Author: Believers Church

January 22, 2021 Believers Church

Online Streaming

We’re excited to announce that soon Burning Dog Radio will start streaming online! With a little help from our friends at JFBelievers in Duluth and River Falls, we are going to be able to have our programming available to people outside the reach of our radio broadcast.

We are really excited about this change, and hope that you’ll tune in – we will have a plugin/app available at burningdogradio.com. Please pray for us as we move to make programming changes accordingly. Pray that we can see the effects of this change – we want to be sure we’re using God’s money correctly.

In Menomonie, you can listen to 101.7 FM to hear more about WHEN this will start! Other announcements will be posted on our social media.

Programming Changes

There will be some changes to our programming due to the fact that we are going to be streaming. Some of those changes will include:

  • more promos for Street Level Superior and River Falls
  • promos for Believers Church in Duluth
  • teachings and teaching clips from Pastor Justin in addition to our teaching clips from Pastor Tim in Menomonie.

You will hearing more information about these locations simply due to the fact that now….the station also belongs to them. Pray especially for the reach of the gospel to go out to Superior and Duluth through the teachings, and that we can advertise them well!

We are also planning to team up with WOTS on a more regular basis – so listen in for our Word On the Street segment. This will include snippets of their articles, music, and possibly interviews with the writers.

Remember Remote Broadcasts?!

Sometimes, when you have a radio station – you’re able to do these things called “remote broadcasts”, where you go out with your gear and do a show in a different location. These are cool because you can meet people, interact, promote the station itself….you know…. fun stuff.

We have not been doing much of this through the year, but we hope to get back out there as soon as we can. Prayers for this are appreciated.

Prayers

Pray for the radio as we start streaming online:

  • that people “far and wide” would listen to Burning Dog Radio and that it would be valuable to them.
  • that we are able to advertise this change well
  • for Duluth and RF churches and Street Level as they become involved

Pray for creativity for us! We need to be creative with our time and resources – especially to reach out this year. Reaching out may be different for us as we start streaming – so pray we keep our eyes open to the changes we are supposed to make!

January 19, 2021 Believers Church

Get the latest news from Believers Church plant and College Ministry in River Falls, WI.

Hello from River Falls,

College Bible Study

It is currently J-Term, so the students are still gone from town and campus. But we have been able to continue with our weekly College Bible Study meetings with a core group of 3 or 4 individuals. Even though our group is small, it has been nice to see them stay involved over the break.

We also had the opportunity to connect with other Street Level locations this last month. As the fall semester was winding down, we made it over to the Menomonie to take part in their study. Hopefully, we can do this more often. More recently, we went up to the Street Level Garage in Superior for a Leadership meeting. It was a great opportunity for all the student leaders to meet in person and start building relationships. The discussion topic was Discipleship and how this is, should, and will be playing out in our various Street Level groups. From what I heard, everyone enjoyed the opportunity and appreciated the material.

On our way home from Superior, we even made a quick stop to see the world’s largest Walleye.

Community Outreach

On the church front, we continue to meet in the coffeehouse for Wednesday night rewinds and use the coffeehouse as a tool to invite people. We are still meeting with our Micro groups on Sunday evenings and will see where God leads with these. This is new terrain, so we appreciate your continued prayer for God to be leading our decisions and discussions. We move forward and pray to see what doors God opens to us in the community and with the people who walk in the door. God is Faithful and we trust that his plans are greater than ours.

Coffeehouse Updates

Over J-Term, we started a few projects in the coffeehouse, including setting up a new merchandise area, an updated bookshelf, and getting ready for a plant sale. There are still more updates we are working on these next few weeks. If you are ever in River Falls, feel free to stop in and check out our updates.

Prayer Requests…

  • As the University begins in the next few weeks, the current students would stay impassioned, and we will all go into this semester bold to invite new people.
  • For creativity making connections with the students returning to campus.
  • For the people we have talked to and are asking about the church to step through the door.

Further Information

January 13, 2021 Believers Church

The End of 2020

2020 is finally all wrapped up! The snow’s been blanketing us a decent amount and it’s cold and dark as ever up here in the north, but that’s okay as we are continuing to press on! We’ve continued to find new ways to stay in touch through video chat, fellowship together, and we’re looking forward to what God will allow us to do in the new year.

Thoughts of Heaven

December was a monumental month for Duluth as we finished up our study in Revelation. To date, Pastor Justin has taught all the way through the new testament. Finishing the last book of the bible coinciding with the end of a memorable year was a wonderful cap to our pandemic laden time in 2020.

In addition to our Sunday and Wednesday gatherings, we began meeting every Tuesday throughout December to let our ‘thoughts be filled with the things Heaven’. We had an informal dialogue and discussion, all were welcome to attend, where we would talk about, and perhaps speculate a bit, on what Heaven might look like. Meeting for an additional day of the week was a real blessing for this fellowship. It allowed us to connect with each other all while focusing on God’s glory and dreaming about what might be possible in the life to come.

The Old Fold & Staple… and Sticker?

Lastly, we came together to fold and staple Word on The Street Magazine to send out while the semester finished up. This is normally a large undertaking in itself and it helps to have all hands-on deck. This issue, while being one of the largest we’ve ever been a part of producing, had an extra step involved in that after printing, sorting, compiling, stapling, folding, we got to fold another time, and then sticker each copy of WOTS closed to be mailed out to students. The extra time involved was worth it as being mailed reaches a wide audience, as well as showing off the cool intricate design of the back cover, our new sermon series: The Anatomy of
A Christian.

Prayer Requests


Please pray for us to learn and continue to love each other as the body of Christ in the way He intends. Please also pray for God to lead and bless us in our efforts to ramp up service positions and community outreach kicking off real soon. Pastor Justin and Pastor Jesse have a big vision and big plans for Duluth in 2021. Please pray for God’s continued guidance and hand in our attempts to love Him and love our neighbors. Here’s to the new year!

-Seth Tolene

January 10, 2021 Believers Church

Good grief, we’re doing it all over again. It’s the same thing we did only 12 months ago (and 12 months before that, and again 12 months before that), so I guess it shouldn’t really surprise me. But lately, it just feels less appropriate than usual.

If memory serves me, it was indeed about this time last year that we were all wishing one another a “Happy New Year”. Nonetheless, for a great number of people across the globe, 2020 ended up being, perhaps, the most difficult, frustrating, and (quite frankly) sad year of their entire life. And yet, in denial of its impotence, we’re offering each other the same tired expression once again this year.

The Year in Review

The facts are hard to ignore: One single virus was responsible for nearly 2 million funerals worldwide. The atmosphere of our own country was polluted with such political drama, citizens from coast to coast are still gasping for cleaner air. Racial tensions and riots burned through what was left of the thin thread that barely held a number of cities and communities together.

We were isolated from each other, and then fed a continual narrative of death & division. Lies & lawsuits are now the norm. Law enforcement has become criminal. The world is a morgue.

A year that was supposed to be ‘happy’ has left most of us feeling hopeless…

The New Normal

A lot of people are saying that we’ll never go back to the way things used to be. “This is the new normal” they say; “It’ll never be the same again” they say. Nothing can undo what’s been done, not even a vaccination.

Far from “happy”, the last 12 months have at least proven to be transitional. Everything from the governing color in the oval office to the way we celebrate holidays is different now. Very different.

And here we are, only 365 days later, with very limited options. Two really. We can either stay with the mission of Christ Almighty, or we can sit around and lament the things we’ve lost in 2020.

Which one will it be?

Happy, or Hopeless?

Unexpected changes seem to upset some people more than others.

If we’re prudent, we’ll allow the events of the last year call into question our ability to cope with transition at all. Your attitude and management of life alterations can either reveal spiritual soundness or spiritual instability. And history shows that it’s Christ’s disciples who prove themselves most adept at embracing transitional situations.

Certainly the most stark example comes from the original Disciples themselves as they transitioned from a life lived under the Law of Moses, to one lived by grace, apart from the Law. A hard transition for everybody, but only the Disciples of Christ survived it. A fact that can be largely attributed to their preparation. The sacrificial investments they’d made and the training they’d received paid off when it was most needed.

Others, however, didn’t fare so well. Why? Because unlike the Disciples who’d been following Christ with pure intentions, the Pharisees, for example, had been following Him with impure ones. In them, Jesus only stirred up latent feelings of jealousy, anger, and hatred. They demanded that their lives remain undisturbed, and couldn’t tolerate what God was forcing them to face, so, instead of making the change, they cracked under the pressure and got buried in sin.

Not everyone comes through times of transition with greater spiritual soundness than when it began. And whether we like it or not, both of these groups find their counterpart in Believers’ Church.

Who Are You?

It’s time to evaluate yourself. Was 2020 a success for you, or a failure? Are you strengthening or weakening? Did you transition well, beloved disciple, or did you falter? Have you made good use of the things you’ve learned, dear student? Have you put to wise use all the training you’ve received thus far, good soldier?

If we’ve learned anything in 2020, it’s that we have no clue as to what’s coming next. We may anticipate a better year than last, and we may wish for a ‘happy’ one like always, but we mustn’t let ourselves forget, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps” (Pr.16:9). God has already decided what 2021 is going to look like for you and me. Our only job is to be ready for it.

The question is not whether tomorrow will bring blessing or adversity, but whether we’re prepared to accept either one. And if we can assume anything, it’s that the coming year will include much of both. We’ll have to wait and see.

Happy New Year…  

January 7, 2021 Believers Church

Discipling your family can feel like an intimidating task, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming or complicated. With a simple plan in place, discipleship is something every parent can do.

Pastors Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin have made it their mission to help you develop a sustainable rhythm of gospel-centered discipleship focused in three key areas: time, moments, and milestones. Filled with suggestions, sample plans, and Scripture references, this book begins with the end in mind—equipping you to create a unique plan for your family as you raise your children in the love and fear of the Lord.

“What an insightful, helpful book! I love the fresh yet thoroughly biblical approach to family discipleship. The emphasis on discipling your family through time (daily, ongoing practices), moments (unplanned, spontaneous occasions), and milestones (special events) will enable you to see more clearly how to bring the gospel into all of life. I’ve never read a book on this subject with so many practical suggestions for bringing a Christian influence on your children from their birth to the end of their days (and long after you are in heaven). Begin reading this book and I think you’ll find, like I did, that it starts strong and gets better with every chapter.”

–Donald S. Whitney

The Believers Bookstore is available to the public 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Tuesday through Friday. Also, look for the sign near the front door. Feel free to browse the shelves during the week.

You may come in and browse books but it will not be staffed. You may make purchases during the above hours by taking your selected book to the coffeehouse, where you may pay for the book only. The coffeehouse does not take orders. For more information, please email the bookstore.

You may email the bookstore with questions and inquiries about books or ebooks that we have available. We will get back to you as soon as possible to assist you with your reading needs. You may also place special orders for books that you don’t see on the shelves if we are able to assist you in that.

January 1, 2021 Believers Church

2 Ch 15:15 “… they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.”

Many of us…yes even those who claim the mantle of faith, are “restless” today. We are unsettled and jittery. We have the attitude, “If I could do this, then I would find rest. If I could get this, then I’d have rest. If I could just manage this level, then I’ll be rested.” Yet we never get there, and we never know what it really means to be at rest in Christ.

Hebrews 4:7 says, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice’…” It doesn’t say “If you will do this thing or that thing.” It’s clear that He actually wants us to hear His voice! Israel saw the hand of God for 40 years in that wilderness, but they never came to a point where they actually knew God. They just kept looking …kept wandering. They “always went astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways. So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”Ironically, that peace was, for 40 years, literally within their reach, and yet they never laid hold of it. It was right before them the whole time and yet they died out there, just as so many of us will.

Coming out of Egypt’s slavery, the people moved forward just far enough to come right up to the Promised Land, that place of promise. God said, “I’ve got this land of milk and honey. I’ve got this land of wealth, this land of rest, this land of safety, and I want to give it to you.” The people got right up to the river’s edge…they could literally see it from where they stood, but because of fear, because they didn’t really believe God despite all He had already done, they respond with, “Oh, I don’t think so….there is giants and battles over there. I think I will stay here where it’s ‘safe.’”  They were so close, but still missed it by a mile…

And so God answered, “Ok, …alright… fine. No rest then. Wander.” Yet even after His people rejected His invitation into the rest…after they choose rather to wander around the desert year after year, God, on some level, still blessed them. The scriptures say that He led them through the wilderness by a cloud during the day to shade them and by His fire at night to show them the way.  He provided food to eat every day and gave them shoes that never wore out.

But year after year, the offer remained: “Come to my house. Know that peace that I created you for.” And yet, as they wandered—by the hand of their own doing, remember—they actually had the incredible audacity to start complaining! They grew bitter and angry, and pretty soon, they were all up in Moses’ face and each other’s too. Sound familiar? It ought to. It’s happened here in front of you enough times that this should be a familiar story. And what happened to them? What happened to those that we have witnessed on that road? The same thing that happened to the Israelites. They died out there. They lived their lives and died out there in the wilderness.

Oh yes…God loved them! But they never really knew Him! They ate that same bland manna every day and grumbled about it, even though God didn’t want them eating manna any more than they wanted to eat it. But that was the result of the decisions they had made and were still making! He wanted them to have big chocolate chip cookies and pudding at His house, but no, they wanted to wander around in the wilderness instead and then grumble about it! 

“Today, if you hear His voice…” Do you? Are you even in a place to hear Him today? He’s trying to talk to you, but where are you? Angry? Bitter? Harboring ill feelings toward Him? How many of us are in the wilderness and yet still want to insinuate that it is somehow His fault or the fault of other believers that we are there. Yet those individuals made it a second career to try to wave you off and coax you over to God’s house for pie and coffee, or in this case, “milk and honey,” but you wouldn’t go. CS Lewis once commented “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

God is still calling you, even if you are like so many out there in the wilderness today. You can turn around and come home. Turn around and find that peace, that rest for your soul that God wants to give you. Go back to that place where you told God “no” and ask for another chance. Step across the river and find rest for your soul. Ps 116:7-9 “Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me… He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth!”