Tag: believers

September 10, 2025 Believers Church Duluth

To say that God has blessed us this summer would be a gross understatement. In the last few months we’ve celebrated a centennial anniversary, hiked and biked many miles, and witnessed believers being baptized. However, this Christianity thing isn’t something we do as a hobby or fit in when it’s convenient. When it comes to following Jesus and living in community, we’re all in.

IN THE WORD

Earlier this year we finished studying Paul’s missionary journey in the book of Acts. We are now taking a deep dive into Paul’s letters from prison, beginning with Ephesians. So far, we’ve learned foundational truths to the Christian faith and what it means to be in Christ. On Sundays we savor the message Pastor Justin has for us, and two Wednesdays a month we break into small groups to discuss the practical application of what we’re learning.

In August, we were very fortunate to have our missionaries from the Philippines visit us for a few weeks. Pastor Jesse preached on 2 Samuel 7 about David and Nathan. It was a great reminder that God doesn’t need us or our agenda. Rather, God desires for us to humbly submit to His will with worship and thankfulness.

IN THE COMMUNITY

We use coffee and espresso as a way to meet the community, learn to serve together, and raise money for missions all at the same time. In June, we packed up lots of cups, lids, ground espresso, and syrup bottles and headed to one of our favorite events: the annual Park Point Rummage Sale. It was quite chilly both days, but that was a match made in heaven for a steaming cup of coffee.

In addition to Park Point, we set up the trailer at Spirit Valley Days, a neighborhood celebration just a stone’s throw from church. It was a great opportunity to train new volunteers on making espresso drinks while putting faces to the name of Believers Church in our own backyard.

National Night Out is celebrated annually across the U.S. and serves to bring neighbors together to build community. Say the word potluck and we’re in. Folks from church as well as our West Duluth neighbors had a great time enjoying a summer evening, playing yard games, and sharing one of the largest chocolate cakes you’ve ever seen.

IN THE PAST

Pastor Justin, out of the blue, received a phone call from someone who had a very, very old cookbook. In fact, the book was from 1925 and was produced by the congregation that occupied our building at that time. The gentleman was kind enough to mail it to us, Pastor Justin delicately scanned each and every page, and we received our very own copies.

2025 is the 100th anniversary of the cookbook, so what better way to celebrate than to have a potluck with only recipes from this book. Many of us even dressed the part, and the evening was truly one to remember. In addition to the fun of deciphering recipes, we reflected on the cultural changes (or lack thereof) over the last century.

IN GOOD COMPANY

Our Young Adult group is very active, and this summer was no exception. We charted a seven mile course through the hills of Duluth for an urban hike. Our journey began at Chester Park, went down to Canal Park, up to Enger Tower, and back down to Lincoln Park where we ended with a barbeque for lunch.

As any true Duluthian knows, the weather is unpredictable. The Young Adult group planned a beach day for August, hoping to swim and soak up the sun. But, it turned out to be sixty degrees and damp. We weren’t deterred, however, and it turned out to be a great time. And yes, some folks still swam.

One highlight of the whole year is our annual all-church bike trip. We rode from church to Lester Park and back which is a little over 20 miles total. Biking like this on your own would be fun, but going with 25 of your friends is a whole new experience.

With fall approaching, we had numerous projects to work on both at church and at the Campus House. We tuck-pointed portions of the exterior of the church, sorted donated items for an upcoming rummage sale, potted countless plants for an upcoming UMD event and more. Though working hard can be tiring, it’s also satisfying knowing there is a lot of practical things we can do to advance God’s kingdom.

Our Duluth church is part of a greater Believers Church family including Menomonie and River Falls, WI, as well as Cebu, Philippines. Labor Day weekend is our annual all-church camping event with everyone that marks the end of summer. We had a wonderful time catching up around campfires, grilling lots of brats, and celebrating what God has done on a corporate level.

This is just a fraction of what it means to be all-in. There’s plenty more sorrow, more joy, more frustration, more endurance, more awe-inspiring encounters with God that are still ahead. May we all be able to say yes and amen to the popular hymn that sings, “I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back.”

June 10, 2025 Believers Church Duluth

The last few months have ushered in many transitions for us at Believers Church – Duluth, but that’s springtime for you. We’ve experienced beginnings, endings, and everything in between. All the while, God faithfully continues to grow us personally and corporately. And, just like the trees budding with new life, there is hope all around.

TO BEGIN WITH…

Believers Church actively seeks to get beyond our four walls and into the community. On the first and third Mondays of the month, a group of us meets at one of Duluth’s local brew pubs for a casual Bible discussion. Over the last year we’ve gotten enough traction that we’ve been able to split up our group. We recently began meeting at a second location–this time at a local burger/frozen yogurt shop.

Reaching out to people via community Bible discussions isn’t to the neglect of inviting people in. One of our favorite kick-off-to-Summer events is our annual church rummage sale. We get to meet our neighbors and raise money for domestic and foreign missions. Plus, it’s fun to sort through and buy each other’s junk.

With the (sporadic) increase in warmer weather, we’ve begun sitting outside on Wednesday evenings before Bible study. We get to break bread with each other and talk about what’s happening in our lives.

In The Middle of Fellowship

As an intentional group of believers, we look for any opportunity we can to be together. We celebrated Easter Sunday by eating ham and playing board games. On the outside it looks like a fun, Midwestern get-together. However, at the core is our thankfulness for Christ and how much He’s provided for us.

Over the last few months our Young Adult Ministry has partnered with our college group, Street Level, for team sports. We rented out Wessman Arena at UW-Superior and played broomball with the full length of the rink. Luckily, there were only minor injuries and no broken teeth.

On another occasion, we rented out the YMCA for a classic PE and dodgeball night. We competed in the presidential fitness test which brought back childhood memories some of us would have preferred to keep in the past.

Last but not least, our Young Adult Ministry partnered with a local organization to help clean up the Lincoln Park neighborhood. We were supplied with bags, buckets, reflective gear, and grabbers, and we hauled away bags upon bags of trash. Not only did we enjoy each other’s company, but the experience also reminded us to be good stewards of our surroundings.

The End…For Now

Our college-aged group, Street Level, meets every Monday at a building across the street from UW-Superior. The end of the school year arrived, so we celebrated by having an outdoor barbeque. Some students will be sticking around for the summer and some will be going home. Either way, it was a temporary goodbye until meeting again this Fall.

One of the biggest endings we experienced was Pastor Justin’s completion of the book of Acts. Through a total of 66 sermons, we studied the building of the early church, the Apostle Paul’s conversion and his missionary journey. However, as Paul is a prolific writer of the New Testament, this will not be the last we hear from him.

Though the Apostle Paul receives much of the focus of Acts, he did not live an independent Christian life. He could not do it alone and neither can we. Paul faced many trials that brought him to desperately low points in his life yet he insisted on finishing well and passing on the torch. Many, many chapters later, God is wanting to write us into the same story. You in?

March 10, 2024 Believers Church Duluth

As an uncharacteristically warm winter comes to an end, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the life of our church community here in Duluth. From fun events and gatherings to weekend retreats and serving togethering, we’ve covered a lot of ground in the first few months of 2024. Here’s what we’ve been up to!

We celebrated the New Year with a festive game night featuring a crock pot buffet filled with delicious food. The next day (aka literally just several hours later), we kicked off the first day of the year with a wintry hike. We had a great time and enjoyed ringing in 2024 together.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 4.jpg

In January, the Young Adult Ministry embarked on an ice fishing trip. They enjoyed a beautiful frozen landscape and even reeled in a few catches, adding an extra thrill to the adventure. Afterwards, those who were interested got a tutorial in how to clean a fish.

Our college-aged ministry, Street Level, remains active on Monday nights as we gather for a meal followed by working through the book of Mark. We read it together during our sessions and then have a group discussion. Welcoming several new faces, these meetings have been a great chance to get to learn more about the Bible and get to know each other.

We also hosted an international cooking night at the Street Level house, where a diverse gathering of people came together. It was a memorable experience, filled with flavors from around the world.

Members of Street Level also joined our larger counterparts from Menomonie in Chetek, WI for a weekend of fellowship. The ministry as a whole dedicated Friday night and Saturday to addressing cultural barriers that prevent sharing the Gospel. Large group sessions focused on relevance, relationships, and repentance, while small groups allowed us to share testimonies and simple gospel messages. Practical prayer was weaved into the weekend and greatly emphasized. We prayed together for ministry opportunities, boldness, obedience and each other.

We served coffee at Ice Fest in Superior, though the lack of snow and warm temps turned it into more of a mud fest. Which was okay by us, because it meant we didn’t have to bundle up as much as usual! Nevertheless, it was a successful event where we connected with many people, raised funds for missions and even managed to enjoy a round of free mini golf.

Some of our singles attended a Regional Christian Singles Retreat in Chetek, WI hosted by Believers City Church in Menomonie. During the retreat, they delved into sessions by Andy Stanley, focusing on making Godly decisions, all while enjoying the camaraderie among attendees.

In February, we enjoyed watching the Chiefs beat the 49ers at our annual Super Bowl Party. For those of us who aren’t into football, we had plenty of games and tasty treats.

Several of us joined a team on a trip to New Orleans to help renovate a church. This was a rewarding experience that left us feeling immensely blessed to be part of this important work. Wrapping up February, we enjoyed another game night filled with snacks and laughter.

On Sundays, we started going through the book of Acts, placing a special focus on the transformative work of the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, our Wednesday evenings keep things fresh with a rotating schedule. Whether we’re delving into verse-by-verse Bible studies through Lamentations, exploring the life of David in men’s and women’s groups, or engaging in insightful ‘rewinds’ to discuss recent sermons, our time together has been enriching. We even took one Wednesday evening to watch “The End of the Spear,” a film about the sacrifice of several courageous missionaries.

Looking ahead, we’re excited for all the upcoming months will have in store. With endeavors such as our community Bible studies for young adults and a missions trip to Mississippi, we’re excited to set out on new adventures together. And let’s not forget a fun-filled rollerskating outing planned for our Young Adult Ministry!

If you’ve been supporting us through prayer, thanks so much. If you’re not and would like to do that, we would greatly appreciated it!

January 21, 2019 Street Level Radio

Year in Review

With the new year it has been a good time to review how far we have come as a station. There is a lot that God has done for Burning Dog Radio this last year. We are extremely thankful for all of the opportunities that we get / have gotten to serve God in this unique way. Thanks to everybody that engages with the radio ministry through service, prayer and support! It will be fun to see what the Lord has planned for us in 2019.

New Year – Same Vision

As we start the new year we are starting to see (or remember) that vision is important. We will be reviewing our mission as Burning Dog Radio and adjusting our compass as needed.
One thing we know and try to keep in mind is that we are a college radio station. We are the ONLY college station in Menomonie. With that being said, we as Burning Dog Radio exist to bring people to God by showing students that you can be a Christian AND like good music.

Please pray for us as we continue in our goal of reaching out to the students in Menomonie as well as the community.

New Year – New Ideas

Just because we have the same vision that does not mean we have to use the same methods year in and year out. Burning Dog Radio will be reviewing methods for getting out into the community and advertising this year. Along with that we will be joining forces with the Blind Munchies Coffeehouse and Word on the Street in order promote the heck out of Street Level. We are excited to be more unified with these ministries as the semester kicks off.

The sounds of the station are always in review as well – so keep us in prayer as we continue to monitor and tweak how we are programming the station. We are hoping to kick off some new segments this year, and more details on that will be coming soon!