Stacy Bellward
Stacy Bellward has walked hundreds of people through the Big 5 Bible Study. Her passion is to lead others into truth by teaching God's word, and encouraging others toward growing a deeper relationship with Jesus.
As a certified coach, she loves helping people move past area’s in their life where they feel stuck particularly through spirit led conversations. She is active in her church, Emmanuel Christian Center, by mentoring couples and women, shepherding small groups, teaching the Bible and leading as many mission trips as possible.
A speaker, Stacy is real and loves passing on those things that God is teaching her. Stacy gets paid working for Connected Families as an online course producer, workshop speaker and podcast host. Stacy with her husband Paul and 2 teen daughters live in Minnesota, and travel as often as they can.
Juli Bakken
Juli Bakken loves coming along side others, to learn the truths of the Bible together! When she felt the tug on her heart to begin teaching what she was learning, the Lord gave her a promise, “Set the table, the hungry will come, and the hungry will be fed.” 5 years ago Juli and her husband Glen began to invite people to their home for Saturday morning and evening Big 5 Bible study groups. They have learned and witnessed that Bible study is discipleship! It is exciting and life giving to grow in knowledge of the scriptures with others!
Juli and Glen have attended Emmanuel Christian Center for over 30 years. They live in Minnesota, and have 4 married children, and 4 beautiful grandchildren. Juli is the Director of Human Resources for a MN company, she is a mentor, Bible teacher and loves to sing and play the piano.
What is the Big 5 and where did it come from?
The Big 5 Bible study method is a simplified form of Inductive study. There are 5 things to pay attention to as you spend time in scripture. No matter what you are studying, British Literature, anatomy, or the story of Abraham, a good studier decides what they are going to “pay attention to.”
We learned the Big 5 from a good friend and mentor in the faith, Janine Morgan. She is a gifted teacher and takes Titus 2 seriously when it says that older women are to teach younger women. She taught us and then empowered us to teach you and now we hope that you will teach others.
What we believe:
The Bible is inspired by God.
We believe that both the Old and New Testaments are inerrant in the original writings and are the supreme and final authority for faith and life. 2 Timothy 3:15-17.
The Trinity.
God has eternally existed in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The three are coequal and are one God. Genesis 1:1,26,27, 3:22; Matthew 28:19.
Salvation is found only through Jesus Christ.
Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless human life, performed miracles, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven, is present with the church today and will return again someday to earth to reign as King. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and no one else. Salvation is a gift from god and not a result of our good works or of any human effort. Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:9-10.
People will exist eternally with or without God.
People were created to exist forever. We will exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life in heaven. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence. John 3:16; John 14:17; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15.
The Holy Spirit is active and empowers people for ministry and mission.
We believe God’s spirit is active today as described through scripture. We believe the Holy Spirit empowers and leads the church (the body of Christ) to fulfill the ministry and mission of the church. Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31.