Since the last JFB Duluth update one month ago we have not physically gathered together for a church service. We have had no real church events, and the service positions and schedules that we have become accustomed to having been interrupted. However, that doesn’t mean we have been at a standstill. God’s overall mission for us remains the same. As a church, we remain committed to doing what we can to advance the purposes of God and His kingdom.
Proclaiming the Truth
The truth of scripture and the proclamation of it has, is, and always will be a priority for us. In fact, it is one aspect of our church that has continued on week after week even during this pandemic. Romans 10 reminds us of the importance of the preaching of God’s word. Paul asks the question, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14 ESV)
Our sermons have temporarily moved entirely online which has provided a unique opportunity to present the truth anywhere with an internet connection. A couple of weeks ago after 12 years of Pastor Justin teaching verse by verse through the New Testament on Sunday mornings, we begin our last book which is Revelation. Wanting to reach out to the community we mailed out thousands of fliers inviting people to tune in to our live stream services.
Continuing Campus Ministry
Street Level has begun digitally meeting with current students every week. We are taking this time to discuss what it means to be a follower of Jesus with the desire of being trained and equipped to make a difference in the campuses and lives around us. In the last couple of weeks, we have realized the call to be a disciple is a steep one. We discussed Luke 14 which reminds us of the high expectations that Jesus has for anyone who would follow Him. It seemed that He did not make any apologies or excuses for asking us to give up all and put Him first in our lives.
Our conversation led us to think about the costs of following Jesus and the things that we cling to not wanting to let go. We realize that the costs of following Jesus are great and that it won’t be easy. But this we talked about how although the cost to follow Jesus may be high, the cost we will pay if we choose not to follow Him is far greater. In the end, we will choose what cost we want to pay. We can either miss out on our pursuits and dreams or His. It shouldn’t be a hard decision. We know that the cost of following Jesus is well worth paying. Please pray that the truths that we have spent time discussing would be made real to our lives and change how we think and the way that we live.
Upgrades
We are doing what we can to keep the church moving forward to be better fit for ministry than before. One way we have done this is to improve our system for live streaming our services. This has meant installing new cameras, downloading new software, and running even more cables. In this digital age, we want to improve our online ministry to be as effective as possible. We have also made some kitchen and coffee house upgrades, as well as an improvement to our heating system.
I’m not sure when we will be able to gather together again. I’m not sure what it is going to look like when we do. It would be easy for us to view this time as a waiting period, that we are waiting to get back together, that we are waiting for everything to be “normal” again. I think that would be a waste of time. It would be a misuse of the season that God has us in. I think God would have us keep moving forward both in our character development and sanctification and also in fulfilling the mission the God has us on. We are seeking to do that corporately as a church, but we all need to be doing that individually.