting through it. 

-Chelsey

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Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have happened among us this year, just as those who from January were eyewitnesses and ministers of God delivered to us, it seemed good to me also, having had an imperfect understanding of all things from the beginning of the month, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Reader, that you may know the certainty of those things that have transpired in the last month at JFB.

There was in the days of Biden, the President of the United States, a certain Pastor named Justin, of the division of Thomson. He preached the scriptures from the book of Romans to the church.  We learned the quality & depth of the soil a tree grows in can be the decisive factor between life & death. So too with a Christian. Many would claim to have faith, yet if their faith isn’t rooted in the grace of God, it’s a matter of time till they wither and die. All trees have roots, but they don’t all run deep.

Now it came to be afternoon, after they had all broken bread and burgers, the community group departed into the regions of Leif Ericson Park and Park Point (in the city of Duluth), and a multitude came to them, some thirsty and some spoke with them. Now they had passed out information for the church to the multitude, but some in the multitude passed by.

Now there was, in the same region, a city called Superior. In it was a house where the students of the church often gathered with the group called Street level. Jesse arose in the evening, along with his wife and the students of Street Level and surveyed the walls of the driveway which were broken down. They began and continued to work on preparing the house for the upcoming semester as well as the church. And indeed after 2 days had passed, on the following Wednesday the church met at the house. The men opened and discussed the book of “Disciplines of a Godly Man” and the women broke off and discussed the book “Disciplines of a Godly Woman”, and the spirit was upon us to teach us and grow us more in the likeness of Christ as our learning changes our lives and character.

Several days had passed when Justin, along with his wife, son Ira and Daughter Nora, arose and travelled to the city of Menomonie. Several of the married couples from Duluth joined them as well as the Church that is in Menomonie, and together went on a bike ride around the lake, and a meal of ice cream was then had back on the church grounds. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.

Meanwhile some of those in Street Level travelled by car across country to Missouri to meet with some of the believers there to discuss cancel culture and to meet together with the brothers and sisters from various other ministries.

Sunday came to pass where Pastor Justin remained in Menomonie, and the word of God was again preached by Jesse, who was also Pastor of the Church that is in Duluth. We went through 2 Timothy 2:1-7 and were exhorted to endure hardship as a good soldier.

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of the Garage Sale, further fellowship, bike trips, bonfires, national night out, about the disciples and the brothers and sisters, who through faith broke down strongholds of the devil, worked righteousness, obtained promises, weakness was turned to strength, sin was overcome, prayers were answered, the gates of hell were beaten down and souls were brought closer to Jesus. Others flew across the country to serve the Lord with other brethren in the south. Others went to local businesses to help distribute Word on the Street to the local community in addition to the campus’ which is indeed bearing fruit.

Please continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which we are also in chains, that we may make it manifest, as we ought to speak.

The salutation of Jason with my own hand, which is a sign in every blog, so I write.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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