Our Mission
WE ARE DEDICATED TO INSPIRING AND EQUIPPING FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST TO LIVE A LIFESTYLE OF DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES.
Our Story
We believe in the pursuit of a lifestyle that chooses to follow Christ in our smaller circles. There are many problems in our world and it is overwhelming to think of how one Christian or one church will be able to address all the hurt and heartache. Racism, inequality, poverty, crime, broken marriages, hurting families, systemic corruption. The problems are enormous and honestly, these problems feel too far away for us to consider we can do anything about them.
But we do have a circle of influence. We have neighbors, friends, and coworkers that we can rub shoulders with and leave a lasting impact. We believe God calls every Christian to be his ambassadors in the neighborhood we are in (2 Corinthians 5:20). And while we understand it is too large for us to think about the systemic change that needs to happen in our nation, God has given us a mission field that starts in our own back yard.
We hope we can inspire and equip believers to be leaders and servants of Jesus Christ in the neighborhoods they live in. We want to see Christians serving and loving on their neighbors because they live next to them. We want to see Christians involved in a small group because there is more opportunity for the believer to develop and use the gifts God has given them. We want to see people demonstrate a lifestyle that follows Jesus through life’s ups and downs.
Our Values
Bible Centered
The Bible is central in all that we believe and all that we do. It takes precedence over church tradition, a shifting culture, and our own opinion. All that we believe and teach comes from the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word. Our desire is to know God and His purpose for our lives, and to accurately apply His Word in order that He alone will be glorified.
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Christ Focused
Jesus is our first love and the focus of our lives. We are only able to have a right relationship with God through Jesus. It is our greatest desire for Jesus to be at the center of everything we do so that we can please Him, grow to be more like Him, and live in fellowship with Him.
Serving Others
Our faith is not merely an intellectual experience. God desires that our faith in Jesus prompts us to act. In a world that is marked by turmoil and division, we want to be a light and demonstrate God’s love by engaging with, serving, and loving others.
Sharing the Gospel
We are passionate about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and we want to be ambassadors of this Good News. We desire that all would know who Jesus is, what He has done, and how to have life to the fullest through Him.
Multiplication
We have a passion to see Jesus’ disciples make more disciples who then make more disciples. Jesus did not simply build His friends up in order to keep them comfortable and safe from the world. His purpose was to send them out to share what He had accomplished so that more people could have eternal life through Him. We seek to follow our Savior’s example.
We are committed to a pattern of ministry that not only promotes equipping and edifying the believer, but also entrusting and sending believers so more people can come to know and grow in Christ. This lifestyle is not merely seeking the addition to the number of followers of Christ; it is a purposeful multiplication where leaders leave their initial circle and are sent to build new ones that will do the same.
There is nothing better than having a vibrant relationship with God our Creator; however, peace with our Maker is only possible through His Son Jesus Christ. The Bible, God's personal communication to mankind, informs us how to be brought back into a relationship with God through the sacrifice of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible also informs us how we can have a meaningful and fruitful life in this world and the next. We believe it is important to share this truth about God and the Bible in common-sense terms and through practical demonstration that will enrich those we come into contact with.
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God the Father
We believe in God the Father who is the creator of all things. He is eternal, holy, just, loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful. He graciously sent His Son Jesus Christ to die in our place and save us from our problem of sin. (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 John 4:8)
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus has always existed, and that He was born into human form through the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary; He is fully God and fully man. We believe in His death on the cross, resurrection from the grave, and ascension into heaven where He serves as our High Priest and Advocate. (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; Philippians 2:6-11; Romans 1:3-4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 4:14)
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit dwells within all believers and serves to convict us of sin, to be a source of revelation and wisdom, to be a deposit that guarantees our inheritance as children of God, and to guide us into all truth and knowledge. (John 14:26; John 16:8, 13; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 3:16; Titus 3:5)
Humanity's Condition
We believe that humanity was created in the image of God, but we all have the problem of sin which has separated us from God. In our condition, we are unable to please God and are in dire need of a rescue. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:10-12, 23; Romans 5:12; Romans 8:7-8; Ephesians 2:1-3)
Redemption and Salvation
We believe that Jesus Christ conquered sin and death through His death on the cross and His resurrection, thereby offering us the free gift of new life and salvation. All who receive by faith this free gift are forgiven and made righteous, becoming children of God and members of the Body of Christ. (Romans 3:23-26; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:7)
Return of Christ
We believe in and expectantly await the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ. When He returns He will establish His rule and reign. We also believe God will make all things new, establishing a new heavens and a new earth where His children will enjoy eternity with God. (Zechariah 14; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 19; Revelation 21)
What We Believe
Brent aims to be a leader who leads other leaders to make more disciples of Jesus Christ. He is devoted to ministry and passionate about seeing others take their next steps in growing closer to God. Brent attended Moody Bible Institute and Grace Christian University studying pastoral ministry and received his pastoral license with the Grace Gospel Fellowship. He pastored Bethesda Church in Prior Lake from 2012 to 2019, first as the youth and associate pastor and eventually as the senior pastor. In 2020 Brent and Dave Taylor co-founded Acts of Friendship Ministries.
Dave Taylor is a born again Christian who is passionate about sharing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. He lived most of his young life lost, searching to fill a void that could only be satisfied with the knowledge and love of a Savior. At the age of 40, he accepted Jesus into his heart and received the free gift of salvation through faith. God has radically changed his heart to love Christ and love others.
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In 2020, Dave along with Pastor Brent Befus, co-founded Acts of Friendship Ministries. Dave also currently serves as the Director of the Acts of Friendship ministry at Friendship Church in Prior Lake, Minnesota. It is Dave’s desire for the body of Christ to come together to serve those who are lost and in need and to make disciples by sharing the hope, joy and peace that come through having a relationship with Jesus. Dave is devoted to living a lifestyle of discipleship by mentoring, being mentored and studying God’s word with other believers. Dave’s life verse is Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us.
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Dave lives in Prior Lake, Minnesota with his wife of over 20 years, Sara, and their 3 wonderful blessings, Blake, Aubree and Carys. He is an entrepreneur and business owner of over 35 years. In addition to serving with Acts of Friendship, Dave enjoys doing mission work in other countries. In his free time, he is grateful to spend time with his family and friends mountain biking, disc golfing, having fun on the lake and many other outdoor activities.
Ryan Kolsrud is a follower of Christ that has a heart for Men’s ministry. He struggled as a teen and young adult and grew up in an alcoholic home. When he decided to give his entire self to Christ he developed a hunger for God’s word.
Ryan lives in Savage, MN with his wife Selina and son, Jonah. He also has a daughter that has just graduated from college and is pursuing a teaching career in Arizona. He is a chef by trade and currently works at a high school. Ryan enjoys the outdoors. Doing things like camping, canoeing, golfing, disc golfing, biking and hiking. He tries to serve others through Acts of Friendship whenever possible.
We Are Here to Help
If you would like to know more about the details of how we do our ministry and how it can be done in your neighborhood or church we would love to hear from you! We do not want to merely add to the noise of programs in your life or church. We want serving, sharing the gospel, and discipleship to become the lifestyle of your life and church. We want to partner with you to accomplish this so please reach out and we would love to interact with you and your unique background and environment.