Author: Believers Church

Co/Mission Couples Update

December 15, 2025 Believers Church

Co/Mission Couples is a ministry for married couples with the aim of promoting godly marriages, friendships, and reaching out to our community. We are called to work, laugh, and grow together. We co-mission together with the Lord as He guides us and directs us continually, with our spouses, and with one another as couples, all to carry out the task of the Great Commission. To this end, we meet together in both small and large groups with varying activities in our local communities as well as our homes. Over the past year, we’ve had activities ranging from book studies, community trash clean up, game nights, and putting up posters to outdoor theatre. Check out some of the highlights from 2026:

Our current book is Risk Takers by Malcolm Duncan

Community clean up in Menomonie and River Falls

Biking on the Chippewa River State Trail

Kindred Singles Fall Update

November 16, 2025 Believers Church

The Kindred Singles is a fellowship for Christian singles of all ages and backgrounds. We host a variety of activities throughout the year in Menomonie and the surrounding communities. We also hold summer campouts and winter retreats where we discuss the challenges many Christian singles face from a biblical perspective.

Here’s what we’ve been up to…

Willow River State Park

We got to see what the Psalmist meant by, “Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls.” Psalm 42:7

Potluck, Bonfire, Book Discussion

After enjoying some homemade chili, apple-cinnamon coffee cake, cornbread, and apple pie, we sat around the bonfire and discussed chapter 4 of the series “Together: Six Core Values of Biblical Community.”

Hiking for Hot Dogs

We split up and hiked the Giezendanner Forest trails, then grilled hot dogs over the fire, and read Psalm 148 about all of God’s creation praising Him!

Here are some upcoming Events…

Bonhoeffer Movie Night

Friday, November 21st, at 7 PM, we will be hosting a Free Film Showing of Bonhoeffer at Street Level Coffee in River Falls. This event is open to everyone. We will be serving coffee drinks, sodas, ice cream, pizza, popcorn, etc.

Decorating Believers Church for Christmas

Sunday, November 30th, 1 PM in the Church Sanctuary. Wear your favorite Christmas outfit. We will provide hot chocolate, apple cider, coffee, and Christmas cookies. Open to all singles.

Christian Singles Winter Retreat

Friday and Saturday, Feb 13th – 14th, at Camp Nawakwa near Cornell, WI on the Ice Age Trail. We’ll be discussing a short book addressing some of the challenges Christian singles face. Meals, lodging, and the book will all be provided. Open to all singles. Registration and more information coming soon!

For more information about us or any of our events, don’t hesitate to email us at kindred@jfbelievers.com.

The Gospel

November 10, 2025 Believers Church

As a pastor, I am to challenge, to disciple, and to call God’s people to a sanctified life. However, as we seek to walk in sanctification, we can sometimes lose sight of the ground on which we stand. That ground for Christians is the gospel… But what exactly is the gospel?

Paul sets the stage for the gospel in Romans 3:10-18, saying:

“No one is righteous— not even one.
No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.”

“Snake venom drips from their lips.”
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
“They rush to commit murder.
Destruction and misery always follow them.
They don’t know where to find peace.”
“They have no fear of God at all.”

Did you get that? This is you… This is me… This is who we really are, in the present tense. Paul personally identified with these statements again just a few chapters later, saying, “The trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin… O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:14, 24) Again, in the present tense.

In Romans 3:19-20, Paul then moves on to clarify why we were given the law (i.e, rules, precepts, commands, ordinances, statutes, standards)… He says,

“Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.“

You get that? You’re guilty… I’m guilty… All are sinful… Only after setting this stage, does Paul finally lay out the gospel in Romans 3:21-24,

“But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law… We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”

You hear that? No matter who we are…. No matter what we’ve done… God freely makes us right! And I tell ya what… That message is just as sweet to a pastor as it is to the brand-new believer. The gospel, God’s good news to us, will never become old news to the sinner.

Let’s be honest. Those in greatest danger of losing sight of the gospel are those who have followed God for years. In Jesus’ day, it was the religious who struggled most to receive this message. And today is no different. We can begin to think of the gospel as baby food, as milk for newborn believers, as something no longer necessary—or perhaps even trite—for the seasoned believer.

But consider these words of Westminster Chapel pastor R.T. Kendall,

“At the end of the day, [this sentiment] may be traceable to pride. That is what is ultimately at work when we compete with the blood of Christ. We, in our arrogance and self-righteousness, cannot bear the Lord doing everything for us graciously, so we think we must help Him out a bit. It is an abominable way to think. Our pride must be eclipsed by humility; we must let God be God and the blood of Christ do what it in fact did: remove our guilt and satisfy God’s sense of justice.”

Perhaps this is the reason Paul started this gospel thesis to the Romans with these words,

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” – Romans 1:16

Gang, let’s face it. We are never beyond the gospel. In it, we find our only true hope. In it, we find our only true good. In it alone is the power of God to salvation. May we, like Paul, be not ashamed of the gospel.

Duluth Summer Recap

September 10, 2025 Believers Church

To say that God has blessed us this summer would be a gross understatement. In the last few months we’ve celebrated a centennial anniversary, hiked and biked many miles, and witnessed believers being baptized. However, this Christianity thing isn’t something we do as a hobby or fit in when it’s convenient. When it comes to following Jesus and living in community, we’re all in.

IN THE WORD

Earlier this year we finished studying Paul’s missionary journey in the book of Acts. We are now taking a deep dive into Paul’s letters from prison, beginning with Ephesians. So far, we’ve learned foundational truths to the Christian faith and what it means to be in Christ. On Sundays we savor the message Pastor Justin has for us, and two Wednesdays a month we break into small groups to discuss the practical application of what we’re learning.

In August, we were very fortunate to have our missionaries from the Philippines visit us for a few weeks. Pastor Jesse preached on 2 Samuel 7 about David and Nathan. It was a great reminder that God doesn’t need us or our agenda. Rather, God desires for us to humbly submit to His will with worship and thankfulness.

IN THE COMMUNITY

We use coffee and espresso as a way to meet the community, learn to serve together, and raise money for missions all at the same time. In June, we packed up lots of cups, lids, ground espresso, and syrup bottles and headed to one of our favorite events: the annual Park Point Rummage Sale. It was quite chilly both days, but that was a match made in heaven for a steaming cup of coffee.

In addition to Park Point, we set up the trailer at Spirit Valley Days, a neighborhood celebration just a stone’s throw from church. It was a great opportunity to train new volunteers on making espresso drinks while putting faces to the name of Believers Church in our own backyard.

National Night Out is celebrated annually across the U.S. and serves to bring neighbors together to build community. Say the word potluck and we’re in. Folks from church as well as our West Duluth neighbors had a great time enjoying a summer evening, playing yard games, and sharing one of the largest chocolate cakes you’ve ever seen.

IN THE PAST

Pastor Justin, out of the blue, received a phone call from someone who had a very, very old cookbook. In fact, the book was from 1925 and was produced by the congregation that occupied our building at that time. The gentleman was kind enough to mail it to us, Pastor Justin delicately scanned each and every page, and we received our very own copies.

2025 is the 100th anniversary of the cookbook, so what better way to celebrate than to have a potluck with only recipes from this book. Many of us even dressed the part, and the evening was truly one to remember. In addition to the fun of deciphering recipes, we reflected on the cultural changes (or lack thereof) over the last century.

IN GOOD COMPANY

Our Young Adult group is very active, and this summer was no exception. We charted a seven mile course through the hills of Duluth for an urban hike. Our journey began at Chester Park, went down to Canal Park, up to Enger Tower, and back down to Lincoln Park where we ended with a barbeque for lunch.

As any true Duluthian knows, the weather is unpredictable. The Young Adult group planned a beach day for August, hoping to swim and soak up the sun. But, it turned out to be sixty degrees and damp. We weren’t deterred, however, and it turned out to be a great time. And yes, some folks still swam.

One highlight of the whole year is our annual all-church bike trip. We rode from church to Lester Park and back which is a little over 20 miles total. Biking like this on your own would be fun, but going with 25 of your friends is a whole new experience.

With fall approaching, we had numerous projects to work on both at church and at the Campus House. We tuck-pointed portions of the exterior of the church, sorted donated items for an upcoming rummage sale, potted countless plants for an upcoming UMD event and more. Though working hard can be tiring, it’s also satisfying knowing there is a lot of practical things we can do to advance God’s kingdom.

Our Duluth church is part of a greater Believers Church family including Menomonie and River Falls, WI, as well as Cebu, Philippines. Labor Day weekend is our annual all-church camping event with everyone that marks the end of summer. We had a wonderful time catching up around campfires, grilling lots of brats, and celebrating what God has done on a corporate level.

This is just a fraction of what it means to be all-in. There’s plenty more sorrow, more joy, more frustration, more endurance, more awe-inspiring encounters with God that are still ahead. May we all be able to say yes and amen to the popular hymn that sings, “I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back.”

Co/Mission Couples Summer Update

August 15, 2025 Believers Church

Here’s what our Co/Mission Couples ministry has been up to this summer:

In May, we joined forces with the Kindred Singles group and traveled to River Falls to celebrate the grand opening of the new Street Level Coffee/Believers church space there. We were able to hang up posters, hand out flyers, serve coffee & ice cream, and grill out. It was a blessing to take part in what God is doing through the ministry in River Falls.

June began with a wrap-up of our book discussion groups at the church campground with dinner, fire, and camping. We had great weather, and the beautiful weather continued for our next event, which took us out of our back yards to Como Park in St. Paul for a night of Shakespeare in the Park. We took in a free performance of one of his lesser known plays, All’s Well That Ends Well and while we may not have caught all of the dialogue (old English), we were still able to figure out what was going on! It was a picturesque evening at the pavilion on Lake Como.

Next, we got active on our bicycles on the Chippewa River State Trail. We biked from Tarrant Park in Durand to the Dunnville Bottoms and got to enjoy a pretty close to perfect summer picnic in the park after the ride.

At the beginning of this month, we were able to team up with the Kindred Singles again for a community cleanup both in Menomonie and River Falls to bless our cities. We wrapped up the time with a grill out and prize for the most interesting find. (Please ask Nick about his group’s submission and the prize!)

The Principles of War: Offense

August 8, 2025 Believers Church

The following is adapted from a teachings series on “Spiritual Warfare” by Pastor John Duncan:

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:13 NKJV

Did you know that armor is an offensive weapon? That in the time that Paul said “put on the whole armor of God”, they had a breastplate. Everything they had was in front of them: they had no defense from behind. When the Romans put on their shoes, they had these shoes that were spiked so that as they were moving forward. They couldn’t be pushed back. The spikes were at such an angle that they could slide their feet forward, and when they would dig in it would hold them from backing up. Everything about armor is not to protect you so that you can go home and watch television. It’s to protect you because you are going in harm’s way.

The definition of offense is: “an aggressive advance on the enemy to take from him the objective.” To be on the offense is to be the attacker, not the defender. The aggressor in war has the advantage over the defender. When a army or a country is on defense, they have to constantly try to figure out when and where they are going to be attacked. They cannot concentrate their forces in any one place because if they do, the aggressor will come in a different place.

…you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 NKJV

Jesus said, “The gates of hell shall not prevail.” Gates are a defensive mechanism. You don’t attack anybody with gates. What does that mean? What was Jesus saying? When Christians know what they’re about, Satan closes the gates and tries to hide. But he can’t hold us out. They cannot stop us. We infiltrate; we can walk right past the gates of hell. That is a promise from our Savior.

Jesus did not say, “Go home and relax and I’ll protect you.” Jesus did say, “Go ye into all the world” (Matthew 28:19). Take the gospel to every creature and I am with you always. To Joshua, God said, “I’m with you, I will not forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). But God said that to Joshua as when he was telling him to attack.

When God promises to be with you, it’s because he’s sending you on a mission.

The promise that Christians love to hold on to is, “I’ll never leave you or forsake you.” The command that comes with that promise is something people like to ignore. The command is, “go ye”. The promise is, “I’ll be with you.” When God promises to be with you, it’s because he’s sending you on a mission. He’s giving us the assurance that when we step out, he’s with us.