We will be meeting at First Baptist Church
1555 Paul Bunyan Drive NW, Bemidji, MN 56601
8:00 am. (7:30am for fellowship). All are welcome 

Speaker: Larry Richter
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Larry Richter comes to us from Wadena, MN where he resides with his wife, Ruth and raised four children. He is the son of Don and Margaret Richter who was the former president of Wadena's Fuil Gospel Business Men's Fellowship.
Larry was raised in a home and believed his religion was enough for him until Christians spoke into his life. He was prayed for at a FBMF in Alexandria, that changed his life forever.
He worked as a Dairy Route Sales Specialist for nearly 40 years until his retirement in 2020 when his health made it difficult to work any longer. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and von Willebrand in 2021. After a multiple prognosis and hard first year, the Lord and continued treatment has stabilized the disease.
He believes:
... my times are in thine hand. "Ps 31:14-15
"After David had served the purpose of God to his own generation, he was laid to rest." Acts 13:36

​Tamarius Harvey, 25, serves as a Children and Youth Director among Native American communities on the Red Lake Reservation.  He and his wife, Megan, were married May 2024 and are joyfully expecting their first child in ebruary 2026.

Tamarius and Megan met at Bemidji State University in 2019. At the time, neither knew Jesus or understood His saving grace. In the summer of 2021, God radically transformed Megan's heart through a small college Bible study that later grew into a vibrant young adult ministry at Calvary Chapel Bemidji. During that same year, after enduring seasons of hardship, Tamarius surrendered his life to the Lord --- and Jesus faithfully saved him.


Since then, God has used mentors to strengthen their walk and grow them in maturity. He has opened doors for them to share about the life-changing power of Jesus.
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Today, Tamarius is a full-time, support-based missionary serving alongside two churches on the Red Lake Reservation-one in Ponemah and one in Redby. Megan is a teacher at Heartland Christian School. Their passion is to proclaim the hope and salvation found in Jesus Christ.

Our next meeting will be at Beltrami Electric Community room on Saturday, December 6th, 2026 at 8:00 am.

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Our guest speaker will be Ben Corradi.

A light breakfast will be served.

Ben Corradi is a 21 year old student-athlete at Bemidji State University. As a college baseball player, he's learned the importance of teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. In addition to his athletic performance, he serves as president of the Bemidji State Turning Point USA chapter. Encouraging others to live with courage, think critically, and stand strong in their beliefs is what influenced Ben to start a local chapter. Most importantly, his daily walk with the Lord and sharing the gospel with others are what help guide his life. Ben's testimony will share how God has shaped him through both the triumphs and challenges of life.

Sam writes:  I was born and raised in Bagley, MN. I attended Bagley High School and graduated in 1997. When I was a junior in high school I joined the U.S. Navy. After graduation I was shipped out to boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois. After completing boot camp I was sent to Basic Enlisted Submarine School in Groton, CT. After spending a year in Training on the East Coast I was stationed aboard the USS Louisville SSN-724 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1998. I quickly became one of the crew and these men became like brothers.  

The Louisville was a Fast Attack Nuclear Submarine that was tasked with hunting and killing other submarines and surface ships. The Louisville was also Vertical Launch equipped to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles at land targets, In fact the Louisville was the 1st Submarine to launch missiles in a time of war in 1991. The area we operated was the Ring of Fire region which included Japan, Korea, Australia, Singapore, China, Guam, & Okinawa.

While I was in the Service I met my wife Caren, who was also in the Navy as a Fleet Marine Force Dental Tech. Liert the Navy in 2001 as an MM2 (SS) Machinist Mate, stayed in Hawaii, and attended the University of Hawaii. After Graduating from UH, we moved to Albuquerque, NM and worked and lived there for 1 1/2 years. When we had the opportunity to purchase the family business, Itasca Sports, we moved back to Minnesota. In 2004 we moved back, grew our family and built a home.

After being married for 7 years we had a RADICAL encounter with Jesus Christ, and gave our lives to him.  Currently Caren and I have 7 AMAZING children. After owning & operating Itasca Sports for 21 years, we sold it to dear friends, where it is still in operation today. We began Off Grid Armory in 2015, when a passion turned into a business. Off Grid Suppressors was created in 2024, when an Invention turned into a futuristic & cutting edge product. Both of these businesses are an absolute thrill to be involved in. For the Rest of the Story including how Christ RADICALLY changed us. Come to the meeting! I can't wait to share what God has done in our lives!

Hello, my name is Wayne Wilde born in Bagley MN in 1949, the second of 6 children. My folks, Milo and Ruby, moved the family to Shevlin when I was about 4 years old. I attended Shevlin School grades 1-6 and then in Bagley grades 7-11. I graduated from Thief River Falls in 1967. After graduation I went to work for my uncle on his farm and in 1968 | got my first pipeline job with Leonard Pipeline based out of Canada. In April, 1968 l joined the US Army.
I was a 31M20, I served in Texas, Korea and Germany and was honorably discharged in April of 1971. I went back and got a job on the pipeline again and from there decided to go into business for myself. It was then that Wilde Construction began.
I met my lovely wife Debbie in January of 73 and married that Fall at the Congregational Church in Bagley. We went on to have 4 children, 3 daughters and 1 son, "the magnificent 4".  I now have
been blessed with 11 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
And for the rest of the story... come to the meeting!

We will be meeting on Saturday, September 6th, 2025 at Beltrami Electric at 8:00 am.
A light breakfast will be served.

Hello, my name is Robert C. Karbowski. I was born in Omaha Nebraska in 1956.
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At the age of 9 my parents bought a resort near Bena Minnesota.
I have lived in the Bemidji area to this day. I graduated from Cass Lake high school and went on to Bemidji State University. I spent a year and a half studying for a business major, but realized I had more of an ability and desire to work with my hands. I spent the next year and a half at Bemidji Vocational School to become an auto mechanic. Before I could finish I was hired by Northern Amusement in Bemidji to be their vehicle repairman. I retired from there 6 years ago, after 42 years of employment. A good share of my life was spent in the Catholic Church and serving as an altar boy till I was 19. After that I joined Ridgewood Baptist Church in Bemidji, as a Deacon, Treasurer, Bible study teacher, and fill in for the pastor to give sermons when he was gone. I'm currently a member of 1st Baptist Church of Bemidji, serving there as Deacon Chair and a Gideon in the Bemidji Chapter. As a Gideon I give church presentations, and for the last 3 plus years I have led Bible studies in the Beltrami County Jail. In the last year I have had the opportunity to go on a couple mission trips and with the desire to do more. The first trip was to Ontario to continue building a Bible Camp for 1st Nation Indian children. The second trip was to Honduras to build 2 houses for two families and to do evangelistic outreach. My desire is to continue to serve the Lord wherever and whenever He calls me.

We will be meeting on Saturday, August 2nd, 2025 at Beltrami Electric at 8:00 am.
A light breakfast will be served.

Speaker: Rodney Kaster

Rodney writes: 
Hello, my name is Rodney J. Kastner (RJK). I am a "native" of Bemidji; single, never married; 70 years old on my next birthday (08/11); a missionary under the Serving in Mission (SIM-USA) organization, and a member of the Solway Bible Chapel (SBC).

I graduated from Bemidji High School, the Milwaukee Area Technical College, the Oak Hills Bible Institute, the Oak Hills Christian College and Wheaton Graduate School, Wheaton IL.

I have ministered in Africa for 43 years; first, 20 years in Nigeria under the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) followed by 23 years in Zimbabwe under the United Baptist Church of Zimbabwe (UBCZ). I was commissioned for service at the SBC but ordained under the UBCZ. I believe that I have multiplied workers for Christ by graduating hundreds of students into full-time pastoral ministry as well as various Christian service roles.

My ministry has consisted mainly of multiple administrative duties (from being the Principal to librarian) as well as always full-time teaching in the ECWA Bible College Kagoro (EBCK, Nigeria) and the Ru situ Bible College (RBC). I also taught Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) courses in the Federal Government College, Kano, Nigeria for a period.
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Extra outreach ministries of the colleges consisted of Preaching in local churches, the Kafanchan Prison Ministry, while being immersed in local culture provided me with unlimited opportunities to do personal evangelism as well. It did not become proficient in either dominate vernacular language (Hausa and Shona) but my teaching was general all in English. I retired in Bemidji this past February 1st but continue to serve and minister virtually in both Nigeria and Zimbabwe. My next trip to Zimbabwe will be in October this year with an opportunity for at least one single male teacher to accompany me for the teaching preaching ministry.

 Meeting: Saturday July 5th, 2025 at Beltrami Electric 8:00 am -  A light breakfast will be served.
 See below for recordings
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For July, as we celebrate our freedom from the British, we are reminded how God wants to bring people to have freedom in Christ.  We will be having two people sharing briefly of their most recent short term mission experiences in June.
 
My name is Jeyshua Bush, I am 27 years old I was born and raised in Bemidji MN
Recently the Lord has put it on my heart to do a short-term mission trip. I will be part of a prayer team praying for a specific city in the middle east. We are tilling the soil for new believers, praying for the people to come to Christ and walking the city in prayer and see what the Lord puts on our hearts!! I will be leaving on the 14th of this month. I am looking forward to a time of prayer and am excited to see what the Lord does through us.
 
My name is Herb Bromenshenkel, I am 60 years old, and have most recently doing short term missions with GHO (Global Health Outreach), where I work as a pharmacist with a team of doctors, nurses, dentist.  I will be in Rwanda with a team during the last part of June.  I will be sharing my testimony of how God made it clear he wanted me to do a short-term mission trip.  How he revealed himself to me while there and specific messages he has taught me.  I have done over 20 short-term missions in locations including Belize, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and now Rwanda.

Saturday, June 7th, 2025 at 8:00 am at Beltrami Electric Conference Room.
 
​Speaker:  Jonny Spradling Sr. 
 My name is Jonny Spradling Sr. I am a husband, father of 4, and grandfather of 4. I have been married going on 7 years however we have been together going on 23 years. Outside of shepherding my family, l am a Para Professional at Cass Lake Bena Elementary and an Evangelist. Most importantly, I am a grateful child of God!
 
I attended Oak Hills Christian College in the Pastoral program. I started my internship at Cass Lake Bena Alliance, under the leadership of the Elders board, the deacons, and Reverend Mark Little Elk.
 
I have been called into Native American Ministry via Leach Lake Reservation. To be better equipped for my calling, I will be attending this fall The Indigenous Academy of Ministries (I AM) College in Oklahoma City Oklahoma this fall.
 
The main message of my testimony is that God can, will, and has transformed me from a "Hopeless Dope Dealer, To A Dope Less Hope Dealer"! I enjoy serving the community in several ways: I seek
opportunities to serve area youth camps. I have assisted with our local Archery Ministry called "Warriors Rise".
 
I have drove the church bus and picked up those in need of transportation to church. Most importantly, I love Preaching the Gospel and Evangelizing any chance | get!