Month: October 2022

October 28, 2022 The Homeschool Ministry

What We Did This Summer

The Homeschool Group continued to meet weekly over the summer months.  In June, July, and August, we spent our group time doing various team building activities that challenged the kids to work together to build various items out of a variety of different materials. Soccer, baseball and basketball kept us exercising, even during the hot, sweaty days of summer. 

Despite being on summer break, we were able to sneak in some science lessons with Kayla teaching physics and Laura teaching on creation science (thanks Kayla and Laura). In addition to our regular meetings, we had fun camping and canoeing (thank you to Bryan and Laura) together, as well as taking a field trip to Winona, MN to visit a lock and dam and an art museum.

More Recent Activities

We officially started “Back to School” Season with School Picture Day. Area homeschoolers were invited to have a picture taken (thanks Elissa).  Beach day was a blast and we had a good turnout of new families, sand some have kept coming on Thursdays.  

Throughout September and October, we went back to rotating between drawing lessons and book reading for our Thursday meetings together.  We had fun playing volleyball and football during the last warm(er) days of the year.  

October’s field trip took us to a Scouting Facility called Basecamp near St. Paul.  The kids had a great time working together on team building skills, as well as learning archery and rock climbing.  Even the moms got to take a turn!  

What’s Coming Up

In November and December, we will keep on with our Thursday activities, but also add in practicing for the Christmas program in late December.  The kids had such a great time performing for everyone last year that they wanted to do it again!  Thank you for being a fabulous audience and encouraging them to perform on stage.  

October 25, 2022 Shofar Missions Cebu

We’ve been back in the Philippines for a month already… read about what we’ve been up to!

Campus Ministries

Finally, after a long hiatus, many university students are back on campus! Most of the schools are practicing hybrid learning, so students have a mixture of in-person and online classes. Not everyone is back – it depends on the university, the student’s major, and their year in college – but it has brought much activity back to the city.

A lot of students go home on the weekends, so we changed our Street Level meetings in Cebu City to Wednesdays. A couple of students have joined consistently, and last week two new students attended. The main way to get the word out has been by visiting universities and passing out copies of Word on the Street Magazine. It’s a great way to get into conversations… well, with the students that don’t walk away quickly and avoid eye contact 😊 We also held a live radio broadcast at our new sponsor, where we got to meet people and let them know about Street Level Radio. The group in Toledo is still meeting on Friday nights, and Britt has been able to join them more often due to the meeting change in the city.

Prayer Requests:

  • for students to prioritize their relationships with God and each other
  • for the students that we have met to get connected and plugged into Street Level

School Ministry

We have continued teaching in various levels from grades 4-12 since returning to Cebu. Schools have until November 7 to have students in the classroom for all classes every day. This year, there have been a few different opportunities to be more involved with the Nazarenes. As of now, Laura has been able to attend chapel at Inayawan Nazarene and also co-teach a couple of classes with teachers at both Inayawan and Banawa Nazarene. Opportunities to be involved with other schools the Nazarenes work with have also been offered. Grade 4 students at the Wesleyan School in Talisay had their first Exploring Creation Science lesson while grades 5 and 6 previously had digital/Explore Booklets so they were familiar. Within the next few weeks, the students in grades 7-12 at Southern Bethany will begin a series that will start off talking about How We Got Here….the fact that we were specially created and have a creator.

Inayawan Nazarene Church & School members and staff have been working hard to get three of the six classrooms up and running that were destroyed by Typhoon Odette last year. We plan to join in the preparations during semester break in the next couple weeks. We will also worship with them as the students celebrate Thanksgiving on November 25 and the church Anniversary celebration on November 27.

Prayer Requests:

  • Please pray for everyone at the Inayawan Church of the Nazarene specifically for safety during construction. Pray for all the Nazarenes we have worked with – specifically Inayawan’s old Assistant Pastor & his wife who are now in Bohol. Pray for their outreaches and the members from Inayawan that assist each weekend.
  • Pray for the students at the schools we work with. In some cases, we see them in school and again at Sunday School in kids or youth.
October 19, 2022 River Falls Ministry

What do living magnets and limestone kilns have in common? Keep reading to find the answer to this question and, more importantly, what other things we have been up to in River Falls.

Trail Walks, Movie Nights, and Bible Studies

Street Level ended September with a few fellowship events that we invited other students from campus to. First, a small group of us enjoyed a trail walk in Glen Park. We walked along the river, up a small bluff, and checked out an old limestone kiln. We also hosted a B-Movie (featuring a magnet that turns into a monster) at the coffeehouse with popcorn, candy, and some good laughs. Planning is underway for more events and outreaches yet this semester.

On Monday nights, Street Level has been enjoying a meal together while going through material focused on culture and how we should engage with it as Christians. Taking a fresh look at scripture and discussing with the group has been a good opportunity to challenge our practices and beliefs.

Campus Church

Campus church is halfway through 1 John. Recently, we discussed what it looks like to practically lay down our lives for one another within the church. We also were able to enjoy the fireplace for the first time that is in our meeting room this last week. So far, the new space this year has been a nice place to meet. We are still meeting new students, some of whom have returned for a few weeks.

Prayer Requests

  • There are a lot more distractions this year for the students on campus. Pray that God would be working in their hearts to seek after them.
  • Pray for growth and maturity among the participants in Street Level and Campus Church.
October 13, 2022 Believers Church Duluth

Find out what’s been happening in Duluth.

“Well, there’d be seasons of growing and seasons of renewing in my soul”

We have just made it about a third of the way through Matthew on Sundays. We’ve learned of Jesus addressing the root cause of sin through the paralytic man (Chapter 9). Matthew then points out characters who are in desperate need of Jesus, including himself. Jesus then calls his disciples (Chapter 10) and we see that they were an answer to prayer, they were available, Jesus was familiar with them (enough that a couple had nicknames), and they were reliable.

Can the same be said of you and where Jesus called you to?

Jesus then gives the job description to what it takes to be a disciple. We have taken the time on Wednesday Rewind nights to dig deeper in how this applies to our life. In between rewind nights, we have taken some time in Psalms (75 & 76) and discussed how we are equipped to endure suffering and persecution and how we can be assured that we love God by looking at whether we really know God, do we trust God, do we fear God, and do we obey God. Pray for us in that we use these teachings as a way of growing with the Lord and not just another message on Sunday or Wednesday. 

“So, shake the leaves of red and yellow and trust the life that follows me”

Community Group was able to participate in Fall Fest again this year at Chester Bowl. We had Street Level there as well with a root beer float station. The day started out with rain but our spirits were high as we engaged with the community trying to reach people. Community Group is then gearing up for Boo at the Zoo for the next several Saturdays in October. Pray for those in Community Group to find unique ways of engaging in the community both individually and corporately. Pray for direction and clarity to what we are to be doing and willing to change in all types of seasons. 

“Seasons to seasons, time after time, living and laughing, dying and crying”

Campus Church has been going through 1 John and what it means to be a Chrisitan. For the Street Level micro studies, they have been having discussions on what Jesus has said including “Jesus tells us to judge” and “to eat his flesh”. They also were able to have a plant sale at UMD. Street Level is then gearing up for the summit around the corner. Pray for Campus Church Duluth and Street Level in softening the hearts of the students to seek out Jesus and for direction in what they should do on both campuses in the coming months ahead.

-Amber

Chester Bowl outreach
October 10, 2022 Pastor Justin Thomson - Duluth

Judas wasn’t the only betrayer in the group. Nor was Peter the only denier. Truth is, every disciple is predestined to become not only a denier, and a betrayer, but ultimately, a crucifier as well. Committing these particular acts, like it or not, is inevitable for anyone who truly follows Christ. The real issue, therefore, isn’t whether you’ll eventually do such things as these, but who will be on the receiving end of them.

It’s either you or Jesus…

DESTINED TO DENY

Denial is a dirty word in the Christian dialect, and it’s all Peter’s fault. On the night of Christ’s arrest, when Jesus needed him most, Peter denied knowing Him three times over. And this wasn’t Peter’s first bout with denial either. Just a few short hours earlier, Jesus told Peter that he was destined to deny. And in true form, Peter flat-out denied it! Thanks to him, denial has been associated with sin ever since.

It’s critical to remember, however, that not all denial is a sin. In our case, it’s required. One of the prerequisites of following Jesus is having a propensity for denial. In fact, if a person isn’t willing to deny, they won’t even be allowed to follow Christ at all. In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves”. Whether it’s a dirty word or not, “denial” is a “must”.

Somebody in your Christian life is being denied.

It’s either you or Jesus…

BOUND TO BETRAY

When Judas Iscariot was chosen by Jesus, his fate was already decided. “Jesus knew from the beginning who it was that would betray Him” (John 6:64). His future was as fixed as the Word of God Itself. Judas was bound to betray.

But then again, so were the other eleven.

Betrayal is in the cards for all of Christ’s disciples. The word “betray” means to ‘hand over’ or ‘abandon’, and it carries with it a sense of close, personal involvement. Anyone can do it, and everyone will. We’re bound to it.

All who follow Christ are called to the abandonment, or ‘betrayal’ of self. Jesus encourages all of His disciples to “Give up your life for me, (then) you will find it” (Matthew 10:39). Some, however, will reject that kind of self-betrayal. To them, a second option is given: Abandon Christ instead. Just like Judas.

Somebody in your Christian life will get betrayed.

It’s either you or Jesus…

CALLED TO CRUCIFY

The Nicene Creed reminds us that Jesus was “crucified under Pontius Pilate”. But truth be told, crucifixion is an activity in which everybody takes part. From the High Priest to the Apostles, and the ancient Jew to the modern gentile, everyone is a crucifier. This, of course, includes me and you. We may not have held the mallet, or delivered the blows, but I assure you, it was our sins that got Him killed.

Rising from the dead, however, Jesus now calls us to become active participants in yet another crucifixion: Our own.

Jesus commands us to “pick up our cross” (Mark 8:34), and to “crucify our flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). We’re commanded to “Put to death (crucify) whatever is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).

Once more this leaves us with a choice: We can either crucify ourselves, or we can “crucify Christ all over again, putting Him to open shame”. There’s no way around it. We’ve been called to crucify.

Somebody in your Christian life is being put to death.

It’s either you or Jesus…

MAN ON A MISSION

By choosing Judas, Jesus was making the conscious decision to offer Himself up for betrayal. By choosing Peter, Jesus presented Himself to be denied. And by choosing God’s will, Jesus willingly offered Himself up for crucifixion.

Your Savior already knows what it’s like to be the victim of denial, betrayal, and crucifixion. Do you?

Your desire to be like Jesus is a single decision away from being fulfilled. Yield yourself to the only experiences that will truly unite you to Christ. You have been given the power & authority to deny, betray, and crucify.

Use that power wisely. 

October 8, 2022 Street Level Radio

Remote Broadcasting

We have been blessed to get out and do a remote broadcast at UW-Stout this semester. We were invited by Street Level, Blind Munchies Coffeehouse, and Word on the Street Magazine, as they were all there too. We are planning to do it one more time before the snow flies (hopefully!).

Please keep us in prayer as we would like to interact with actual people as much as possible.

Street Level Radio and Word on the Street

Streaming Data

Here is a look at the data for both the US and the Philippines streams. Please keep our listeners in prayer as we gain more and more as time goes on. This quarter, our top countries for unique listeners were the US, Philippines, China, Russia, Germany, and Ireland. Oddly though, going by Total Duration (how much people listened or stayed connected to the stream) it would be the US, Philippines, Cabo Verde, Reunion, and Myanmar. So people are listening!

Update from Website

As Pastor Tim mentioned in his blog, we received a nice message via our website from a listener in Uganda:
Hi Street level Radio, Praise King Jesus and greetings to you all at Street level Radio. My name is Derrick Kiirya listening in live from Mayuge, Uganda .  So blessed to be tuned in live . Just finished my church service at Bestheda Deliverance Church, Mayuge. I will be following you on Facebook and IG , so that I can keep in touch always. Thank you so much.
Blessings and love
It is really nice and rare to get feedback like this as a radio ministry – so thank God for that! Please pray that we get more feedback as to where our listeners are listening from!

Philippines Radio Location Addition

In the Philippines, we recently got a new location for our antenna array – at Carol’s Karenderia. As our “hubs” get added, that means we get more area coverage for our station. The listeners can lock onto our website and stream the station for free (not using data). Here is a screenshot here of the coverage this array gives us:

Please pray for this technology and our future endeavors with using the station in this way. We are always looking for creative ways to allow listeners in the Philippines to be able to stream our station for free.