Month: April 2019

April 29, 2019 Believers Church

A One Day Party

Our morning began on Sunday, April 28th with the typical Sunday service preparations. We held music practice and segued into our morning classes. The only difference was all of the members of the Duluth church had traveled down to join us. It wasn’t long before you could tell something bigger was happening that day…

The service opened up with a report about what has been going on with our Philippines missionaries. Brittany shared what God has been doing on the college front in Cebu and Laura told of the work happening in the local grade schools. Upon telling us all the great news and requesting prayer for their future needs, they exited the stage. Pastor Tim then began the day with a sermon entitled The Promised Land. With all encouragement from the lives of Moses and Joshua, we closed the service in worship and moved into the afternoon.

Fellowship and Memories

The coffeehouse served up a celebratory plate of pork sandwiches, coleslaw, beans, and fruit salad as even more guests came to join in on the commemoration of 30 years of ministry in Menomonie. We all had time to visit with each other and catch up on life. What a nice blessing that was!

Once everyone had eaten, we all made our way up to the sanctuary to watch Pastor Tim’s one-hour walk back through our church’s history. We got to see images from the early days when we were a small fellowship led by Pastor Dave Gonzales and Pastor Tim. We got to hear stories… memories of past adventures and experiences. It was clear the Lord had done and is still working some amazing things.

We closed the celebration out by enjoying some cake. Kayla created a delicious work of art commemorating the church’s history. “What a long strange trip it’s been.” Indeed.

To all who joined us in celebrating, thank you for being with us. We are blessed with so many friends and church family. Here’s to another 30 years!

April 28, 2019 The Homeschool Ministry

January

The Homeschool Group of JFB has had a busy couple of months with lessons, trips and recess!  In January, we were able to learn all about the Philippines from Laura Hartung while she was here visiting.  Since it was right after Christmas, we focused on how Christmas is celebrated in the Philippines.  We made Parols (or at least a simplified version of it), which is a traditional Christmas decoration in the shape of a star.

February

Next up in February, we were able to visit the Menomonie Police Department.  It was interesting to see the inside of the station and offices, including the 911 dispatch center.  The kids were able to try on the bullet proof vests and some of them even volunteered to be handcuffed!  The highlight of the tour was definitely the police squad car, as all the kids took turns turning on the lights and sitting in the driver’s seat and the hard, plastic backseat.  We enjoyed learning about how this important part of our community works.

March

As the weather finally started to warm up and the sap started to flow, we were able to visit a local maple syrup operation in March.  We learned about all parts of the process including: tapping the tree, gathering the sap into a tank named “Sappy” and boiling it down into syrup.  The end of the trip included sampling the maple syrup over ice cream and in cookies!

April

A few days ago, we filled up the van (complete with seven child car seats) and drove to Minneapolis to play at a child maker-space called Snapology.  The facility is filled with Legos, blocks and other child “building materials”. After spending some time playing, the kids built helicopters and then were able to create the code on an iPad to control them.

May

Coming up, we have a field trip to the Rassbach Museum planned that will focus on local history, including learning about one room schoolhouses.   Some outdoor time is also in the works for the upcoming summer months.

Weekly Recess

In addition to our field trips once a month, we also meet every Thursday afternoon for recess at local parks in Menomonie.  Throughout the winter, we brought our sleds and hit the hills at Elmwood Park.  Most of the time, besides a little snow in the face, we ended up having great fun together.   When the weather didn’t allow us to be outside due to subzero temps, we met at church to dance along to worship videos together!  Now that it’s warming up, we’ve been hiking on paved trails, because the playgrounds are too muddy for us right now.  It’s a nice chance to talk with each other and get some exercise in at the same time.

Parenting Discussions

Besides recess and trips, one additional activity we get to be a part of is quarterly parenting discussions.  Every few months, parents of younger children are invited to eat breakfast together in the Blind Munchies Coffeehouse and then watch a video related to parenting and discuss it.  It is an opportunity to come together as parents and discuss issues in raising children. 

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining our homeschool group for recess and trips or for the parenting discussions, please contact homeschool@jfbelievers.com.

April 25, 2019 Shofar Missions Cebu

After hearing about the earthquakes that happened throughout the Philippines earlier this week, I was reminded that life is short and we’re really only promised TODAY to love Jesus and love others. Even though our feet aren’t on the ground in Cebu, our hearts, minds, and prayers are still there. It has been really refreshing to be back in fellowship with the church, friends, and family, but as we’re less than one week out from our departure, the places and people of Cebu are flooding my mind. I guess that means we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.

Final Meeting of the Semester for Street Level Ministries Cebu

Over the past couple weeks, we have had time to reflect on the past few months of ministry – what worked, what didn’t work, what to change for the future – and to dream, scheme, and seek the Lord for His direction. That’s always a really important part of our trips back to the USA, which I greatly appreciate. Sometimes it can be hard to see the forest through the trees!

Dinner and Bible Study with Street Level UW-Stout!

We’re also thankful for the opportunities to serve in various avenues throughout the church over the past couple weeks. Laura got to teach in the jail, join Kindred, and serve in the coffeehouse. I was able to join weekly Street Level meetings and teach on one of the Monday nights. We are also looking forward to a WOTS launch meeting with all the staff and the upcoming church anniversary!

Unloading hickory wood for the JFB 30th Anniversary pork roast!

When we get back to Cebu, we’ll have a couple short weeks to make final preparations before Team 1 comes. Then in June, most schools will start up again and we’ll have a month for SLM meetings and science lessons before Team 2 comes.  

If you would like to, please pray for:

  • The people who have been affected by the earthquakes in Luzon and Samar.
  • Safe travels back to Cebu on Tuesday and quick recovery over jet lag!
  • Wisdom and guidance in all the preparations for the teams to come.

-Brittany

Pacific Ocean… or Lake Michigan?
April 22, 2019 Nehemiah Deacon Ministry

A Winter of Mass Snow Removal

The servants in the Nehemiah Ministry have been productive this last winter. We spent much of the winter telling the snow where to go. Ahem, that is removing it from the sidewalks on what seemed like a daily basis. We also utilized an afternoon to remove the snow from the east side of the church roof. At one point we all experienced a Menomonie sized avalanche. Two very large sheets of heavy snow slid off the roof creating a temporary white out! It was really quite a sight to behold. Thankfully nobody was buried or “swept off their ladder” in the process.

Bathroom Renovation

Another large project has been to renovate the basement level bathrooms in the Street Level house. We started on the north bathroom because it was in the worst condition of the two rooms. It was gutted it out in one night. We removed the entire floor right down to the studs. The toilet, vanity, some bad drywall and the bathtub were removed as well. A new sub-floor with ceramic tiles, a walk-in shower with a tiled wall, and a new toilet and pedestal sink were installed. It has turned out very nicely and should serve the Street Level house for years to come. Check out the before and after pictures below.


Some Other Projects

Plans are in the works to replace the back steps on the north east side of the church. Over the years, the weather and salt have been causing the steps to crumble. We plan on replacing all the cement steps with treated lumber planks.

We have also been working on some new bookshelves that will be installed on the walls in the east church entryway. This will add a nice look to the church as well as expand our bookstore display too.

Some Final Notes

God is truly good. He has been so good to us in so many ways. He gives us not only the materials to improve our church, but also the desire, ability, and servants to do so. The ultimate goal is to build a church that we can all enjoy and utilize in order to serve Christ in the best way possible. The Nehemiah ministry would like to thank you for your prayers and support. Whether we are working on a project for all to see, or we are working on something that is never noticed at all, we strive to serve our Lord with the best service possible. Once again, God is good.


April 19, 2019 River Falls Ministry

Thank you for your prayers for the River Falls outreach ministry. We continue to meet Sundays for a Bible Study, Tuesdays for Street Level and have been working on building updates. Here is a little bit about what we are doing during these times.

Sundays

We have continued through the book of Ephesians on Sundays. Through this, we are learning about what our lives should look like knowing what Christ has done for us. After the study, during our meal and fellowship time, we have been able to start grilling out now that the weather has changed.

Street Level

On Tuesdays, during Street Level, we have been watching and discussing a series by Mark Driscoll called “Christians Might Be Crazy”. It gives us a chance to review some of the perspectives non-Christians have about Christianity and how this can change how we relay the gospel to them. We are also hoping to do some outreaches on campus this next month before the students will be going home for summer break.

Building Updates

The last few weeks we continued to work on the “coffeehouse” appearance of the space. A few people from Nehemiah helped us with some new flooring for part of the space. Also, we put up some new brick-like wall paneling. We plan on continuing to develop over the next few months.

Prayer

Please continue to pray for the outreach that we would continue to build relationships with people in the community, that we have clear direction for our summer outreach, and that we would have continued direction with the building updates.

May Calendar
  • Sundays: 5pm / JFBelievers Bible Study,  6pm / meal
  • Tuesdays: 6:30pm / Street Level Meal, 7pm / Bible Study
  • Thursdays: 5-9pm & Fridays 9am-3pm: Open Hours for Study
River Falls Ministry Online
April 16, 2019 OneLife Couples Ministry

It has been an event-filled beginning to 2019! OneLife has worked hard to strengthen our friendships within the church and in our neighborhoods. January, February, and March have all given our group opportunities to fulfill our vision and purpose. Let’s take a look back…

January

OneLife and Gnosko members got together on a Saturday back in January to go hang out in the Twin Cities. We mix/divided the groups into 1-car teams who would converge at Ikea for a really fun photo scavenger hunt. Teams were given an hour to walk through Ikea to fulfill some-20 odd photos including recreating a movie scene, sitting on a toilet, all in bed together, etc. Afterwards we enjoyed a lunch at the Ikea cafeteria. Dang, if that wasn’t a blast! Thanks goes out to Gnosko for their full participation. We really do “church” with an eclectic bunch of people.

January also brought about a very frigid neighborhood outreach in the Huhmann’s neighborhood. They ventured out on the ice of Lake Menomin for a fire, fellowship, and home-made ice-golf. Erik and Tavis also invented a new gliding-lawn-chair game. They had a good turnout and a really nice time with the neighbors.

February

OneLife joined Kindred for a Sunday evening of bowling. The members of both groups formed mixed teams and each team came up with a name and a theme. We bowled two games. On the first game, the first ball of each frame had to be done according to instruction: Fred Flinstone “Twinkle-Toes” bowling, bowl with the wrong hand, slow-motion bowling, and trophy bowling, just to name a few. We had a really nice time and laughed a lot. I can’t help but think how goofy we must have seemed to the rest of the bowlers that day. No doubt, it was clear we were enjoying ourselves.

February also brought a neighborhood gathering at the Samens residence. Nick and Amber planned a fellowship in their garage complete with toy projects for kids, food and lots of conversation. They had a nice turnout even with how cold it was. The kids and adults all had a good time.

March

Dyer’s, Schug’s, and Shields’ all planned neighborhood gatherings. Schug’s held a Friday night bonfire and snacks. Several people came and great conversation was had by all. Dyer’s had a Saturday art day complete with print-making, ceramics, and food. A smattering of Laura’s current and ex co-workers came and we all got to talk about art and life. Shields held a backyard fire and food on Sunday afternoon. They enjoyed getting to know a newer couple to church around a warm fire.

Yet Future

We have a large section of our group going to the Philippines this year. So we’re all pitching in to help cover them on the home-front. They will be in our prayers as they go. In the meantime, we will be preparing to head into the summer to do some community outreach events with the Duluth community group as well as Street Level International, the Bridge, and more neighborhood gatherings. Keep us in prayer as we seek to find ways to reach our neighbors with the good news.

Interested?

OneLife is a ministry for young couples and young families. Our mission is to minister to each other in the everyday things of life, minister to our neighbors in ways that express Jesus love and gospel kindness, and deepen fellowship within the church.
Our monthly events offer a mix of things including planning meetings, outreach events, and fellowships. But at least once a month, we open up our meeting time to non-members in the church to meet over coffee to discuss the current Sunday message which inspires some good discussion and prayer. You will find us gathering at coffee shops, the co-op, and local restaurants for these events.
Email us: onelife@jfbelievers.com