Author: Believers Church

January 25, 2023 Believers Church

Read about what we’ve been up to in the Philippines!

Team Prep

By the time you read this, the team will be in Cebu. We’re excited for their arrival and look forward to seeing what God will do. The men will teach three Ministry Training Institute classes for pastors & church leaders on three different islands! One each in Bohol, Cebu, and Bantayan. We’ll also have a Street Level Summit in Balamban. We’ve been getting the word out about these events and slowly collecting registrations. We sent out mass texts, posted online, added commercials to Shofar TV, hung banners, delivered informational packets, and asked people to spread the news by word-of-mouth. We even got to present Shofar and the upcoming events at a gathering of pastors from churches around Cebu City. Please pray for the team’s physical and spiritual safety, as well as for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and fruitful ministry.

  • Cebu City Ministerial Fellowship Meeting
  • Presenting the Ministries of Shofar
  • Banners for Upcoming Events in Toledo…
  • …and Balamban

Street Level Ministries

It has been nice to get back to weekly meetings after the holidays. Some universities started earlier than others, and the first few weeks are a time of schedule adjustments for students, so not everyone from last semester has been able to return yet. We held a member’s-only meeting at the beginning of January in Toledo. This is something we’ll start doing monthly – for current members and those seriously interested in membership. Next week, we’ll have a special session for the members on the Friday night before the Summit. Please pray for students to work out their schedules and get registered since this Friday is the deadline. Most of all, pray that God would be at work in their hearts and minds leading up to the Summit.

  • Member’s Meeting
  • Street Level Radio Group Service
  • SLR poster got “Sinulog-ed”
  • Bible Study Workshop in Cebu City
  • Toledo City Meeting

Exploring Creation Science

Classes started the first week of January. Most schools we work with made it clear classes would go on as normal despite the upcoming Sinulog Festival (a large Catholic event happening every year mid-January). Since the Philippines is a very Catholic country public schools partake in many of the Catholic events. Catholic students attending Christian Private Schools we work with were absent during the festival so they could participate. For the month of January, a special lesson was held for students at both Nazarene Schools & Southern Bethany addressing Science & the Bible since it is Bible Month. Plans are in the works to repeat this lesson for students at Cebu Bradford Christian School – a school we worked with before COVID. Please continue to pray for the staff & students at the schools we work with. Specifically, the staff at Southern Bethany & the Wesleyan school as some are not Christians and wonder why we would give up careers & life in the states to be here. Pray for the students that we would be Godly examples (many of them see us at church the grocery store, our barangay on our bikes, etc).

  • Grade 5 – Banawa Nazarene take 3 with funny faces
  • Math Class just ended as Teacher Laura arrived….oops I was early!
  • Southern Bethany Grade 8 students talk about Science & the Bible
  • Banawa Nazarene students share what they learned with classmates
  • A lesson about leaves at the Wesleyan School
  • Grade 6 – Inayawan Nazarene watch a video about science & the bible
January 19, 2023 Believers Church

Coffeehouse Under Construction

January is typically the month when we prep for the spring semester. We have been working nights at the coffeehouse, doing minor construction projects and plant preparations for the upcoming sale. There is also now a new shelf in the kitchen area to add some appreciated extra space! We also took the window out of the kitchen door and added a drink pick-up spot for customers hanging around the coffeehouse.

Sledding and Limited Injuries

We joined up with Street Level Menomonie & Twin ports for a sledding day. There were some epic “sled-less” options to take down the hill. The massive TV box, a giant painter’s cover, and even a chariot were some favorites. We made it mostly unscathed. Don’t worry, Justin still has all his fingers, and Ben fixed them up pretty well (Thanks, Ben)!

Spring Semester Starts Monday

We are looking forward to students returning back to campus in a few days. A few outreaches are already planned on both the UW-River Falls and CVTC campuses. The coffeehouse kiosk will be set up on the first day of class to giveaway coffee at CVTC, and then again a few days later at UW-River Falls. We hope God uses these and other outreaches lead to new connections and relationships.

Prayer Requests

  • For us to meet new people, college students, and non-college students alike
  •  Upcoming outreaches – at CVTC, UWRF, and the plant sale at the coffeehouse
  •  For consistency and growth with students at Campus Church and Street Level

https://streetlevelministries.com/uw-riverfalls.html

https://www.jfbelievers.com/riverfalls/

December 28, 2022 Believers Church

Thanks to the support of Believers Church the Believers Homeschool Group has had a busy few months with one field trip, our regular Thursday meetings and preparation for the Christmas program.

Fire Station Visit

They didn’t start the fire, but they learned about how to stop them!  In November, we visited the fire station.  Thank you to the fire fighters who took the time to teach us about fire safety and show us around the station. 

Christmas Program

Over the past few months, the kids have been hard at work practicing for the Christmas program.  Lots of lines were memorized and costumes sewn, but they had a fun time doing so.  Thank you to our audience and the church for the opportunity to put on a show! 

Thursday Meetings

In addition to the fire station visit and the program practice, the homeschool group continued with our regular homeschool group schedule of reading out loud together, drawing lessons and fitness activities.  This winter we are hoping to get outside for ice skating and sledding, as well as a field trip or two.

Please pray for continuing diligence on the parents to not just give the kids an education, but to model for them what it means to follow Jesus. Also pray for new families that have been attending the group that they would continue to participate and feel they have a home within the Believers Homeschool group.

For more on our group, find us on Facebook (only local Homeschool families please) or email homeschool@jfbelievers.com

December 25, 2022 Believers Church

“Merry Christmas” from Cebu! We hope you are all staying warm and enjoying the white Christmas! We received your Christmas cards in the mail… thanks for sending them 🙂 Keep reading to see what we’ve been up to this month.

Working with Local Churches

At the end of November, we joined the Inayawan Church of the Nazarene for their 44th Church Anniversary and holiday celebration. There was worship, a guest speaker, dinner, and games… it felt a lot like the JFB 30th Anniversary Celebration. We were thankful to be a part of it and continue building relationships with teachers, youth, and other church members. 

Last week, we went to Bohol to do some advance work for the team to come in January. While we were there, we visited Miracle Church of the Nazarene, which is now pastored by the former assistant pastor of Inayawan. He and his wife have been there for about 4 months. It’s a small church in a small town, but they’re seeing new families come through simple things like community Bible studies. While we were there, we talked about future ministry opportunities and had a discipleship discussion with some of the young people.

Exploring Creation Science

This semester classes began in-person half days only and by November 1 we were back to in-person classes all day every day! We were thankful for the opportunity to be in person. Many of the schools we minister in are connected to local churches. As many of you know we minister heavily with the Inayawan Nazarene church & school. This relationship began in 2017 when Pastor Tim & Sharon were at a stop light next to Pastor Allan driving the Inayawan Nazarene vehicle with the Nazarene logo. Sharon passed Pastor Tim’s business card to Pastor Allan and the rest is history. While in Bohol we had an opportunity to meet Teacher Gay again while visiting Miracle Church of the Nazarene. We first met her when an invitation was extended to visit and teach an Exploring Creation Science lesson at the Nazarene Bible College for students in grades 4- 6 & 7-12 as she was a high school teacher then and remembered Shofar. She now teaches in Baclayon, Bohol.

When classes start back up in January we plan to reconnect with the basic education department at the Nazarene Bible College and start planning summer school. Classes do not end until June 30 but schools are putting information for summer out now. We will also continue teaching at four to five schools throughout metro Cebu. Laura also hopes to reconnect with someone that teaches art from a Biblical Creation perspective here in Cebu City. Please pray for staff and students as they are away on holiday break. Many of their families are not Christians so pray they would be a light for their families and also that everyone would take time to slow down and spend time with God.

Street Level Ministries

We had a couple of meetings in December before students dispersed for the holiday break. This semester, we saw a lot of faces come and go. Some students came once or twice, so we’re hoping and praying that they’ll return next semester. Before the break, we had a small Christmas gathering with the current members. We woke up early for a hike to see the city, then grilled out for lunch. It was a refreshing and unifying time for the group!

Next semester, we hope to have daytime devotionals and monthly members-only meetings. We’re also looking forward to a Summit in February while the team is here! Please pray that the students would use Christmas break to draw near to God and rest well before another busy semester begins.

December 20, 2022 Believers Church

As you read this, the students at UWRF are finishing up fall finals, and we are finishing up our last few meetings before we welcome in 2023. Keep reading and find out what the River Falls ministry did over the month of December.

Believers Campus Church

Earlier in the month, we had the pleasure of having Pastor Tim come visit us and teach the book of 3 John. Last week we met for our last on-campus Believers Campus Church for 2022. We added a few holiday decorations to the room and went through the book of Jude together. This week we plan to join the Menomonie church for the children’s Christmas play. Over winter break we will change things up a bit and will meet at The Blind Munchies Coffeehouse at 6:30 pm to join in the weekly “Rewinds” of the Sunday messages from Menomonie.

Street Level Ministries

We also just finished up our last Street Level for the year. We spent the evening watching a movie, eating pizza, and enjoying snowmen in a hot tub (aka hot chocolate with ice cream). It is finals week, so it was fun to end the year with fellowship. We will be spending the break still meeting, but working on projects around the coffeehouse.

Prayer Requests for 2023

  • For direction for direction from God for the ministry as a whole as we go into a new year
  • Reaching out and connecting with college age individuals in the community
  • For the students during break that they contiue forward in their walk with God
December 13, 2022 Believers Church

As we conclude another year in Duluth, I am once again amazed at how fast the year has gone by! We were fortunate as a church to be able to participate in domestic and foreign missions trips, retreats, service opportunities, and many fellowship events with our church as well as fellowship groups from Menomonie. 

This past month Pastor Jesse and our campus ministry group has continued to meet at UW-Superior on Mondays for a “micro” Bible study.  They are continuing their studies on the “crazy things Jesus said”.  They also recently had a movie night in one of the dorm halls there too.  On Tuesday nights our Campus Church service is held at UMD.  They just finished up a series going through John’s letters talking about what real Christianity looks like. They concluded the semester by braving the cold and walking through Bentlyville (a huge Christmas lights display in Canal Park).  During the campus’s winter break, the church will be having an evangelism class.  For three weeks on Tuesday nights, we will continue part two of our study of the book, Evangelism as Exiles.

This month we will be starting our Bible studies in the Douglas County jail once again.  We were very excited to be asked to return to this ministry now that Covid restrictions are lifting.  A small group of women and men will participate in this ministry on Sunday afternoons. 

On Sundays we are continuing to go verse by verse through the book of Matthew.  On Wednesdays we rotate our services with rewind groups, verse by verse studies through Psalms, and Men’s and Women’s book studies.  As always, we try to gather together for times of fellowship whether scheduled or impromptu.  This past month a group gathered together for a meal on Thanksgiving and for an impromptu game night at the Moss’s house on a Sunday night.

Thank you for your prayers.  We are looking forward to the coming year and all that God has for us up here. 

– Sara