Top Church Planting Needs in the Twin Cities

Geographically most underchurched and difficult places to plant churches in the Twin Cities:

• Uptown area ”Church Planter’s Graveyard” —John A. Mayer 
• University of Minnesota area 
• Savage

By People Groups:

• Tibetans: Tibetans are Buddhist. Only 18 know believers in North America. No Tibetan Church in North America. Only about 250 known Tibetan believers in the world. Twin Cities has the second largest Tibetan concentration in America with about 3,500. We have no known Tibetan believers living in the Twin Cities area. 

• Somalis: 88,500 Somalis in the Twin Cities. Highest concentration of any U.S. city. Only 46 known Somali believers with the rest all Muslim. We have some Somalis ready to become leaders but they need some theological training (i. e. MATS degree) and need some long-term sustainable funding. Church plant previously in Twin Cities fell apart. Lot’s of spiritual warfare. 75% of Muslims that convert to Christianity go back into Islam. Some tactical ministry but no strategic plan to reach and disciple Somalis long-term.  Minneapolis is the first large city in America to allow the Muslim Call to Prayer on loudspeakers.

• Afghans: 4,000 Afghans in the Twin Cities with 8 known believers and are thus less than 1% reached.  Most have come in the recent wave of refugees in the last few years. 

• Native Americans: 40,000 live in the Twin Cities area. Phillips Neighborhood has the highest urban concentration of Native Americans of any urban area other than reservations. Only 1% of Native Americans attend church. 16 Native American churches in the Twin Cities with an average attendance of 32.

• Deaf People: 45,000 deaf people live in the Twin Cities area and only 2% go to church. There are just 10 deaf churches in the Twin Cities with an average attendance of 32. Very few churches have signing. 

• Sikhs: 2,500 Sikhs in the Twin Cities with Sikh Temple in a former church in Bloomington. No one I know is reaching out to Sikhs or praying for them in the Twin Cities. Very few converts in the world.  

• Thai: 9,750 Thai in the Twin Cities with two small Thai churches totaling 50 attendees. Thai are less than 1% reached.

• Iranian: 5,100 Iranians with 29 known believers. The Iranian in the Twin Cities are less than 1% reached.

• Iraqi: 4,000 Iraqis with 11 known believers and are thus less than 1% reached.  

• Turkish: 3,250 with 2 known believers and are thus less than 1% reached. No one reaching out to them.

• Moroccans: 3,150 with 5 known believers and are thus less than 1% reached.  

• Saudi Arabians: 1,550 of them with no known believers. They are many students and thus will return to their home country.

• Witches: The Twin Cities is known as Paganistan with 25,000 Witches of all types here with 345 known covens. The Twin Cities has the largest Witch/New Age publishing company in the world. Two Witch covens even meet in church buildings. In 2006, MN had a Witch run for Governor of MN.

• Gen Y (Millennials): Metrospirituals. Some Hipsters. Every church should have a community garden and bike racks to attract them.