Issue: Poverty
North Minneapolis has a significantly higher rate of poverty than the rest of Minneapolis. The rate in a recent study was 36% in North Minneapolis versus 21.5% citywide and 10.5% in the metropolitan area.
Race adds another aspect to the poverty factor. Whites make up 24% of the population and carry a rate of 15.1% in poverty. African Americans make up roughly 50% of the population (there were 21, 231 African Americans in North Minneapolis), but have a 42% rate of poverty. This difference grows when you look at the rate of the metro area. "The African American poverty rate in North Minneapolis (42.0%) is 35.8% higher than the white (non-Hispanic)poverty rate in the Metropolitan Area as a whole."
Problems: Access to healthy food, competitive education, public perception of cause and expectations of the individual, potential for gentrification, injustice, and so many others.
Please pray for the children of North Minneapolis. We are asking that the gospel flood these neighborhoods and homes. We are asking God to help us fill in the gaps through loving our neighbors by engaging them, caring for the general physical needs of impoverished homes (food, clothing, health needs, home repair, transportation), and the emotional and spiritual needs of our neighbors (broken & hopeless spirits, sin's power and bondage, false religion and other predatory practices that take advantage of vulnerable people).
Please join us in this prayer.