Minneapolis, MN
History
The church in Minneapolis began to meet in the 1970s and grew to around 100 saints. The church passed through a significant storm in the 2000s, and many saints were lost. About 50 remained meeting in the nearby suburb of Brooklyn Park. In 2010, a few faithful brothers in Minneapolis took a stand for the Lord’s recovery and the ministry, and the church in this city was recovered.
Current Situation
Over the past 10 years, the church has grown from fewer than 10 saints to about 40 adults and 20 children (average Lord’s Day attendance is about 30 adults and 15 children). Three older brothers are helping to take the lead (along with some younger ones), but only 10 of the saints regularly meeting are over 40. The church is mainly composed of couples and single saints in their 20s and 30s. There are also 20 children aged nine years and younger (17 of whom are six years old or younger). The Lord has steadily increased our enjoyment and exercise in the church life and church meetings. He has also kept us following the ministry closely, and participation in the semiannual live and video trainings has been good. He is also beginning to help us form the church services and has begun to develop the group meetings.
The church in Minneapolis does not currently have a meeting hall. Lord’s Day meetings are held in a community center at Van Cleve Park, which is near the University of Minnesota. The church often blends with the church in Brooklyn Park, which has a meeting hall where conferences and other larger events for the metro area are usually held. There is a burden to purchase a meeting hall in Minneapolis eventually, and funds are set aside for this.
Seeking Increase
The church in Minneapolis is seeking increase in the following areas:
- Campus: The University of Minnesota is a huge campus with around 50,000 students enrolled, and it is located about one mile from our meeting place. We have about six students on the campus and currently have two full-time serving ones, plus another brother who is serving part-time.
- Children: We have had a Saturday children’s meeting for a few years, which has borne fruit. We hope to continue this practice to raise up our second generation.
- Shepherding warm doors: Dozens of saints do not meet anymore but are warm and could be recovered with visiting and shepherding.
- Gospel in the community: We are also burdened to begin gospel outreach in the community but have not been able to do too much at this time, as the above areas of burden have taken priority.
The Church Life and Blending in the Twin Cities Metro Area
The church in Brooklyn Park is about 20 minutes away, and about 60 saints are meeting there. There is a lot of blending between the two localities. We blend for both the Lord’s table and prayer meetings monthly (every other month in Brooklyn Park). The leading brothers from both localities also come together monthly. We are endeavoring to enter into the one accord with both churches laboring for the Lord’s interests in this metro area.
We also regularly try to blend with the churches within a 2-4 hour drive (including Rochester, MN; Eau Claire, WI; Milford, IA; Fargo, ND; and Madison, WI). Every fall, we hold a conference for the churches within the five-state area.
Migration Need
We welcome all migrating saints. There is a general need for more families and more saints from all stages of life. In addition, there is a specific need for the following:
- Students: We have a few students, but the current core would be strengthened if more students with a heart for the Lord could move here to attend the University of Minnesota.
- Serving ones: We have one older brother and one young sister serving full-time and one brother in his 30s serving part-time on the campus. Adding some younger serving brothers and sisters would give us a strong team and could help the campus labor take off.
Recommended Neighborhoods
The preferred area for saints to move to is near the University of Minnesota campus. Prospect Park, Marcy Holmes, Lauderdale, and Como are recommended neighborhoods. These four neighborhoods are low in crime and near the campus and downtown Minneapolis, where we meet and where the saints already live. Recent real estate listings for these areas show an average price of $330,000 for a 3-bedroom house with approximately 1600-2000 sq. ft. As a general rule, the areas of Prospect Park and Marcy Holmes run at about $197 per sq. ft. for purchase and $1.84 per sq. ft. for rent. Lauderdale and Como run at $170 per sq. ft. for purchase and $2 per sq. ft. for rent.
There are also saints living in nearby suburbs. If the migrating saints desire to live in the suburbs, we would recommend the following places based on proximity to the city and the other saints, as well as other practical factors like low crime, good education, and affordable housing: New Brighton, Falcon Heights, and St. Anthony. We encourage the saints to reach out with questions, as the brothers are knowledgeable about the area and would be happy to fellowship more details based on the specific needs and burden of the migrating saints.
Minneapolis and the Twin Cities Metro Area
Minneapolis has a population of 422,000 and is the central hub of the Twin Cities metro area, with a population of 3.6 million. The Twin Cities metro area is the 16th-largest in the US, ahead of Denver and St. Louis and just behind Seattle. No larger metro area is north of Dallas, west of Chicago, and east of Seattle. It is a key metro area for this large portion of the country.
The University of Minnesota in Minneapolis is the sixth-largest university in the country (just below the University of Florida and above UT Austin), with 51,848 students. There are at least 14 other colleges and universities in the Twin Cities metro area.
Economy/Employment
The economy of Minneapolis is strong. It has the fifth-highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country. There are 19 Fortune 500 companies in the metro area, including Target, General Mills, 3M, United Health, Medtronic, Best Buy, US Bancorp, Cargill, Ameriprise Financial, Polaris, Land O’Lakes, Radisson Hotel Group, etc. Unemployment is currently 2.9%.
Demographics
Minneapolis is a typical American city from a demographic perspective:
- 63.8% White
- 18.6% Black
- 10.5% Hispanic or Latino
- 5.6% Asian
- 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native
- less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander
- 4.4% persons reporting two or more races
Housing and Quality of Life
Median home prices are low, especially compared to similar-sized metro areas. The median home price is $242K, and the median salary is $56K.
Minneapolis has the #1 public park system in the US. There are many beautiful trails and parks to enjoy. Minneapolis is called the “City of Lakes” (the seven-county metro area has 833). This area has a lot of natural beauty, much of which is centered on its lakes. Minnesota has over 11,000 of them! For those who enjoy being outdoors and active, Minnesota offers countless opportunities for camping, hiking, boating, kayaking, and exploring in its many forests, rivers, lakes, and streams. In general, Minneapolis is a great place to live. In 2019, it ranked #6 on the US News and World Report’s “Best Places to Live in the US.”
Education
Minneapolis is an educated city, ranking sixth among US cities for percentage of the population with a four-year degree and sixth for advanced degrees (CityLab via US Census). As a state, Minnesota is ranked 12th for K-12 public education, and there are many good schools in the Twin Cities metro area. The Minneapolis School District has an open enrollment policy, meaning that about 9% of the student population is enrolled in a school not in their immediate neighborhood. There are several top-rated schools in the Minneapolis School District. In January, there is a Minneapolis School Fair, where parents and students can meet representatives from schools in the Minneapolis area.
For school ratings, check out greatschools.org.