Author: Believers Church

May 11, 2023 Believers Church

We wrapped up the spring semester by hosting various outreaches and events. During this time we met a few new faces and said goodbye to some recent graduates. We are looking forward to seeing what God has for us this summer. Want to know more? Keep on reading.

Street Level Ministries

Throughout the semester, our Street Level meeting discussions surrounded service to God and practical participation in the Body of Christ. Our hope is to see people step forward in their relationship and service to God.

Also, in April, we hosted the other branches of Street Level on the UW-River Falls campus for a spring summit. We spent Friday night and Saturday together. Friday was a members-only meeting, and we discussed what is currently happening within our branches and what is ahead. On Saturday, a larger group met together and discussed the topic of True Christianity. Jonah, Jesse, and Ben taught and we followed up with small group discussions… I have been grateful for the summits. I think it’s been a good opportunity for everyone to grow closer together and for the River Falls students to connect with their peers who are also passionate about serving God.

During the summit, we also set up the Menomonie coffeehouse trailer for a coffee giveaway in order to meet people and bless the campus. Unexpectedly we ended up meeting a number of people in the community too due to a big Earth Day event on campus.

As we closed out the semester, we had a few of our people from the group graduate. We had the opportunity to pray over them and send them off at our last Street Level meeting of the semester.

UW River Falls Campus Church

Campus Church has been a good way to meet people due to our location. God blessed us this year with a room that is visible to all students coming in for dinner. Due to this we continued to meet new people throughout the semester, and hope to grow some of these relationships by staying in touch with these people over the summer.

This summer we will start meeting in Glen Park of River Falls, as soon as the weather allows. We also hope to be able to bring along the new coffeehouse trailer to the studies (Duluth’s old trailer). There is a little work we would like to do to it before we bring it out, but we are excited to use the new-to-us coffeehouse trailer! Our hope is to engage the people God puts in our path and invite them into our studies and discussions.

Thank you to all those who are praying for River Falls and all the Menomonie folks who have been able to help out on Wednesday nights and outreaches. We are thankful for your willingness to engage and support the ministry in River Falls.

Coffeehouse

We were able to do a few coffeehouses outreaches this last month. Our neighboring business, Blooms of Happiness, had its grand opening ribbon cutting. They are located at the opposite end of our building. During the event, we offered free Italian sodas and coffee to anyone who came in and let people know about their new business. We’ve been getting to know the business owner since she moved in just a few months ago.

The coffeehouse was also invited to bring the trailer to campus for a UW River Falls Kinni clean-up. Some of the group participated in the clean up, and others helped sell coffee and engage those passing and those helping in the clean up.

We also completed watching season one of The Chosen at the coffeehouse this last month. During these events, students from campus typically join us including our regulars from Street Level and Campus Church.

Prayer Requests

  • Students in Street Level over the summer to stay connected and engaged with God
  • Transition to Summer outreaches and fruit from the opportunities God provides.
  • For the future of River Falls as students are transitioning out of Street Level due to their graduation.
  • For people with hearts to want to know God stepping into service, and desiring growth in their relationship with Him.
May 10, 2023 Believers Church

The Miracle of Toothpaste

I’d turned into this parking spot hundreds of times. I had a full 10′ between my garage and the light pole. It was a sinch with my compact Chevy Tracker. I’d become so good at it, I could whip in there at 10-15 miles per hour, slam the breaks, and jump out with an extra 3 seconds added to my day… easy peasy.

Then it happened. I heard a deep metal scraping sound… What was that? My brakes? A wheel bearing? I jumped out and walked slowly to the other side of the car. Oh no! My car’s paint from front to back was now marred with dark grey streaks. I couldn’t believe it. What was I going to do? Faye was going to be home soon. What was I going to tell her? I felt like such an idiot.

The car wasn’t worth the price of any professional paint job. And anything I could do would just make it look worse. So I googled. The oddest result appeared. It said to put a little bit of toothpaste with water on an old toothbrush or rag and rub it in a circular motion over the scratched paint. So I did. I grabbed an old toothbrush, my toothpaste, and some water, and started scrubbing.

I couldn’t believe it. As I went, the scratches started to disappear. The paint was even glossy where there had been a scratch. What was happening? This was nothing short of a miracle! Seriously, I was aghast. As I finished up, Faye pulled in. I was the happiest guy in the world… And I couldn’t wait to tell her!

I’m sharing this true story partly to tell of the amazing benefits of toothpaste. I’ve since used this same trick on scratched screen doors, storm doors, and window frames. It’s worked on most painted metallics. I don’t know how it works. It just does.

God’s Grace

I can’t help but see the corollaries between toothpaste and God’s grace. We sin often. And many times unintentionally. Sometimes out of carelessness. Sometimes in our haste. Often in our impatience. We have a desire to do the right thing, but just can’t seem to carry it through. As Paul puts it…

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” – Romans 7:15

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” – Romans 7:18

We are embarrassed by our sins. We know better. We feel like complete idiots. And we know those closest to us can see our mistakes all too well. We need help. No, we need a miracle… So like David, we cry out to God…

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” Psalm 51:2

And that’s exactly what God does… As we turn to Jesus, and apply His blood, His sacrifice, and His finished work on the cross… our marred souls are cleansed, and our stained consciences are washed…

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:11

Our Response

An interesting thing happens when we experience a miracle. We are thankful. We are grateful. And we don’t take it for granted.

To illustrate, since that day I have not scratched my car on the light pole. I’m now a little more careful when I pull in. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to put this miraculous solution to the test. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad it’s there. I just don’t want to be careless with it… I don’t want to take it for granted.

The same can be said of God’s grace toward us. Let us apply Jesus’ work on the cross to our every sin, to our every flaw, to our every mistake. Let us rejoice and be glad in what He has done for us. But let us not abuse this great privilege, nor take Him for granted. He’s done the miraculous. And He is way too good for that.

April 25, 2023 Believers Church

Keep reading for an update from the missions field in the Philippines.

Team Prep

The second missions team of the year will arrive within hours of this post. We’ve been preparing for them to come by getting the word out about the upcoming Ministry Training Institute (MTI) classes and Street Level Summit. This will be the sixth MTI class since they began in 2019, and there are a lot of returning students, as well as a handful of new ones. A video promotion on Facebook has helped us connect with those we otherwise wouldn’t. The two-day class for pastors and church leaders will cover the topic of “Biblical Theology.” Please be in prayer for these classes… for people to sign up, that their hearts and minds would be prepared, and for Pastor Tim and Ryan who will be teaching the classes.

Street Level Ministries

Over the past few weeks, we’ve held regular dinners & Bible discussions in Toledo and Cebu, as well as Micro Bible Studies throughout the week. The goal of the 15-minute studies is to meet up with students between classes in a place close to their university. We’ve been meeting at Roadside Café, which is near a couple universities and one of the sponsors of Street Level Radio. No one new has joined us for a study (yet), but it has provided a good opportunity to be present there consistently. Some people sitting in the café have asked questions about Street Level and the radio station.

We’re also gearing up for the Summit on May 5-6, which will be held in Toledo. We will have teaching sessions and small group discussions about the topic of “AWAKEN!” Friday night will be for members only, and Saturday will be open to all. We also posted a video to promote it on Facebook and are praying that it will help us reach students that we wouldn’t normally run into!

Exploring Creation Science

Within days of returning to Cebu, we were able to reconnect with a couple schools where lessons were previously taught. A lesson was taught for students in grades 7-12 that asks the question “How Did We Get Here” at both schools. During the week of Easter while many schools had no classes an orphanage that we have worked with in the past invited us to share Exploring Creation Science lessons with the students at the school. A lesson “All About Photosynthesis” was taught. Students also got to spend some extra time looking at leaves under a microscope. Grade 4 students recently talked about microscopes and learned the parts so a few of them shared what they remembered. Lessons have also continued at both Nazarene Schools, Southern Bethany, and the Wesleyan School. We continue to hear from students that either watch lessons on Shofar TV or have friends that do.

There was also an opportunity to meet up again with a lady that teaches the creation story through art. It’s been neat to share what God is doing in each of our ministries. A trip out to Minglanilla also allowed for some time to share a quick cup of coffee with the school principal at Southern Bethany after we visited a Baptist Church some of the staff attend to share MTI and SLM Summit materials with them.

Prayer Requests

  • Please pray for effective ministry while the team is here… that we’d connect with the people God wants us to connect with and that it would bear fruit that would remain…
  • Safety and unity as the team travels around the island and to Bantayan Island
April 7, 2023 Believers Church

Imagine being stabbed in the arm with a penknife. Not so much as to kill you, but enough to make you bleed. It was unexpected, unprovoked, and whether it was intentional or not, you aren’t certain, but one thing is clear: It hurts. Really bad.

Imagine then going to the doctor. You tell him everything: How deep it the wound is, how awful it makes you feel, and how you did nothing to deserve it. Yet the doctor isn’t half as concerned as you are. He tells you that he’s seen far worse. But, like a good physician, he does his job. He stops the bleeding, sews you up, and councils you on how to dress the wound for yourself. You leave the clinic feeling no better than when you arrived.

Now imagine coming home. With plenty of time to think, you recall every last detail of the incident to make sure that you’re not the guilty party. You play the episode over and over in your mind like a bad re-run. You even go so far as to remove the gauze so you can see once more, just how much of a victim you really are. They say “bitterness has such a sharp memory, because bitterness has good study habits: Review, review, review” [i], and you’ve become quite the scholar. It’s a trauma you can’t let yourself soon forget, so you pick at the stitches. It hurts and bleeds all over again, but it’s the only way to keep the memory fresh.

Insult to Injury   

This goes on for days, weeks, even months, until it finally gets infected. The care-sheet from your unsympathetic doctor went out with the trash long ago. And there’s no way you’re going back to the clinic now. Not in a million years. They’ll just minimize the pain again. You don’t want their help anyway, because once the wound heals, there’ll be no more proof of how guilty your enemy is! So you pick, pull, rip, and tear. The infection keeps spreading, and you don’t really care anymore. It’s destroying you, but you tell yourself, “That’s what they get!

“In this life, you’re bound to get poked, pricked, and even stabbed”

After a year or more, your arm finally falls off. You weren’t responsible for the wound, but it was yours to keep clean, and you failed. You refused to dress it, you rejected the doctor’s advice, and you wouldn’t let it rest. Now it’s gone, and all you can think is “I still can’t believe they stabbed me!” Sure, they may have stabbed you, but they aren’t the reason you lost your arm. You are. And now you’ll spend the rest of your life blaming somebody else for the loss of a limb, even though it’s all in your imagination.

Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds

The scenario above is a graphic illustration of unforgiveness. It’s the resultant injury we inflict upon ourselves by refusing to forgive the one who initially injured us. But it’s not beyond your imagination. It’s a painful reality for countless Christians.

“Picking at the stitches…is the only way to keep the memory fresh”

Unforgiveness is the wound that time doesn’t automatically heal. It’ll never go away on its own. The longer you wait, the worse it’ll get, and the more responsible you’ll be for the losses you suffer because of it.

Skin is Thin

The Apostle Peter had been “stabbed” once or twice, and wanted to know how many times he was required to forgive (Mt.18:21). In his mind, seven times would be more than enough. But Jesus informed him that the bandage might need to be changed hundreds of times. Whether “Seventy times seven” means we forgive 490 individual sins, or just one single sin 490 times, we aren’t sure. But Christ’s point is clear: Keep the wound clean, Peter.

Human skin is between 1 and 4 mm thin. In this life, you’re bound to get poked, pricked, and even stabbed. Words can be sharp (Pr.12:18), and the sinful behavior of a brother can hurt (Gen.4:8). Some of those wounds will be intentional (Pr.27:17), while others will be inadvertent (Pr.27:6). But the real threat to your future isn’t always from the original injury…it’s in your response to it.

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave youColossians 3:13  


[i] Doug Wilson, “How to be free from Bitterness“. Wilson is also to be credited for the illustration of unforgiveness as an unkempt stab wound.

March 24, 2023 Believers Church

During the past few weeks, we’ve spent some time in the USA. Britt joined the Street Level missions trip to New Orleans during Spring Break, as well as a few weekly meetings, Campus Church, and joint service with Street Level Radio, Word on the Street, and Creative Team. Laura was able to teach an Exploring Creation Science lesson for the Homeschool Ministry, serve in the Blind Munchies Coffeehouse & join Creative Team to work on some future advertising items. We also visited Believers Church in Duluth for their Wednesday night dinner and men’s/women’s small group discussion. We’re thankful for the chance to spend time with everyone!

Street Level Ministries

At the beginning of the month, the members from both sides of the island met in Toledo for a members-only meeting. These happen once a month, intending to keep both branches unified and to train leaders in both locations. We had dinner together, then read and discussed a short article about serving God. While we’ve been in the USA, both Street Level groups have continued meeting weekly in Cebu and Toledo. 

Exploring Creation Science

To start the month of March, Laura had an opportunity to join a couple of events meant for administration and teachers in leadership within the Central Visayas Nazarene denomination. Those teaching grades 4-12 met up to discuss pronouns and how they relate to Christian Education. Staff devotions also have been an opportunity to join all four schools and continue getting to know them better. A three-part series talking about How We Got Here and who created it all will continue with students in grade 6 at Banawa & Inayawan Nazarene schools and will be taught at Southern Bethany in May. We’ve been able to post answers to questions asked in class online, so anyone with the same questions can view them. A few digital resources were provided for schools while we have been in the USA, so students can continue learning why they believe what they believe.

Prayer Requests

If you are compelled, please join us in praying for:

  • Safe travels as we head back to the Philippines next Tuesday
  • Preparations for the team to come at the end of April
  • God’s direction and guidance as we enter a new season of ministry
March 22, 2023 Believers Church

Class Time

Foundations class continues to meet every other week during the Sunday morning church service for kids in Kindergarten through 4th grade. The Children’s Ministry is blessed to have a rotation of 10 teachers who take turns teaching through the Bible using Answers Bible Curriculum from Answers in Genesis. Each class we take time to pray together, study the Bible in an age-appropriate way, and apply what we learn to our lives today.

Currently as we continue through the Old Testament, we have been learning about God turning the hearts of kings to accomplish His purposes (Proverbs 21:1). Daniel, Esther, and Ezra are the people we’ve studied recently.  We have seen that God is faithful to keep His promises, and that God uses regular people to accomplish His plans. This gives us hope that God will do the same in our lives, even as kids!

Welcome Time

We love getting to have new kids join us, and God has recently blessed us with that opportunity in Foundations class! We have also created a new “welcome clipboard” that can be given to families with young children if they visit on a Sunday when Foundations isn’t meeting. The clipboard includes a box of crayons, bible verse coloring page, a church notes page, and a sheet for parents with tips for helping children to worship during the church service.

Prayer Time

If you would like to pray for this next generation of church members, below is a helpful daily prayer guide from Truth:78. Please also pray for the teachers who faithfully teach in this ministry. We appreciate your prayers!