Author: Believers Church

May 19, 2021 Believers Church

Semester Wrap Up and Unleashing Summer

Is May a summer month? This year we can call it a summer month since school ended earlier than usual. Before the semester’s end, we partnered with Menomonie Street Level to host a grill-out bash. Volunteers from Menomonie came over during the day to flyer and poster the UW-River Falls campus. We put up a few tents, some lights, and turned up the music! The event was out front of the coffeehouse, and it felt like a scaled-back version of a backyard party. As the evening progressed, it proved to be a great time of fellowship and interactions with some new faces. We are hopeful that some of these connections can grow as we reach out to people through the summer. 

As we moved into the month of May we transitioned into meeting Monday nights. For the summer we are planning to mix up what we have been doing by spending time outside in fellowship and for studies as much as possible. Also, now that we are meeting on Mondays, we hope to spend more time with Menomonie and Duluth/Superior. This past Monday, we went out to Glen Park for a hike and a picnic. Joining us were some new faces (one might have been a turtle). We have been experiencing an increase in interactions through social media with interest in what we have planned. So, we greatly appreciate your prayer for these interactions and opportunities.

Highlighting Burning Dog Radio

With help from the tech team, Burning Dog Radio has made its way to River Falls by installing the WIFI access point at the coffeehouse. Thank you to the Tech Team! On top of that, we are using the coffeehouse to highlight Burning Dog Radio through a giveaway and raffle offered to those coming into the coffeehouse. The hope is to generate some excitement over the Burning Dog Radio stream.

Bible Study and Fellowship

On Sunday evenings, we are studying the book of Ephesian. If you join us on a Sunday, you’ll find us going verse by verse through a chapter and having a discussion around it. Also, we have seen some new faces from the community on Wednesdays. We are continuing to seek out ways to invite people and generate awareness of our studies. We welcome people from Menomonie to join us for Sunday nights. Just reach out to Jonah to see when you can come.

Further Information

May 16, 2021 Believers Church

Finishing Up

Street Level just finished the Spring, 2021 semester at UW-Stout. The spring semester was eventful! Besides working through all the logistics and considerations for Covid-safety, we continued to meet new people each week and got to know many of them week-to-week over dinner and the bible discussions. As the school year came to a close, we saw some members graduate and move away, others head out for summer jobs / travels at large, and some move on to other pursuits.

There are also many of us who remain in Menomonie for the summer. Our plans include continued weekly bible studies in the Gospel of John, camping & canoeing trips, bonfires, and other random happenings. For those of college age who are interested in getting involved, we will meet at The Blind Munchies Coffeehouse at 6:30pm on Monday nights.

A Quick Look Back

Our weekly dinners gave us many occasions to get to know each other better. As the weather improved we made our way outside to the patio to enjoy the warm air. Prior to that, all of our activity was indoors in the friend confines of The Blind Munchies. We ate together, read the bible, watched short videos, and had lots of small group discussions about life with God. The current college students also met on campus for prayer and discussion, as they read through Jon Bloom’s book Don’t Follow Your Heart. (*Jon Bloom spoke at the Blind Munchies back in 2018)

Outside of the Monday night routine we had: winter bonfires, sledding, two one-day college summits, more sledding, a Spring Break mission trip to Tennessee, Saturday morning breakfast’s at The Blind Munchies Coffeehouse, bonfires, french fries, etc. We continue to stay connected with the other Street Level campuses at UW River Falls and UW Superior with a variety of video and in person events.

A Quick Thank You

Lastly, Street Level greatly appreciate the prayers, support, and guidance of Believers Church! As a campus ministry, we are incredibly blessed to be directly connected to a church with all the opportunities to pursue God in the fullness of what the bible intends for Christians. We appreciate the support of our pastors and the people who belong to Believers Church.

Please continue to pray for God’s opportunities for us to engage with the UW Stout students.

May 13, 2021 Believers Church

Hey! We’re still grooving along up here in the Northland! As we wrapped up the school year and the cold months, we continue to move more of our focus into summer endeavors.

Street level Adventures

We continued our weekly bible discussions and our Friday night movies this past month. On occasion, we were also privileged to meet up with the other locations. We had some digital studies/discussions and we all got to caravanned down to river falls for a day retreat. It has been awesome that we were able to get to do all that! The discussions were great with a lot to think about long after it was done. It was just so nice to spend time with those from the other locations.

Wots released another issue that we got to fold and staple together at the garage. Do you know what’s cool?! UWS had just started allowing Student orgs to set up information tables again when we were finishing up this issue! Like WHAT?!! So we were able to give students magazines on campus again!

It’s been a fun last month of the semester for Street level. To finished the year, we had a night of playing a mash-up of some social distancing games (like Pictionary and Charades).

This summer we plan to go on some different adventures together. Next week we plan to walk to a park to play frisbee golf! After an afternoon of adventures, we’ll head on back for a fire and devotional to rap up the night. In addition to once a week meetings, were planning on having a workday once a month to prepare for the fall semester. Movie nights will still continue once a month as well. 

Church Happenings

At church, we finished the Anatomy of a Christian Series and started to go through Romans on Sundays. Depending on the week you’ll find us continuing our rotation through Jeremiah, men’s/women’s studies, and Horizontal Jesus by Tony Evens. In addition to that, we also watched Free Burma Rangers. If you haven’t seen it, highly recommend it! And get this. WE GET TO SING TOGETHER AGAIN!! This month we were able to start to have that be a part of our corporate worship again. It has been such an awesome gift.

 As many of you know we had our international bingo night. The night couldn’t have been complete without some talent acts and some costumes. And you guys joined in! It was fun to see all of your comments and photos! We also started having dinners together again on Wednesdays. I can’t say it enough how nice it has been to have more opportunity to spend time together again!

In terms of outreach, every week we’re going out into the community in hopes to meet people. We’ve been primarily going door to door with information about our church and putting up posters. This past Sunday, we got the opportunity to set up the coffee trailer at the zoo for a mother’s day event. It has been a great way to get out there!

Prayer requests

We’re gearing up quite a bit this summer. As we continue to head into our summer plans of fellowship, outreach, and serving opportunities please pray that we would continue to be what it talks about in John 13:35.

Assembling the latest issue of WOTS.
Street Level at work.
International Bingo & Talent Extravaganza.
May 12, 2021 Believers Church

A Sad Story…

Barbara was stunned. The bloated body they pulled out of the river had been violently stabbed to death. There was no mistaking that this was her husband (she knew it by the clothes he wore). Only a short time ago, having devoted themselves to God’s work, she and Roger had left America together to serve the Lord in a strange, new place. But now she was bereaved. Barbara had every reason to feel sorry for herself.

Barbara Youderian was married to one of the five missionaries who were killed by headhunters in 1956; Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, Nate Saint, and Roger Youderian. Without any warning, five young widows were left alone in the jungles of Ecuador to process what had just happened to the men they loved, and their future without them. That included Barbara. She was stunned.  

A Similar Situation…

Self-pity grows best in a climate like that one. When a person who’s committed to doing the Lord’s will receives (what seems to be) unfair treatment in spite of it, self-pity can flourish. When the very things we expect to bring reward, end up feeling like punishment, it’s hard not to sulk. Author Jon Bloom writes, “Self-pity is our sinful, selfish response to something not going the way we think it should”. And since the Christian life and ministry rarely (if ever?) go the way we “think it should”, feeling sorry for yourself can happen fast.

Jesus is branded in Scripture as a “man of sorrows” and by theologians as a “Suffering Servant”. Even though His life was marked from beginning to end with undying love & perfect obedience, much of what He got in return was disapproval, mockery, & abuse. It’s the true servants of God who have more occasion for self-pity than, perhaps, anyone else alive. One of the great victories of the Christian sojourn therefore, is to learn how to properly manage our feelings when God’s plan reveals an unexpected twist. 

“If you suffer for doing what’s right, and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you” (I Peter 2:20).

A Sinful Response…

Problems are never fixed by self-pity, they’re only made worse. Merriam-Webster defines the term as a “self-indulgent dwelling on one’s own sorrows or misfortunes”. It’s like poison to the soul, but we drink it anyway, totally unaware of the suicide we’re attempting. And serving the Lord can make a person thirsty for it, so be careful. The more self-pity you swallow, the more it swallows you. The Prophet Jonah drank his fair share, and barely survived to tell the tale. It wasn’t the fish that nearly killed him, as much as it was his bad attitude.

As risky as it is to be faithful to Jesus in a hostile world, it’s we ourselves that we should be most careful of. It’s quite often a poor outlook that slays a servant of God rather than the danger of the work itself. Much of what we call “burnout” has self-pity as its underlying cause. Dwelling on our own misfortune is exhausting, self-defeating work, and it’s been the ruin of many. Oswald Chambers cautions against too much introspection, because it “awakens self-pity. And self-pity” he says, “is satanic”.

A Special Honor…

Barbara Youderian kept a diary. On the very night that she learned of her husband’s murder, she wrote to explain the peace she felt: “I want to be free of self-pity. It is a tool of Satan to rot away a life…I am sure that this (situation) is the perfect will of God…the Lord has closed (my) heart to grief & hysteria, and filled in with His perfect peace”…

Doing God’s will can seem very unfair at times, and the devil will remind you of it every chance he gets. I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t face this battle every once in a while; I’m sure Barbara did. But she also knew that serving the Lord, no matter how difficult it was, or how high the price, was an honor above all honors. She understood that fact when she went to Ecuador with her husband, and even more so when she came home alone.   

No one is more pitiful than the Christian who pities themselves for having to serve the Lord. Nobody on earth should pity you for having such a high privilege…Nobody.

…Not even yourself.  

April 28, 2021 Believers Church

When I first started thinking about homeschooling and how it would look for our family, I knew core subjects, like math and language arts would be covered.  I knew we would be doing science experiments in the kitchen and studying maps hanging on the wall.  However, one area I did not really think about was P.E.  I mean, kids run around a lot, does that count? 

Over the past year, I have come to the realization that physical education is more important than what I originally thought.  If we, as parents, want our kids to be used by God in the greatest way as adults, we need to train them physically as well as spiritually and academically.  I feel that we as homeschoolers, are in the best position to do this because we can build it into our daily family life in ways that work for us. 

Consistency in any area in a child’s life will greatly affect his or her life patterns as an adult.  With that in mind, think of how a daily exercise routine now could affect a lifetime of physical fitness.  Spending time on activities that your family enjoys will keep your child motivated to be physically active, even into adulthood. 

If you would like further information on why P.E. is important and how to make it apart of your family’s life, here is an article from a homeschool blogger that can help you get started. 

April 25, 2021 Believers Church

Keep reading for the latest update on life and ministry in Cebu.

Shofar TV

Thank you to everyone who has been faithfully praying for this ministry. God has done far more than we could imagine – just like He promised in Ephesians. At the end of March, He let us install Shofar TV at Toledo Cable. Viewers in Barili, Aloguinsan, Pinamungahan, Toledo City, Lutopan, and Balamban can watch on Channel 46. We had a great time getting to know the staff and technicians at Toledo Cable. Here’s what some of our viewers have said:

“Blessed day…I’m always watching Shofar on Cebu Cable.” – Cebu Cable Viewer, Carcar City

“Me and my wife are now viewing your programs. Thank you very much for the enlightening presentations for who God is…we like the Bible study every 5pm. God bless to your ministry.” – Toledo Cable TV Viewer

“I’m very glad that Shofar TV is now available on Toledo Cable. God bless.” – Toledo Cable TV Viewer

  • Ministry in Cebu Shofar TV staff with Toledo Cable staff

Street Level Ministries

On the same day we installed Shofar TV, we held an outreach to college students in the heart of Toledo City. Knockbucks Café graciously allowed us to set up our Street Level Ministries booth outside the coffee shop. Two SLM members and one of their friends spent the entire day with us. We gave away free coffee drinks and WOTS to UV students and fliers for Shofar TV for those passing by.

Since so much is online now, we’ve connected with the SLM groups in the USA. At the beginning of April, Ben and Sasha joined us for a Friday night meeting. This past Friday, SLM River Falls joined us and Justin led the Bible discussion. A couple of the Cebu students woke up early to connect with SLM Menomonie and Twin Ports for one of their Monday night meetings. We were also able to get together with all the WOTS writers for a Writing Workshop. A few non-WOTS writers from the Philippines even joined. Bantayan, Cebu, Luzon, and Panay Islands were represented!

Exploring Creation Science

While we were in Toledo, Laura was able to leave information about Exploring Creation Science and Explore booklets with the owner of Knockbucks, since his kids attend two different schools in the city. Hopefully, this will lead to new relationships and opportunities to teach lessons to students in Toledo. On the way back to the city, Laura got to catch up with Teacher Chinling at Southern Bethany.

Since schools still aren’t meeting in person, lessons continue online. In April, students learned “All About Weather.” In May, special lessons will be taught for students who in Grades 6 and 12. This lesson helps them to think about what challenges they’ll face as they move up or graduate. In June, lessons will be about examining the evidence (think: DNA hair samples and fingerprints). New Explore booklets will also be developed to supplement online lessons and/or as an option for those who can’t watch online.

Daily Life

It’s hard to believe that a year ago we were locked down – seriously, we couldn’t leave our house without a quarantine pass. Things aren’t that strict anymore (thank you, Lord), which has helped us do some of those “normal things” we used to do. We celebrated Laura’s birthday and even got a surprise visit from Orchids, a former WOTS writer, whom we haven’t seen in over a year. John, a former SLM member stopped by, so celebrated his birthday with KC.

  • Fellowship with Friends at Shofar Office
  • Fellowship with Friends at Shofar Office

We still bike a lot. Sometimes we get caught in the rain. That’s okay. It makes you stop and look around at the things you get used to seeing all the time.

Here’s a new Bisaya word for you: “alimungawan” (ah-lee-moo-ngaw-on – 5 syllables). The literal translation is “absentminded” but it’s much deeper than that. It describes the disorientation you feel when you wake up – almost like sleepwalking. Just picture a little kid waking up from a nap and walking around (crying) looking for her mom.

Laura keeps planting things (cherry tomatoes soon!) and Brittany hasn’t stopped baking. Sometimes, we grill out with neighbors. We also got to go back to church for the first time since January!

Church at Living Word I.T. Park in Cebu City

Thanks for all your prayers. We’re praying for you, too. Kita ta unya, puhon (we’ll see you soon, Lord-willing).