Summer along Lake Superior is what dreams are made of. And, Believers Church did not waste a single second of it. We are extremely blessed by the many opportunities for fellowship and service God provided us with. Take a look at these snapshots and you’ll see what we mean.
FRESH AIR FELLOWSHIP
Our church has gone on our annual bike ride for well over a decade, and this year we had the most attendees yet! If you encountered a group of 40 people on the Munger Trail this summer, it was us. We started in West Duluth, rode to Carlton for lunch, and headed back in the early afternoon (30 miles round trip). There were a few bumps and bruises along the way, but that’s what makes for a good story to tell.
Sunday afternoons in the summer are the best because you never know what kind of plans will arise. Will it be Gordy’s? Burnett Dairy? On one occasion, we hiked the trail on Park Point and swam afterwards. A true Duluthian gets in the water no matter how cold it is.
MEETING OUR NEIGHBORS
During the last few months, we made a considerable effort to engage with people from the community. On a weekly basis, we set up our booth and gave away cold drinks. We met local families and college students as well as tourists from all over the world.
National Night Out is a well-known event all across the country that happens the first week in August. This year, we hosted our own barbeque at the church for the first time. Twice as many people showed up than we expected, but thankfully we had just enough chicken and potato salad–down to the last serving. It was a wonderful evening meeting folks who wouldn’t normally come for a Sunday service.
In September, we packed up our coffee trailer and sold espresso drinks at Chester Park’s Fall Fest. This is one of our favorite events because we get to work side-by-side with each other, meet A TON of people, and raise money for missions all at the same time. Everyone is truly exhausted by the end of the day, but it is well worth the effort.
ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES
Our church building is over 100 years old so naturally it requires a lot of attention to keep it in good condition. Repair & Rehab, our maintenance group, worked on many smaller projects over the summer. One such project was glazing the stained glass windows. It is tedious to keep them in the condition they are in, and hopefully our effort will help them last another hundred years.
It feels like summer evaporated and back-to-school arrived in the blink of an eye. A group of us gathered at the campus house in Superior to get things ready for the upcoming fall semesters at UMD and UW-S. We potted plant clippings, organized a rummage sale, hung banners, and painted trim. Campus ministry means a lot to us, especially because many of our church members first encountered Jesus through their own college experiences. We’re excited to see what God will do at the campuses in the months ahead!
These photos prove that we like to have fun, but more than that, we strive to be faithful. And, we are keenly aware that doing the Lord’s work with the Lord’s people is a privilege–may we never take it for granted.
