Happy New Year!

As we begin 2022, it’s already been a month of transition and changes here in Duluth. We gathered to kick off the New Year with a party this past Friday which included some awkward photos, games, and laughter along with a slideshow recap showcasing some memorable moments (click here). As we reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past year, we hope this fuels our passion and excitement for greater fruit and effectiveness in the year to come.  

SERVICE

During the month of December, Community Group had the special opportunity to help wrap gifts for families and children at a local shelter. While some members of Community Group were listening to Christmas music and writing labels on gifts, another group of volunteers was simultaneously kicking off the first of many Bible studies in a local Health & Rehabilitation Center; please pray for wisdom and fruitfulness as we venture into an area of ministry unfamiliar to most of us volunteers. In addition to these local service and outreach opportunities, some Duluth Street Level folks are preparing to participate in the Street Level spring mission’s trip.

We are thankful for the opportunities to serve outside our church building, but want to continue to be passionate about the opportunities within our church as well. As we gathered for prayer early this Sunday, we looked about and realized that keeping a church operational is no small task. Starting this past week, some of our volunteers will be returning to prior service roles while others are starting out in new areas of ministry such as sound/technology, kitchen, and ushering. Please pray that we’d all not lose sight of the privilege it is to serve God while keeping our focus on the people and not simply the tasks at hand.

TEACHING

One of the major changes in the past month has been our Wednesday service location. We have stopped meeting in Superior for the time being and are back in our Duluth building on Wednesday evenings. We finished the book of 2 Peter in December and have switched to a different format: Pastor Justin gives a quick summary of the main points from Sunday’s sermon, and we then break off into small groups for discussion questions.

We continue to march through the book of Romans and have been specifically looking at how a right understanding of God’s love should evoke a response in our practical living. Our small group discussions have been helpful in showing us how we are or aren’t applying God’s truth to our lives and allowing us to encourage one another. Much of our teaching as of late has been focused on the need for personal surrender as the key to unlocking the power of God in our lives.

During the month of January as Street Level is on winter break, we have been able to come together as a church on Monday nights to focus on the topic of evangelism. We are going through a book called Evangelism as Exiles: Life on Mission as Strangers in our Own Land by Elliot Clark which we hope will help us grow in both our understanding and application of evangelism.

We appreciate your support and prayers of the work that God is doing both through us and in us in Duluth.

-Matt