Author: Believers Church

May 13, 2022 Believers Church

Up here in the northland, it’s that time of year again—a change in season. The hustle and bustle of the church have shifted gears as students have wrapped up their studies, and we begin to head into summer. 
So what have we been up to? Here are some of the highlights. 

COLLEGE MINISTRIES   

Campus Church at UMD finished up for the semester with a couple more information tables and the continuation through Exodus. Street Level spent the last few studies in Elizabeth Elliot’s book “Discipline” and then wrapped up the semester with a hangout night at the garage. We played the game fishbowl, had pizza, and concluded the night by moving some stuff for the upcoming church garage sale into storage. 

OUTREACH 

Street Level Radio did a few live broadcasts at UWS before the semester concluded. Amongst those were the jazz lunches (UWS’ very own jazz bands playing music in the main hall, where students get food during lunchtime). 
The community group went to the Zoo! Complete with the coffee trailer and bunny ears, we engaged with the community at the local Zoo’s Easter event. We also got the opportunity to set up an information table for the church at a Mercyme concert held at the DECC. 

CHURCH

On Sundays, we continue to go through Matthew and have small group discussions of those sermons on Wednesdays. It’s been helpful to go deeper in those studies together on a personal level. Also, as a church, we took some time to have Easter dinner together. Complete with an Easter egg hunt. What was the prize for the most eggs? You didn’t have to do the Macarena. Yes, you read that right. 

Now, it’s a neat thing to step back and see how our building has changed as we grow. Recently our balcony got some new renovations. It has a brand new window out looking into the sanctuary. In addition, it has a whole new multi-purpose layout that can serve as a workspace and host families during the church service. 

LOOKING FORWARD

As we move into summer, we look forward to Street Level joining the community group for some of their various activities. This includes a book discussion on “Evangelism as Exiles” by Elliot Clark and some of the other events (i.e., church rummage sale, park-point rummage sale, and Coffee-on-the-curb). 

One of the first things I notice about our church is an enthusiastic spunk for Jesus. We greatly want to be used by God. Please pray for us as we head into new adventures together this summer. Pray that we don’t lose our spunk and that we would be a compassionate people to those around us, passionately seeking to be where God would have us be. 

May 11, 2022 Believers Church

Long before King David had selected his “Thirty Mighty Men”, we see the young shepherd choosing “five smooth stones”. David’s men would eventually become the stuff of legend, remembered by name (II Sam 23), and revered for their heroism. By contrast, the stones he chose are all but forgotten, left behind long ago in the Valley of Elah. And yet, it was through David’s use of those five stones, that fear was vanquished, the foe was conquered, and God’s people were liberated.

Much has been said about “The Thirty”; too little perhaps, about “the five”.

Scripture doesn’t provide too many specifics about these unnamed stones, but the few details we’ve got are adequate to provide us with helpful insight & encouragement into our own life & ministry. Let’s remember what we can about these significant little chunks of geological anonymity:

“And David chose five smooth stones from the brook” -I Samuel 17:40

THERE WERE FIVE.

History verifies that one single stone was enough to slay the giant, yet David didn’t have peace until he’d chosen the fifth. He picked the amount he was comfortable with. Six would’ve been too many, four, too few. David needed five. Confident of his selection, he was ready for the fight.

Which stone it was that dealt the fatal blow isn’t revealed. Was it the 2nd one taken from the brook? The 4th? Scripture keeps that detail a secret. All we’re told is that, as David ran toward the Philistine, he simply “put his hand in his bag and took out a stone” (I Sam 17:49). It didn’t matter to David which one it was, for they were all equally suited for the task. He only needed to know that it was indeed one of the five.

Every stone serves its purpose, even the ones that are never taken out of the bag. Sometimes it’s our collective solidarity, rather than our individual accomplishments that God intends to reward. The Holy Spirit isn’t required to honor one above another who all serve the same Master (read the parable of the “Laborers in the Vineyard” Mt.20:1-16).

THEY WERE SMOOTH.

These stones had no rough edges. They had pushed against each other for so long now, that little friction remained between them. Sharing the same river for so many years had made them ready to serve the same mission. They fit well together in the shepherds’ pouch. Each one fit snugly into his sling. They would serve his purpose, even at high velocity. They could be trusted.

Not all of those who serve the Great Shepherd will endure their time with the sheep. If we aren’t willing to bear with one another long enough to knock off the sharp corners, we’re likely to be overlooked at a time of special selection. Our Master won’t send us out from His sling until He’s sees that we’re no longer jagged. He intends to hit His mark. If you don’t suit His purpose, He’ll pick a different stone.

The choicest servants that Christ can find are those who work together the longest. The current here is unapologetically swift at times, but there is only one surefire way to make a rough stone smooth.

THEY CAME FROM THE BROOK.

There are countless stones, in numerous brooks, all over the face of the earth. Yet God, for thousands of years, had His eyes on these five. Specially designed at the beginning of Creation, and strategically placed at the time of The Flood, these 5 stones had a long wait for glory. Thousands of years would pass before they’d finally be discovered by Jesse’s youngest, and brought to center-stage. Until then, they’d have to endure lifetimes of insignificance & anonymity.

Little is accomplished in the Kingdom of Heaven without great patience. A driving need for immediate gratification, recognition, & significance has led many of her servants into exile. But those who patiently remain in their place, are best positioned to be most useful to the coming King, whether we realize it or not.

ANONYMITY PREVAILS.

Those of us who crave recognition among our peers ought to be cautious. By chasing public acknowledgment, you may just forfeit your opportunity for true greatness. Be content with anonymity if that’s what God’s chosen for you.

Concentrate on unity, humility, & endurance instead. Only then will we become the mighty men and women we long to be. Only then will you live a life worth remembering.

“David prevailed…with a stone” -I Samuel 17:50

May 1, 2022 Believers Church

Theology can be an intimidating subject for many of us.

The definition of the word theology is simply “the study of God”. For many of us this conjures up images of dusty old books, hours of dense reading, and an impractical vocabulary of big words that we’re convinced not even the theologians themselves actually know the meanings of.

Do you resist studying God? Do you prefer more practical matters? Do you pride yourself on being more relatable than the typical “theologian”?

Whether we realize it or not, we all have a working theology that we practice by the way we think and live – and that makes each of us a theologian.

Check out the following blog article on Renew.org on why theology can tend to be a more intimidating topic for many of us than it should be.

Theology Is Intimidating—But Not for the Reason We Think – Renew

April 28, 2022 Believers Church

The homeschool group does parenting discussions on a quarterly basis at Believers City Church. This year we began a new series that has been based on the series by Gary Thomas titled Sacred Parenting.

One of the methods that God seems to use in His followers’ lives is using us to serve Him in some way and also changing us through that service. Going on a mission’s trip is a good example of this. We may look at the trip as an opportunity to go and serve God, which it is. But at the same time, God uses the trip to change our own hearts in some way. 

As parents, we often find that God does the same with us through parenting.  God is using us as parents to raise the kids but He is also using the process of parenting to change us.

A secondary aspect of this is that raising children will make or break the kids and the parents.  When a parent is unwilling to rear their children in the way God has called them to, its often a reflection on other areas of their lives. If we are failing in our role as parents, then we are likely also failing in other parts of our relationship with God.  God not only uses our role as parents to shape us, He also uses our relationship with Him to help shape our kids.

God is merciful and He covers our weaknesses. As we move forward as parents, we need to remember that parenting well has a lot to do with how close we are to God. God uses the calling of parenthood to bring us close to Him.

Check out the promo for the current series we have been working through.

April 25, 2022 Believers Church

Keep reading to learn what we have been up to in the Philippines and the USA over the past month.

While we were in the USA, we got to spend time with Annemieke, a missionary from the Netherlands, while she was on her speaking tour among the three Street Level Ministries locations. Before she spoke at UW-Stout, we handed out fliers with her on campus. As missionaries in service to the King, we face many of the same challenges. We also joined the Street Level House for dinner, a night with food and fellowship as we planned for the next chapter of ministry, and a Sunday night in a quiet backyard with grilled food, friends, and a fire on our last Sunday night in the USA for a while.

THE MINISTRY CONTINUES

We arrived a few days before Easter, so we grilled out with our neighbors on Saturday and had pancakes with a couple of students after church on Sunday. As many employers continue to work from home and schedule online meetings, Dyreen doesn’t come into Cebu City very often. When she does, we always try to meet – even if it is for a short amount of time – since she has been a great friend since we moved here.

We have been teaching Sunday School each month at the Inayawan Church of the Nazarene for the past few months. On Easter Sunday, we had an opportunity to teach there again. This is a church and school that Shofar has been ministering with since 2017. We know the staff and pastors there, along with several students that attend the church. Some of the students Laura teaches in school are part of the kids & youth group. Brittany handed out copies of Word on the Street Magazine to the youth after their discussion. Two of the youth contributed to the article about Typhoon Odette, so they were all excited to get a copy.

Since we returned to Cebu, we have spent a lot of time catching up with people and planning for the next few months. Laura has visited with staff and taught Exploring Creation Science lessons for students at Banawa Nazarene and Southern Bethany Christian School. Though classes remain digital with very few exceptions for in person learning, schools are seeking as much face-to-face interaction as possible. Students living near each other are finding ways to join activities in groups when the opportunity allows, and teachers are joining together at schools or coffee shops.

STREET LEVEL MINISTRIES

Last Friday marked the beginning of a whole new format of SLM meetings. Not only have we resumed free dinners, but we have also changed the weekly meetings to be heavily discussion based. A day or two before students attend, they can watch a short Bible teaching on our Facebook page. On Friday night, they can come together to discuss what they learned. Meetings happen simultaneously in Toledo City and Cebu City, with a different student facilitating the discussion each week. It’s an exciting change, which we hope and pray will bear much fruit for the Kingdom. To get the word out, posters have been hung all around Cebu City, and on Wednesday, Jael and Britt will host a live radio broadcast downtown. There are many college-age individuals roaming around and some third and fourth years attending limited face-to-face classes… now it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in order to meet them.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

  1. Please pray for all the churches/schools that we work with – specifically the health of Pastor Allan at Inayawan Church of the Nazarene and Jim Young.
  2. Pray for new ministry opportunities as Laura seeks to spend more time ministering with the Nazarene School.
  3. Pray for all those we were able to minister to at the Universal Church of Christ in Toledo. In February, Laura taught a science lesson during kids church and Britt gave WOTS to the youth.
  4. Pray for the upcoming Street Level Radio broadcast and posters – that students would know about SLM and desire to get connected.
  5. Pray for the discipleship of the SLM students – that they’d grow in love for Jesus, holiness, and discernment about the decisions they’re making.
April 20, 2022 Believers Church

Keep reading for the latest news from Believers Church ministry in River Falls.

This semester went quickly. Here we are with just a few short weeks left, knowing that our now-familiar small group will be broken up soon for the summer. But in the mean time we have remained busy with events, frequently fellowshipping, and consistently studying God’s Word together.

Plant Sale at the Coffeehouse

We ended March by doing a plant sale at the coffeehouse. We had a great turnout –  around 100 people came. This has become one of the best ways to bring people into the coffeehouse. The plants were provided via donations from people in the Menomonie and River Falls as well as propagations from the coffeehouse “plant wall”. We have already begun new propagations for the next sale.

Missionaries on Campus

In early April, Street Level hosted Dutch missionary Annemieke Roering on the UW-River Falls campus. This was her last stop on a speaking tour hosted by Street Level. She shared on her missions work to individuals in prostitution in the Red Light district of Amsterdam. It was good experience for students in Street Level to work together postering, flyering, and hosting this event.

Additionally, we were joined by the Philippines missionaries for Wednesday night at Campus Church. Laura and Brittany shared about their personal entry into missions and the ministry they have been doing over the past few years.

Summer Ahead

We are now to setting our sights on summer and the outreach possibilities before us. We are seeking plans for worthwhile engagement with the city. While most of the students will be gone, there will be great opportunity to meet people throughout the community.

Prayer Requests

  • Outreach plans for the summer.
  • Continued growth and maturity in group.

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