This April, at the North Central District Conference’s business session, the Northside Neighborhood Church was voted to affiliate with the EFCA and officially joined the NCD family. Here we share a bit of the church’s history, ministry, and people. We praise God for what He has done and how He will continue to grow the church by changing the people with which they interact. We are excited to have them a part of the NCD family!
A Key Phrase: “Where the gospel meets the block.”
Where: Northside Neighborhood Church (NNC) lives and ministers in North Minneapolis. They share a church building with three other churches at 2827 Newton Ave N Minneapolis. All the leaders and about 80% of the church live right in North Minneapolis.
How it Started:
Northside Neighborhood Church was planted out of Gospel Life Church on March 28, 2021. This plant was a long-time dream of Patrick and Shelby Ray. When she was 18, Shelby wrote that she wanted to be involved in church planting because “church planting is a way of creating organic environments where people can come together to taste and see that the Lord is good and have relationships that continue all days of the week and in all seasons of life. The growth of these communities naturally affects the areas they are in, the people that they serve, and are used as vehicles to advance the gospel.”
Patrick and Shelby moved to the neighborhood in May of 2015. In the summer of 2018, some friends and neighbors helped throw two evangelistic events at local parks. Patrick and Shelby also started a Bible study for children which met Monday through Friday and lasted 7 weeks that summer. This has led them to joke that some of the children who are now teenagers are the forefathers of NNC.
In August of 2019, eight people joined with Patrick and Shelby to help start NNC. One of these first members suggested the name, “Northside Neighborhood Church” and it stuck.
On Palm Sunday, 2021, Northside Neighborhood Church began gathering weekly to worship King Jesus who rode into Jerusalem as the Suffering Servant and who now sits triumphantly at the right hand of the Father. They by no means had a large launch, and there have been many difficulties along the way, but King Jesus is saving people and healing families as the Word is preached, the ordinances are celebrated, and his praises are sung.
When one sister was asked how her life has changed since she converted out of Shaminism in 2023, she said, “I’m not afraid anymore.” Fear of spirits once drove this woman but now she knows that her life is in the hands of our beloved heavenly Father.
In 2020, a woman named Laura came to Christ back when Northside Neighborhood Church was simply a Bible study. Her two youngest children followed her in belief shortly after. Her oldest son, though, was skeptical about his mother’s newfound faith. He was born to a Muslim father, though since his parents split up when he was young, lived an entirely secular life before his mom began dragging him to church. He was always very polite about it, but it was clear that he was an unbeliever. After seeing his mom’s life change over 3.5 years, he realized that Jesus really is alive and reigning as King. He now longs for more and more Scripture. About the Bible he says, “I usually don’t get into books. But for some reason I am attached to this one.” He was baptized on March 24th, 2024.
How it is Going:
Northside Neighborhood Church now has three elders, three deacons, and a man who started as a pastoral-apprentice on June 1st. All the leaders are residents of North Minneapolis and are committed to the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ and loving their neighbors in North Minneapolis.
Pray With Us:
Violence has increased dramatically since 2020. Pray for peace in our neighborhood.
Pray that there many people would turn to the Lord in North Minneapolis.
Pray that our younger believers would persevere in the race set before them.
Pray that we would continue to develop leaders who lead in our church, plant churches, and pastor existing churches because the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few!
Key Leaders:
Patrick Ray is one of our Pastors and lives on the Northside with his wife, Shelby, and their daughter. He is passionate about helping people see how the good news of Jesus can positively impact every part of their life. He has his Bachelor’s of Theology from Bethlehem College and Seminary. He is currently pursuing a Master’s of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
Shelby is a deacon.
Andrew Nam is one of our Pastors and serves as our worship leader. He recently completed his Master’s of Divinity at Bethlehem College and Seminary. He also teaches philosophy and theology part-time at the University of Northwestern St Paul. He leads a discipleship house next door to Patrick and Shelby. He loves to talk about life and ideas over coffee or a good meal.