Greetings from Duluth!
It’s hard to decide where to begin with everything that’s been going on in our little fellowship up here. God has certainly stirred things up, and there’s a lot to anticipate, be thankful for, and pray for as our summer progresses. We sent our first official Duluth team to Kentucky in mid-June for a week-long building project at Bethany Christian Mission Center. In all respects, we believe the trip was successful.
Not only were we able to replace an entire foundation for a crumbling building, but the unity and camaraderie that grew amongst our group was one thing we didn’t have to leave in the mountains. Being a small church naturally provides some closer bonds, but there’s something deeper that happens when you live, work, laugh, and cry together on mission 24-7. We were encouraged by seeing the passion and work being done through Bethany, and no doubt will continue to think and pray for them in the years to come.
New Ministry Group
Upon our return, we started right into a new endeavor called “Community Group” that we’ll be doing on Sunday afternoons. This group is comprised of several people who are not involved in Street Level Ministries. The mission of the Community Group is pretty simple: go out into the Duluth community and see what God will do!
Our tentative plan is to head over to a local park, grill out, and rub shoulders with whoever we happen to meet. We’ll also set aside time to hang out a local coffee shop right down the street from church at least once a month. We may even pass out ice cream on the street corner right outside of the church building to better connect with the neighborhood right around us. The anticipation is high as we wait to see what will come of this, so please pray for God’s will to be done and for fruitful interactions with those we meet.
Fund Raising
June ended with Street Level hosting their first-ever garage sale. They held it at the church and also served breakfast and lunch to the community. Street Level is planning on taking a mission trip this spring to a ministry in David, Kentucky (about an hour from Bethany), and all proceeds from the sale are going toward this endeavor. It’s exciting to see them branching out as a ministry and being blessed in all they are doing. Please pray for the planning, preparations, and ministry involved in this upcoming trip for Street Level.
Upcoming Event
One final note: we have our 10th Anniversary Celebration coming up on Saturday, July 14th. We’re going to block off part of the street in front of the church and host a party to celebrate being planted in Duluth for 10 years. We’ve invited the community for free food and music, and we’re hoping many of you from Menomonie will come as well. Pray for people in the neighborhood and community to join us for this event, and that we as a church will be blessed in ministering to Duluth in the next 10 years as well.
Annie
