Join us on April 25-27 as we dip into God’s love for South Minneapolis. South Minneapolis is an incredibly diverse area of Minneapolis, being home to immigrants from East Africa, Latin America, and Asia. It is also a hub for arts and music in the midwest. For our urban “dip,” we’ll explore the Cedar/Riverside and Philips neighborhoods as we travel almost exclusively by the new light rail transit line.

FRIDAY NIGHT (dipping our toes into the urban waters): You can begin to arrive at Hope Community Church at 5pm. After an introductory gathering, we’ll journey to the Midtown Global Market (an international public market with more than 50 independent locally-owned businesses) where we’ll enjoy the flavors and cultures of South Minneapolis. Next, you’ll have an opportunity to engage a panel of 20-somethings that have made a choice to live in the city.

SATURDAY MORNING (journey inward): On Saturday, we’ll learn to listen to the city and see where God is at work. Together, we’ll engage in a spiritual exercise to discern the ways that God is at work in South Minneapolis. The nature of this mysterious “spiritual exercise” is a surprise.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON (journey outward): We’ll break into small groups ranging from 3 people to a dozen people as we embark upon one of a number of urban encounters. Here’s a tentative list of activities (updated April 8):

• Take a ride on the “Hospitality Train.” The Hospitality Train is an exploration of street hospitality where folks load up bike trailers and trikes, bringing fresh ingredients and high quality portable cooking equipment to feed people delicious vegan food.
• Help prepare the Missio Dei Urban Garden for planting. The Missio Dei community operates a city-plot sized urban garden where they grow food for their various hospitality ventures.
• Help with the Marie Sandvik kids club–a South Minneapolis program offering meals, bible lessons, crafts, games, and singing to local children.
• Join a small group going to a park to play basketball with local youth.
• Spend the afternoon meeting area homeless on the street and buy them lunch.
• Experience one of the most diversely populated places in the US as you take a learning tour from the West Bank to Little Earth, a 212-unit housing development for Native Americans.
• Students have the option of going on a resource-less scavenger hunt. Without any money or anything of value, students would go off on their own to accomplish things on a list like “go to a restaurant and get some food” or “try to get $5 from a person on the street” or any number of things that help students understand what it is like to try to live well without any resources.

SATURDAY NIGHT (arts exploration): The city isn’t simply a place where bad things happen. It is a place of sights and sounds, art and music. It is a place where cultures collide and create something exciting. On Saturday night, we’ll hop the light rail to the West Bank, where we’ll split up among the four Theatres in the neighborhood (Bedlam Theatre, Mixed Blood Theater, Theater in the Round, the Southern Theatre).

SUNDAY MORNING (worship experience): As the weekend closes, we’ll worship with Hope Community Church, a young, growing, downtown church that embraces “vintage Christianity for the next generation.”

Cost is $35.

What is included? Lodging, theatre tickets, Saturday morning breakfast.

What isn’t included? Food (if you’re frugal, you might get by with about $20…bring cash) transit fare (which costs about $1.50 per ride).

What to bring? Sleeping bag, pillow, personal hygiene products…anything you’d need for two nights sleeping on a church floor.

NOW AVAILABLE: Download a one-page flier here.