Author: Believers Church

August 24, 2022 Believers Church

Read the latest news from Shofar Missions in the Philippines.

Teamwork

The first team since COVID began arrived at the beginning of August. We held three Ministry Training Institute classes for pastors and church leaders, a Street Level Summit for college students, a Youth Summit, attended a regional pastors meeting in Cebu City, worked on updates to the office, and installed our fourth cable TV station. We’ve made a lot of new ministry contacts and caught up with old friends. We’re thankful for all the time spent with the team. Please pray that the team’s work would have a major impact on the lives of whom we ministered to!

Street Level Ministries

In August, we released Issue 90 of Word on the Street Magazine! It was finished just in time for our ventures around the island, so we distributed copies to a lot of young people and their pastors. Both branches of SLM had members of the team join for a Friday night meeting. At the SLM Summit, a few members went live on Street Level Radio in between sessions. As students return to classes, we plan to get out on the streets with WOTS distribution and remote broadcasts next month. Please pray for students to hear about SLM and get connected.

Exploring Creation Science

At the beginning of August, the school administrator from Banawa Nazarene School stopped by for a short visit. Before we leave a visit to Southern Bethany has been planned along with a chance to catch up with students at a youth event. Exploring Creation Science lessons were part of the Shofar TV content update and new station installation when we traveled with the team. They will begin playing this Saturday. Tuesday marked the return to the classroom for many students since COVID began. All of the schools we work with will begin limited in-person classes on September 5. Schools have begun though with orientation for parents. We are looking forward to getting back in the classroom when we return next month!

Shofar Youth Network

At the end of July, the Inayawan Church of the Nazarene celebrated the 9th Anniversary of their 3D JAM (Jesus And Me). This is an event where they invite youth from other churches and the community to gather for worship, a short teaching, food, and fellowship. Their goal is to encourage the youth to pursue a strong relationship with Jesus and connect to a local church where they can grow. Through the Shofar Youth Network, we were able to help sponsor the event and shared a little bit about the youth network with those who attended.

August 13, 2022 Believers Church

I promise I won’t talk about the weather, but upon further thought I suppose me saying that means I just broke my promise (Can one really live in Duluth and NOT mention weather?).

July has come and gone and we are into August now.

Thinking back on the last month, a lot has happened. If you really think about it, we are very lucky to be able to be involved in everything we are involved in. To be able to serve God in the capacity we are able to (or even at all). Most of us are blessed with healthy bodies, minds and a fair bit of youthfulness left still.

Summer can be a busy time, and sometimes you can get a little tired and be challenged, but if you think in Kingdom terms, everything we have done for the Lord in the last month has been an eternal investment. For one short month of expending our time, money and energy for Jesus, one day, we will be rewarded eternally with eternal treasure (not to mention 100 fold in this life for giving any of that up if we have done it for His sake). How awesome is that? More than we can probably realize, but now is a good time to reflect on that I think.

God has been good and faithful. It’s His work, but He lets us take part in it. He’s been slowly adding to our small fellowship.

So what has God been up to? What have we been up to? Speaking of eternal treasure, we’ve been going through the sermon on the Mount. This has been a theme. On Wednesdays we are often found going to parks taking part in “Rewind” sessions. This is where we review the sermon from Sunday, then break out into small groups to talk about it. This is a good opportunity to open up and encourage each other and better understand how to personally apply these things to our lives. We’ve also started up in the book of Psalms on certain Wednesdays, as well as Men’s/Women’s studies. (Enjoy being able to meet outside while it lasts.)

One mission team has returned, and another recently left for the Philippines (Pray for them!)

On Sundays it seems like we’ve had a lot of visitors, both temporary (travelers) and those from the area. It’s cool to see so many new faces coming into church all the time, the number of people we’ve been able to minister to just in that capacity has been many. One Sunday we headed to Lester Park for lunch, kickball, and a lemonade giveaway.

National Night Out was great. The Matthy’s hosted it at their new house (their backyard is basically a giant park with lions nearby. I doubt many others in the church can make that boast). A great many neighbors and others that people knew came by, and overall I think it was a great night, and that God did some cool things there.

We’ve also been able to continue to stream Sunday church to the nursing home across the street as well as visit every couple weeks for a Bible study. We may or may not have things in the works for St. Louis County jail as well in the coming months, so that is something to keep in prayer.

There is plenty more but we are out of space for this month.

We have a few upcoming events planned which we will likely cover in next month’s blog so stay tuned for more on that (as well as the campout coming up). And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

-Jason

August 10, 2022 Believers Church

Guess what?! I’m 50% more accountable to God this year than I was last year!

Not that I’m particularly thrilled about it, but it’s a reality I can’t ignore. Not without grave consequences anyway. Let me explain…

GROWING PAINS

Not including myself, I’ve now got 18 members at this little church, the last 6 of whom were added since mid-February. In other words, our membership roster has grown by about 50% this year. Now, Hebrews 13:17 reminds me that I will “give an account” for all eighteen of those members. So, if you’re one of them, congratulations, I am now personally responsible to God for how you turn out.

(Woe is me).

Accountability, however, isn’t unique only to the pastor(s) of a church, it’s expected of the members as well. Again, Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your (church) leaders, and submit to them”. It appears that, by sovereign arrangement, your leaders are accountable to God for you, which makes you accountable to your leaders.

(Woe is you).

OLD CLOTHES

What, exactly, does ‘accountability’ mean anyway? Well, the Cambridge dictionary defines it as “being responsible for what you do, and able to give a satisfactory reason for it”. That said, you and I both have somebody in our life to whom we must explain ourselves. We are to be certain that they are satisfied with the choices that we are making. This means that we don’t live our life as we please any longer. It means that we take others into consideration when making personal decisions from now on. It also means that there will be divine consequences if we persist in selfish, independent living.  

Membership here means many things, but among them is accountability.

Biblical accountability is an itchy garment we’re all meant to wear. God has woven it into the fabric of the church, and it’s as comfortable as burlap. Yet refusing to put it on just because of how it makes you feel, is entirely juvenile. Those who won’t, are like spiritual children with no qualms about running around naked in public. They might be enjoying themselves in the moment, but they are oblivious to the fact that somebody else is being held responsible for their behavior.

It’s a concern when this kind of lifestyle goes unaddressed. Those who hold too tightly to their personal freedom are destined to chronic irresponsibility, prolonged immaturity, and shallow relationships. Independence isn’t a mark of Christian adulthood after all, it’s proof of spiritual infancy. The reason you’re not growing up is because you won’t put accountability on.

NEW UNIFORM

Individuality is the air we breathe. Freedom is our life-blood. Answering to someone else is counter-intuitive, counter-cultural, and (in many churches) counter-orthodox. Accountability is a foreign practice in numerous American ministries. But apart from it, you’ll never be anything more than an “average Christian”, and we’ll never be anything more than a run-of-the-mill fellowship. It’s time to trash our old clothes.

The first step in taking responsibility for yourself is to acknowledge that someone else is responsible for you. The next step is to love them enough to make yourself accountable to them. Doing so will transform you into a healthier person, and us together, into a stronger church. Accountability propels us toward maturity.

“A culture of accountability makes a good organization great…and a great organization unstoppable” –Henry Evans

TAILOR FIT

Membership here means many things, but among them is accountability. Not because we like it, but because we need it. Responsibility and accountability are a prickly garb. But only when you put them on will you realize how well they fit. You and I were made to wear them.

Whether our church grows by another 50% next year or not, I hope we’ll recognize the importance of what God has said in Hebrews 13:17, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you”.

Scripture and statistics both indicate that I’m more accountable this year than I was last year.

Is the same true of you?

August 10, 2022 Believers Church

Hello friends. With fall right around the corner, we are taking full advantage of what we have left of summer through grilling, fellowship, and outreaches. Also, we are preparing for the students to come back this fall.

Street Level Ministries in River Falls

We are still meeting at Glen Park for Street Level, grilling out, and going through the book “One at a Time”. The relational concepts in this book should be a helpful lead-in to the school year as we prepare to meet new people. Also, in light of missions season and as an opportunity to fellowship with other Christians, some of our friends from the Menomonie campus are joining us through the month of August.

Additionally, we have been working hard preparing for the students return, and we recently had a fall semester preparation work night. One thing we worked on was preparing postcards to mail to incoming freshman. Like last year, these cards contain information about Street Level and Campus Church as well as a Coffeehouse coupon. Please pray that God is out ahead of us working in the students hearts and that the right people see them.

Street Level Grilling and Fellowshipping on Monday Nights

Wednesday Rewinds

For the rest of the summer we continue to meet Wednesday nights for midweek Rewinds. We handed out ice cream a few times in the park were we meet. Please pray that we would meet people interested in wanting to know more about God and joining the study.

Meeting in Glen Park in River Falls
Wednesday Rewinds in Glen Park, River Falls

The Blind Munchies Coffeehouse

The coffeehouse will continue setting up the kiosk in the community on Thursday nights through August. Coffee, Italian sodas, butterfly lattes, bakery, and conversations are served during this time. It has been fun to see a mixture of people come around the parks. We often get a chance to talk to the same people each week as well as new people. Street Level Radio also attended a Thursday outreach along side the coffeehouse, and had some good interactions. Please pray for continued opportunities to grow relationships with people in the community and that they would want to know God.

Additional Prayer Requests

  • Fall Semester Prep and the first few campus outreaches
  • Campus Church 2.0 – This will be our second year of Campus Church
  • In all things that God would go before us and prepare the way

For Further Information

July 25, 2022 Believers Church

Street Level Ministries

July is always an exciting month for us since the 27th marks the anniversary since SLM began in Cebu. To celebrate five years of God’s faithfulness, we threw a party at the office, complete with minute to win it games, jeopardy, a photo slideshow, and of course, cake! It was a great reunion of former and current students from both Cebu and Toledo. Dyreen even stopped by to say hello!

We have continued meeting weekly on Friday nights for dinner and Bible discussions. There’s a consistent group of students in Toledo and usually one or two new people there each week. We’re all gearing up for the SLM Summit on August 13. Students from both sides of the island have signed up to attend. We’ll spend the day talking about living an unwasted life – the cost and rewards of following Jesus, taking risks for God, and committing your life fully to Him. Please pray that students will sign up by July 31 and that God would prepare their hearts for the summit.

Exploring Creation Science

July meant another school would start their summer classes in person! Visayas Wesleyan Christian School in Talisay began their two-week summer session on July 11. This was the first time since COVID began that the students have had class together. Due to lack of internet and devices, they only offered paper/pencil learning (modular packets). Students were thrilled to be in person, even with classroom windows and doors open, masks, and social distancing. Laura was welcomed back in person for the first time since COVID started to teach a lesson about fingerprints. In person lessons for students at Banawa Nazarene ended last week. To give students ample room to spread out and the ability for everyone to equally see and participate, lessons were held in the church sanctuary. We covered a variety of topics, from DNA to cells.

On June 29, the mayor of Cebu City issued an order to allow students in all levels to return to face-to-face classes. The mayors in Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue City have issued similar orders. The news was welcomed by many, but it came with strict health safety guidelines, so many schools will run phygital classes. The third week of September will mark the start of a month-long series about the Reliability of the Bible for students in grades 7-12.

Local Churches & Team Prep

On July 10, we both got to teach Sunday school at Inayawan Church of the Nazarene. The following weekend, Laura taught the youth at Banawa Church of the Nazarene about the validity of the Bible, and the children about Noah’s ark. We’re excited for the team to come and host Ministry Training Institute classes in Cebu City, Balamban, and Bantayan, where we can continue building relationships with local churches. Please pray for pastors to sign up for the MTI classes and all the preparatory work for the team to come!

Shofar TV

Next month, we will start broadcasting Shofar TV on Starsat Cable TV in Bantayan town. We’re adding new programming to all the stations, including Living as Free and a Saturday morning feature of Exploring Creation Science lessons. Please pray for viewers to engage with the content and that the equipment would keep running well at each station!

July 22, 2022 Believers Church

Moving Up

It is hard to believe, but three of our Foundations kids are moving up to the sanctuary full time after August! We don’t have an official “moving up” ceremony like they do in schools in the Philippines, but we did have fun taking some pictures with a graduation hat!

Foundations is a ministry for early elementary aged kids that meets every other Sunday during the church service. This provides an opportunity for children to get Bible teaching geared for their age level, while also allowing them to regularly participate in the corporate worship service with their families on alternating weeks. As the children get older, it is important for them to be in the service each week so they feel an increasing sense of belonging to this church family. Church is for kids, too! We are a church made up of all different ages, and God wants to speak to each one of us through the corporate worship service.

Book Recommendation

For family devotions, our family is currently reading through the book Who is Jesus?: 40 Pictures to Share with Your Family by Kate Hox. If you are looking for a resource to help your child or, a child in your life to dig deeper into the Bible, I would highly recommend this book. One of my favorite things about the book is the way it helps readers to see Jesus throughout the whole Bible. The book is simple enough for young children to understand, yet deep enough that older children and adults can also learn something new.

Prayer Requests

When I pray for the Children’s Ministry and the kids who are part of it, I’ve discovered that I often pray “small” prayers. Not that it’s bad to pray for Foundations class to go well, or for new families to come to church. But the scope of my prayers has been broadened recently after reading the booklet Big, Bold, Biblical Prayers for the Next Generation by David Michael. It has challenged me to pray for “the Kindgom-sized things” and to trust God for the smaller things. If you would like to join in praying for our kids, here are a few requests:

  • That the Father would draw them to Jesus (John 6:44) and that He would do so at a young age.
  • That Christ will dwell in their hearts through faith, and that they would have the power to understand how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:17-18).
  • That they would have opportunities to boldly proclaim the gospel and be given the words to do so (Ephesians 6:19-20).
  • That the “moving up” changes happening in Foundations would cause them to trust in, hunger for, and be consumed with more of a passion for God.