PARAKLETOS

Parakletos

“Called alongside”

A ministry of friendship

In April of 2006, Tanden, Erin, Micah, and Annika packed up our things and moved from Bethel Seminary into the Near North neighborhood of North Minneapolis. Through our study of Scripture and much prayer we felt the whisper of the Holy Spirit to live out our lives in a neighborhood filled with diversity, economic challenges, and social challenges.

Throughout our time living in Near North we have come to experience the presence of God through our homeless friends (who are teaching us what it means to be truly generous), neighborhood families (who are teaching us what it means to care for each other), Catholic nuns (who are teaching us what it means to receive and share the love of Jesus with others), and other Christians in our neighborhood (who are teaching us what it means to pray and be an encouragement to one another).

Our dream is that during our time that in Near North we will live in a way that we extend hospitality and friendship to those around us. Through that hospitality we hope be shaped into the image of God and that others will also come to know and be shaped into God’s image.

We desire to live out a ministry of friendship – that of Parakletos. Parakletos (pronounced in Greek as par-ak-lay-tos) is a New Testament Greek word which literally means called to one’s side, and is used to describe someone who pleads another’s cause, or who helps others by defending or comforting them. Parakletos is usually translated as Advocate when referring to Jesus Christ, or either Counselor, Comforter or Helper when referring to the Holy Spirit.

As we live these lives of Parakletos we desire…

to live in loving relationships with people in North Minneapolis.

to know people’s names and stories.

to celebrate with people in the joys of life and cry with them during hard times of life.

to learn and have our lives enriched by the people of North Minneapolis.

to give help and encouragement to our neighbors.

to be a connecting point between social service agencies and the people of North Minneapolis.

to be a voice of advocacy for the marginalized in our community.

to receive and share the love of Jesus Christ with the people of North Minneapolis.

Here are three ways that we envision these desires being lived out:

Neighboring:

Being a neighbor is key to the work that we do in North Minneapolis. As we live incarnationally, we are able to grow in our understanding of what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves. As neighbors, we are able to build relationships within our community, thereby breaking down barriers of inclusion vs. exclusion; us vs. them.

Our main objective as neighbors is to offer ourselves as friends to residents in the community. When we make ourselves available in our community, God opens opportunities for us to build deeper relationships with our neighbors.

Neighboring does not come in one specific shape or form. Sometimes neighboring calls us to help unload a moving truck, and other times it calls us to act as mediators in the midst of conflict. Neighboring can be having backyard BBQs or playing tag with neighborhood kids. Overall, neighboring in any form calls us to constantly focus on developing friendships with the people around us.

Networking:

For us, part of Neighboring is networking community members with each other and with social services.

One of the things that we all need is a social network of people that can help us do life. These social networks help us with the normal routines of life and they also help us in moments of crisis. These social networks are the first place that we turn when we are in need of help.

There are times when people’s social networks can not fully meet their needs and that is when they may need to turn to social service programs for help. The difficult thing is knowing which programs to turn to and how to navigate those systems. For us, part of this networking is having a good understanding of what resources are available and how to go about accessing those resources. We are committed to not just being a referral source, but walking with people as they go through the process of working with different community services.

Neighborhood Development:

Another aspect of our Neighboring is being actively involved in neighborhood groups, ministries, and activities that strengthen individuals and the community as a whole.

Because of the complexities and challenges in people’s lives, many are hard pressed to find time and energy to be actively involved in the social infrastructure of the community. As a result, North Minneapolis has a great need for people to strengthen those neighborhood programs that improve the quality of life for everyone.

Neighborhood development takes shape in being involved in neighborhood schools, library reading programs, parent education programs, restorative justice initiatives, or community forums, as well as playing an active role in the democratic process of selecting neighborhood leaders, city council members, and other elected representatives.

Snapshot of our community

• Median household income: $22,407 (Minneapolis as a whole: $37,974)
• Average household size: 3.1
• 39% of families with children under 18 live below the poverty level ($13,290 for a family of 3)
• Unemployment rate: 16.6% (Minneapolis unemployment rate is 5.8%)
• 66% Renter occupied housing
• 58% African American
• 14% Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• 12% White
• 9% Hispanic