Author: Believers Church

October 22, 2020 Believers Church

Hello Friends,

We wanted to update you on how things are going in the coffeehouse.  We have a lot going on! Ryan stepped in as the Manager.  The mobile coffeehouse has seen a lot of traffic since the maiden voyage.  Giving us the opportunity to supply everyone with caffeine and conversation.  Another blessing is that The Blind Munchies has the opportunity to host Streel Level Ministries on Monday nights creating a space where people can get coffee, participate in a conversation and study in a warm place…

Since our last update have also had the opportunity to fund the drilling of a well in rural South Asia, We also featured Burning Dog’s Sweet Beats Latte,

Stop in on Wednesdays and Sundays for a nice cup of hot soup to get back out and brave the cold!

As always thank you for your prayers and support.

October 19, 2020 Believers Church

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

College Bible Study

We have been meeting the last few weeks “Phygitally”. This is a new word that we learned at the Burning Dog Radio Evangelism Summit earlier this month. This means that some of us have been meeting physically, and some have been joining digitally.

Being flexible and being prepared to change formats at a moments notice has been important this semester. After the first few weeks of school, the campus went into shelter in place mode for two weeks. We met digitally during this time. Some students then decided to move home for the rest of the semester, so we opened up a digital opportunity to those students.

Also, each week we continue to have new students. Normally, during this time of the semester it is rare to have new students. They already have set routines. But, due to Covid, we found students have more time. Recently, we even had a student come because of the coffee giveaway we did at Mariachi Loco the first week of school. It has been exciting to see how God is still at work during this time.

Plants for Sale

While the weather was still nice, we did an outdoor plant sale and “potting bar”. Our goal was to meet students and have a chance to interact with them while they were planting. They got to pick a plant, a pot, and then plant it with us. It was a lot of fun and we met a variety of people.

Coffeehouse

We are happy to soon be opening up a few seats in the coffeehouse. This has been a sorely missed feature for both us and many visitors. Last year we built relationships with a core group of students that would come to the coffeehouse and study. We hope this will continue this year – especially since the students are not allowed to hang out outside of their dorm rooms on campus.

Prayer Requests…

  • Pray for real discipleship to happen among the college students.
  • Pray for face-to-face connections with people in the coffeehouse.
  • Pray for insight and ideas for our short-run Bible Studies.

For Further Information

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

October 13, 2020 Believers Church

Community Group

Through the summer and fall members of the community group have been setting up at different parks and intersections throughout the city handing out hot or iced drinks as well as church information to engage the community. We met a lot of people and were able to let a lot of people know who we are. As Summer fades to winter these outreaches will change, but we aren’t done yet. Every October the Duluth Zoo hosts an event “Boo at the Zoo” where local businesses can set up stations throughout the zoo to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters and promotional materials to their parents. This year we are setting up a station for three weekends in a row. This is a large event so please pray that God would help us to connect with the right people and work through us as we put ourselves out into the community. 

Street Level

Street Level has been continuing to reach out to both the UM-Duluth and UW-Superior campuses. A couple of weeks ago we drove down to Minneapolis to join Stout and River Falls at an all-day discussion of how to spread the truth of Jesus on college campuses in our current cultural climate. This semester remains one like no other with its own unique challenges and difficulties, but also unusual opportunities. Both campuses are emptier than ever, in fact, a walk through campus might leave you wondering if school is really in session after all. This might seem to be a problem at first but God has still placed us around people and we believe He intends to use us in their lives for His purposes. Please pray that we will make good on the opportunities that God puts in front of us each day. 

Fellowship

In the past couple of weeks, we have also had the opportunity to spend time together as a church enjoying each other’s company and the beauty of God’s creation. One Sunday after church we all piled onto our bikes and pedaled out of town along the shore of Lake Superior. We ended the evening around a fire in the Street level Garage’s yard with a bowl of hot chili. (Turns out one pot of chili can feed far more people than we realized.) On another Sunday we went for a hike taking in the change of seasons. 

Church Service

We are still in the midst of our series going through Revelation on Sunday morning. It has been a great series, one that has addressed things that many long time Bible readers simply breeze by. On Wednesday nights we are rotating through sermons through the book of Jeremiah and occasional videos and discussion.   

October 10, 2020 Believers Church

(The following account is entirely fictitious. All names, statistics, & quotations are purely fabricated).

Chapter One: The ROOKIE

Chet Baxter learned to play baseball before he could hold a Popsicle, which came as a surprise to no one. His granddad helped build the St. Louis Cardinal’s dynasty in the 1920’s. His father, and two of his four uncles played farm league for West Texas in the early/mid 50’s. His Aunt Nikki fell in love with Ted Williams watching him play for Boston, and from that point forward, only wore red socks. Growing up in a family like his, Chet was destined to play ball.

When he was a sophomore in High School, Baxter could throw a 96 mph fastball. By the time he graduated he’d racked up more base-hits, RBI’s, and home-runs than anyone in conference history. With a .315 batting average through 52 games, he turned heads at the collegiate level. In 1973 he moved to Rhode Island to play shortstop for the minor-league Pawtucket Red Sox.

In December of 1974 Chet Baxter signed a rookie contract with their major league affiliate in Boston. Beantown was talking, the Baxter family was proud, and Aunt Nikki got a team-issued pair of red socks for Christmas that year. With the minor leagues behind him, and the major leagues in front, Baxter was in route to a future place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Chapter Two: The INCIDENT

In the fifth week of spring training, however, everything came to a screeching halt. During a routine team practice, Baxter was hit with a knuckleball from teammate Jerry Billingham Jr.

A veteran “southpaw” from Indiana, Billingham thought little of the incident. When it struck him in the thigh, Baxter hardly reacted. A quick tip of the hat asking for pardon, and Billingham was ready to keep practicing. Baxter, however, couldn’t shake the thought of it. Though it had left a visible welt on his leg, it was the mental sting that hurt more than anything.

It wasn’t the first time Baxter had been hit by a pitch in practice. This was now the fourth instance since February, and that didn’t even include the times he’d been ‘grazed’. “Baseball isn’t supposed to be a contact sport” he kept telling himself, “Nobody in the major leagues deserves to be treated like this”. Baxter couldn’t help but to wonder whether these injuries were intentional. Was Billingham doing this on purpose? Did Coach Jackson tell Billingham to do it? Is the whole team in on this? Chet Baxter no longer felt welcome in Boston.

Chapter Three: The DECISION

Finally convinced that the entire franchise was against him, Baxter walked out on his team that day. He not only broke the contract he’d signed with the league, but the hearts of the people who loved him in Boston as well. When he left the field, he altogether left the game. In a single moment he erased everything he’d ever accomplished as an athlete since before he could hold a Popsicle. All because of a knuckleball.

With her authentic red socks, even Aunt Nikki shows more love for the sport than her forlorn nephew.   

Kevin Wilhelm, mayor of Boston said, “Boy, we all thought this kid was going to win us a few games. This is a big disappointment for us all. Big disappointment”.

Brian Campbell, a columnist for Sports Illustrated wrote about it. “I don’t know how he (Baxter) got this far in the sport with that kind of attitude. Who in the world doesn’t get hit by an occasional pitch? Whether it’s your boss or your brother, your coach or your colleague, your priest, your wife, or your dog, somewhere along the way, you’re going to get hurt. Again and again at that. But for God’s sake, you don’t just walk away from the game”.

Red Sox Head Coach Darrel Jackson said, “Well, it’s his career to flush if that’s what he wants to do. But if you don’t want guys like Fisk (Carlton) or Yaz (Carl Yastrzemski) on your team, I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking”.

Chapter Four: The END

Finishing first in the American League East that year, Boston ended their season by squaring off against the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. By winning the pennant, his former teammates proved that the Red Sox didn’t need Chet Baxter at all. It was Chet Baxter who needed the Red Sox.

And although this account was purely fabricated, it’s based upon true story after story after story. Unfortunately, there are real “Chet Baxter’s” out there, and the church has seen plenty of them. They’re the ones who got swept away in a game they never really wanted to play. People who broke their contract and walked off the field. People who abandoned their team and disappointed their family. All because of a stray “knuckleball”.

What would make you break your contract, give up on your team, and leave this stadium?

“I actually called him about a week after that. He wouldn’t answer the phone. None of us knew what happened. I found out later that it had something to do with that knuckleball, but none of us can say for sure. It didn’t make sense to any of us. I’ve hit all the guys. Some of them have even taken it in the head, but we still like each other. I guess some people are just cut out for the game and others aren’t”

–Jerry Billingham Jr.

October 7, 2020 Believers Church

The Cross and the Switchblade (Young Reader’s Edition) by David Wilkerson

The True Story of a Man Who Risked It All for God
With over 15 million sold, this modern-day classic is now available in a new edition especially for young readers ages 9 to 12, complete with 30 illustrations that bring the story to life. This riveting story follows the young David Wilkerson–then a simple country preacher–as he risks everything, including his life, to go to the heart of New York City to bring the gospel to the violent gangs and drug users who were taking over the streets. The courage, resilience, and faith of this young preacher will inspire a new generation of readers as they see how God’s love can pierce the darkest of circumstances and save those who we think are beyond saving.

Let this powerful story show the young people in your life how God can use anyone with faith to do the impossible.

Run Baby Run: Life-Changing Testimony Of A New York Gang Leader by Nicky Cruz

Nicky Cruz’s heart had turned to stone when he was only three. His mother nicknamed him the “son of Satan,” and he was severely abused, both physically and mentally. After moving from Puerto Rico to New York, Nicky became the leader of a notorious street gang — the Mau Maus. He turned into a violent street criminal before he was eighteen.

David Wilkerson, a skinny preacher from Pennsylvania, reached out to him with relentless love. He said, “Nicky, Jesus loves you,” and this simple message opened the door to a new life for Nicky Cruz. Run Baby Run, now a classic that has sold over 12 million people, tells his exciting story with gripping openness.

Billy Graham wrote, “The story of Nicky Cruz is remarkable. It has all the elements of tragedy, violence, and intrigue, plus the greatest ingredient of all: the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Nicky’s personal challenge to young people today, his thoughts regarding teen violence, and a helpful and practical action plan for concerned parents ensure that this classic testimony will continue to change the lives of our young people.

“Run Baby Run is a thrilling story. Thousands of troubled young people have read this story and turned their lives over to Christ!” Jamie Buckingham, co-author.

Nicky wants you to know the truth of the life-changing words that penetrated his heart when he was a violent young man who abused others, alcohol, and drugs: “Jesus loves you!”

The Journals of Jim Elliot edited by Elisabeth Elliot

Jim Elliot was part of a team of young missionaries murdered in Ecuador in 1956 by the Auca Indians to whom they were witnessing. At the age of 29, he left behind a young widow, a baby daughter, and volumes of personal journals written over many years.
In 1978, Revell published the complete and unabridged journals, edited by his widow, Elisabeth, and the journals have stayed in print ever since. And it is no wonder Jim Elliot was an intelligent thinker and strong writer in these personal, yet universal, musings about faith, work, and love. The Journals of Jim Elliot is a wonderful account of the life of a man who yearns to know God’s plan for his life, details his fascinating missions work, and loves Elisabeth first as a single man, then as a happily married one.
The Journals of Jim Elliot will intrigue fans of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, readers interested in missions, and young people struggling to find God’s plan for their lives.

Though Lions Roar by Mary Beth Lagerborg

The story of Helen Roseveare, missionary doctor who served and suffered for Christ during the days of the Simba rebel movement in the Congo (later called Zaire). Despite her fears, her life radiates an inner calm which rests on a personal faith in the living God and the power of the gospel.

The Believers Bookstore Info:

Since the Central Desk is closed at the present time, 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.

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 outdoor coffeehouse trailer at the side of the building, where you may pay for the book only. The coffeehouse does not take orders nor are they knowledgeable of what books are available.

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.

Please contact the BOOKSTORE via email with any question or orders please

Contact info: bookstore@jfbelievers.com

October 5, 2020 Believers Church

Hey guys! We have many resources available on-line to supplement your study on the book of Acts. Simply click on this link to find more teaching on jfbelievers.com

https://www.jfbelievers.com/sermon-library/

When you arrive at this page, click on “View Sermons by Other Teachers – Archives”. After you log in, you will find those resources. If you would like access, email us at office@jfbelievers.com.

For a quick recommendation, visit this link to find teaching on the entire bible from Pastor Chuck Smith. When the page opens, find the search bar at the bottom of the page to search books of the bible.

https://calvarychapel.com/pastorchuck/c2k