FAITH

Bemidji Area Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship set to meet

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 15:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Bemidji Area Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship of America chapter is set to meet at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, in the Beltrami Electric Conference Room, 4111 Technology Drive NW.

A light breakfast will be served and all are welcome to attend.

The keynote speakers will be Jeyshua Bush and Herb Bromenshenkel. They will share about their most recent short-term mission trip experiences.

Bush, 27, was born and raised in Bemidji, and will be part of a prayer team for a specific city in the Middle East, a release said. Those on the mission trip will walk the city in prayer.

Bromenshenkel, 60, has done short-term missions with Global Health Outreach where he has worked as a pharmacist with a team of doctors, nurses and a dentist. His most recent mission will be in Rwanda with a team, and he has also completed over 20 short-term missions in locations including Belize, Kenya, Zambia and Malawi.

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Finding Faith: The spirit in other people's joy

Devlyn Brooks — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:30:00 GMT

The other night I was leaving work, just as the evening sun was taking its turn downward. Another 12-hour day at the emergency shelter, a typical schedule these past 10 months as we’ve worked to turn things around.

I was pulling out of our parking lot and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of our emergency shelter guests gesticulating wildly out my driver’s side window. But not in a menacing way. Rather, you could see their broad smile as they waved their arms over their head to get my attention.

I braked and rolled down my window, and heard the guest shout, “I get citizenship! I get citizenship certificate today!”

Not entirely sure that I was understanding, but sensing the guest’s joy, I put the pickup in park and got out to talk with them.

The guest repeated their news; then things clicked. There was a large naturalization ceremony that took place in our city that day, and evidently our guest was one of 200 people who took their oath of citizenship.

He was thanking me for the support that our shelter had provided him in seeking his citizenship. And he simply wanted to share his immense joy with me!

Before long, we were enveloped in a memorable hug, right there in the parking lot.

What an announcement! How serendipitous for me to have been leaving at the same time our guest was walking to the bus stop on the corner. (Kidding, I know it was more than just coincidence!)

There, in that moment, my fatigue melted; my resolve strengthened; and my wonderment about the many miracles that take place under our shelter’s roof every single day grew yet again.

The work is often challenging, and there are long intervals between these spectacular moments of joy. But the episode reminded me of the gospel that takes place each and every day at our shelter. So many things our team does that others wouldn’t recognize as holy. But trust me, when helping a guest obtain citizenship, the Holy Spirit is involved there somewhere.

Friends, the work we do as Jesus followers doesn’t always look like it does on Sunday mornings. Sometimes the work is the real nitty gritty of making sure someone has a meal, or a new pair of socks, or a place to lay their head that night.

Sometimes the gospel looks like assisting someone in obtaining a government identification, or filling out a confusing application for services … or, yes, helping a person obtain their citizenship.

Take a look around you, friends. There is plenty of need in your community. Being the church sometimes means doing the unexpected, but in the end, we are called to do on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

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Finding Faith: Nothing Christian about political violence

Devlyn Brooks — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:30:00 GMT

We are living in the most politically violent period in our country since the deadly 1960s.

Assassinations, shootings, physical and verbal intimidation. The list is long.

Just in recent history, an extremist shot and killed a Minnesota state representative and her husband, and also shot another state legislator and his wife in one shooting spree. The home of the governor of Pennsylvania was set on fire while he and his family were inside. A man was charged with attempting to kidnap the governor of Michigan. Another politically motivated man tried to assassinate the candidate who would become our current president.

And this small sampling doesn’t even include the political violence toward locally elected officials!

As faithful people who follow Christ, who preached peace, inclusion and community, these events should shake us.

In recent days, when the media referred to the suspected killer of Minnesota’s Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband as a “Christian” … well, I have to confess that I cringed.

“In what alternative universe can one think that Christ was somehow involved in this heinous act,” I thought to myself as I read those words in news reports.

Whoever did this was in no way practicing Christianity when four people were gunned down in cold blood. And I angrily wanted to shout at the media to give us our name back!

But then again, maybe this is the exact critical nudge that we faithful people need to stand up loudly and proclaim that anyone committing a politically violent act in the name of Christ is not Christian. How can they be?

Friends, it’s our silence that is taken by many as acceptance that the shooter’s acts were justified. It’s our lack of standing up to political bullies that contributes to many people’s misunderstanding of who we are as Jesus followers, and what being Christian actually means.

This is our reality: We already have a fight on our hands to convince many millions of “nones” that Christianity is relevant in the 21st century. Allowing misguided extremists who kill people in their homes in the dead of night to paint who Christians are only reinforces for many their reasons to steer clear of a faith life.

We as a church owe it to Minnesota’s recently murdered and injured lawmakers, and so many others impacted by political violence, to let it be known loudly and publicly that these are not Christ-influenced acts. Jesus never encouraged violence; rather, instead of inciting violence, he chose to sacrifice himself to conquer sin and death in this world and shine a mirror on our brokenness.

Friends, as faithful people, if your religious beliefs are leading you toward political violence, then please know that’s not Jesus’ influence.

That’s actually sin, evil and a moral transgression that is taking you down that path. Amen.

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Finding Faith: Offering a stick of friendship

Devlyn Brooks — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 21:03:00 GMT

I’ve written about our 3-year-old husky mix rescue before. About his anxieties, which make him seem less than friendly, and frankly, which have inspired a curse word or two around home.

But the other night, I witnessed him make a new friend in the most beautiful of ways.

I walk our dogs on the same route I have used for the past 11 years. Howie has walked by this particular house hundreds of times. And it just so happens that our neighbor living there often is coming and going to his car or working in his yard on the same schedule as our evening walks.

Well, Howie can come off as quite an irritable crank when coming across new people in public. His anxieties peak when someone new comes near, and his first instinct is to bark and take a defensive posture.

And this gracious man has endured this on multiple occasions when he has tried to say hello to Howie.

However, a few nights ago, the neighbor was in his side yard, trimming trees and such. This time, Howie was curious enough to creep within about a foot of the man, and rather than become the grouch he normally does, Howie laid down and took to chewing on one of the branches that lay at the man’s feet.

Now, Howie is a big, big fan of sticks. And when I shared this, the neighbor reached down and offered our little grumpster a stick. My, oh my. You’d have thought that the veil between heaven and earth had parted!

Howie gratefully took the stick and almost simultaneously dropped on his side for belly scratches. That was it; Howie had a new friend. I mean, if the man was smart enough to understand the value of a good stick, he couldn’t be all that bad. Right?

The next night, the neighbor was outside again. This time, Howie even let him pet him and give him scratches behind the ears. So it seems the stick trick was no fluke. Howie generally likes our neighbor now!

I chalk this all up to the Holy Spirit, of course. Because who else could use a stick for such clever purposes?

But more importantly, the episode has got me thinking. After all, I’ve been reading a lot lately about the loneliness crisis we’re all facing.

I haven’t worked out all the theological details yet, but I’m certain Howie’s new friendship offers us faithful people something to ponder. Who are we in this story? Are we the neighbor reaching out with an offer of friendship (a stick!)? Or are we Howie, the reluctant recipient?

Weighty stuff for sure, which is providing me something wonderful to dwell on during our walks.

But I think the bottom line is that friendship is good even when it’s brokered by a good stick. Amen.

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Solway Lutheran Church to hold Family Fun weekend events

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 19:00:00 GMT

SOLWAY — Solway Lutheran Church will hold various Family Fun events on Saturday, June 21, during the JD's Outpost Rodeo weekend.

The following events will take place at the Lammers Town Hall:

A rodeo pancake breakfast will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The cost is $8 per person; kids ages 6 and younger eat free. Attendees can purchase goods at a bake sale from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prize bingo will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will have the chance to win appliances, home decor, craft supplies, toys, clothing and miscellaneous items. The cost is 25 cents per card.

The church will host the following events on its lawn:

Participants can enjoy various activities at a Carnival Bazaar from 2 to 5 p.m. The event will include an Old Timey photo booth, electric vehicle obstacle course, face painting, cake walk, games and prizes, a release said. A vendor show will also run from 2 to 5 p.m., featuring gifts, toys, woodcrafts, watches, rings and more. Food and drinks will be available for sale, including walking tacos, popcorn, corndogs, walking s'mores and root beer floats.

Proceeds will go toward Solway Lutheran Church's Building Fund, the release noted.

For more information, visit the Solway Lutheran Church Facebook page.

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Finding Faith: Offering a stick of friendship

Devlyn Brooks — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 14:30:00 GMT

I’ve written about our 3-year-old husky mix rescue before. About his anxieties, which make him seem less than friendly, and frankly, which have inspired a curse word or two around home.

But the other night, I witnessed him make a new friend in the most beautiful of ways.

And this gracious man has endured this on multiple occasions when he has tried to say hello to Howie.

I chalk this all up to the Holy Spirit, of course. Because who else could use a stick for such clever purposes?

But more importantly, the episode has got me thinking. After all, I’ve been reading a lot lately about the loneliness crisis we’re all facing.

Weighty stuff for sure, which is providing me something wonderful to dwell on during our walks.

But I think the bottom line is that friendship is good even when it’s brokered by a good stick. Amen.

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Bemidji Aglow Lighthouse set to meet June 14

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:17:09 GMT

BEMIDJI — Bemidji Area Aglow Lighthouse is set to meet from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 14, at Beltrami Electric, 4111 Technology Drive NW.

This is an interdenominational Christian fellowship gathering with Danny Grimsley. The Aglow Angel Singers will lead praise and worship.

The guest speaker will be Amara Lovell of Bemidji, formerly from Bagley.

"She will tell how Jesus saved her from a life of depression, addiction and hopelessness," a release said.

All are welcome and refreshments will be served.

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Finding Faith: A story in a root beer barrel candy

Devlyn Brooks — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:30:00 GMT

This past weekend, our synod held its annual assembly. Hundreds of Lutherans journeying across northwest Minnesota to a Lutheran liberal arts college in my hometown, our regional version of mecca.

Three days of electing a bishop, big meetings, theology lectures and breakout workshops.

At one of the big group gatherings late in the day Saturday, I was sitting at a table in the back of the room when I noticed a root beer barrel candy on the table. Placed there, of course, by the skilled assembly organizers who know distractions are necessary.

With no more reason than I was fidgety after two days of sitting, I grabbed the candy, unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth.

As the sugary goodness began to melt, I was instantly transported back 40-plus years to the church I grew up in. Just a small neighborhood church, sitting not more than 50 in my mind’s recollection. Albeit, memories are hazy as the last time I was there was four decades ago.

My Grandma Mabel, my dad’s mom, in her dyed and coiffed black hairdo, polyester pant suits and ’80s-era eyeglasses, used root beer barrels and other varieties of candy essentially as bribes to keep me from fussin’ too much and drawing the ire of other church ladies.

Personally, my favorite was the cherry sour balls. At the rate that Grandma was willing to dispense those neon sugar bombs to keep this kid quiet, you’d wonder why I still don’t glow red from all that dye!

To be fair: I wasn’t the most compliant church-goin’ kid. I didn’t much care for Sunday school, and the church services seemed interminable. Even worse, as the youngest in the family by six years, my other siblings had pretty much already given up church attendance.

That meant I flew solo, and it was either sit with Mom … or with, as we called her, “Grandma G.” (She later remarried after my grandfather passed from ALS.)

And let’s face it … Grandma G. always had candy. So what’s a guy to do? Sorry Mom!

Quickly, other memories came back on Saturday, coming in rapid-fire succession after the sugary time machine took me back.

Admittedly, I wasn’t a biblical scholar when I was finally emancipated from Sunday school. But I do remember the Christmas pageants being dressed up as a barn animal, my mother’s warbling voice singing all the familiar hymns, the wonderment of why I couldn’t have Communion, the stained glass window behind the altar.

Friends … that, to me, is the power of gathering together as a church. Not all of us leave church inspired by the sermon or the liturgy or maybe even the hymns. But I do bet most of us walk away with fond memories of the community time spent each week.

So, what’s your root beer barrel story? Amen.

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Lakeside Bible Study sets June meeting dates

Pioneer Staff Report — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 21:18:29 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Lakeside Bible Study group will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Thursday in June in the Beltrami Electric Community Room, 4111 Technology Drive NW.

Lakeside Bible Study is a small group led by Max Taylor that offers spiritual support and Biblical teaching from a Baptistic perspective for anyone in the Bemidji area, a release said.

The group's goal is to "focus our attention on Christ as we meet together for study, conversation, prayer and singing hymns," the release explained.

For more information, follow the Lakeside Bible Study channel on the Telegram app at tinyurl.com/lakesidebiblestudy.

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Guthrie Community Bible Church VBS set for June 9-13

Pioneer Staff Report — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 18:41:05 GMT

LAPORTE — Guthrie Community Bible Church is set to host a "Moose on the Loose" Vacation Bible �� from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on June 9-13 at the church, 43948 275th Ave.

The camping-themed VBS will include Bible stories, music, games, puppets, skits, crafts and snacks, a release said. The program is open to children ages 4-12.

"Through the lessons, kids will learn about the life of Christ as seen through the eyes of Peter, and will discover the lasting forgiveness that only Christ can give," a release said.

For more information, call (218) 556-1869.

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