Community Ministries

Bus Ministry to the Community

On Saturday morning, many from the congregation gather together to go out into the streets and lanes of the city (see Luke 14:21-23) and invite people to church. We divide the homes from the six bus routes into sections and disperse throughout the inner-city from about 10:00 until noon. This gives us a chance to spend some one-on-one quality time with the people we come in contact with; to encourage, pray with, and sometimes even present the Gospel to them. At noon we meet again at church for a “report back” session and share what God was able to accomplish that morning…from some chance encounter (divine appointment), to encouraging an old friend who’s been coming on the bus for years.

Soul Winning in the Parks

One longstanding tradition at Straitgate Church is Summer soul winning. On Wednesday evenings after prayer meeting, members of our congregation go to one of the many city parks here in Minneapolis for evangelism. There are several chalk artists at our church. One of them will draw picture, which tells a story. Accompanying this visual story is a sermon by a member of our evangelism team. Churchgoers with evangelism experience mingle in the audience and pray as they watch for open hearts. We have found this to be a tremendously effective means for projecting the Gospel to our city.

Heroes of the Faith

Scripture says that if we walk with wise men we will be wise. One month each year we depict the lives of Godly men and women. From Hudson Taylor to Fanny Crosby to C.T. Stud, the impact of their lives continues.

Family Ministries

These events minister primarily to those who attend Straitgate Church regularly and choose to join the unique ministry opportunity that God has assigned to this Body. These activities are primarily designed to edify and strengthen the body to be effective ministers of the Gospel.

Busing Breakfast

Every second Saturday of the month at 9:00am is the much-anticipated Busing Breakfast. Prior to going into the streets and lanes of the city, a special breakfast is prepared for the workers. The additional calorie intake provides energy and incentive to find new contacts and renew old contacts to compel them to come to God’s house the next morning.

The Straitgate Family Camp

A two-day, church-wide bucolicon takes place each August at a Christian camp in Chetek, Wisconsin.

Prayer Vigils

In following with Christ’s own example as seen in Luke 6:12, the congregation periodically gathers for a night of prayer and fasting from sleep. Throughout the night, they memorize a Scripture passage, sing hymns, study the Word of God, and spend substantial amounts of time in corporate prayer. The Vigil is concluded with a trip to the local Perkin’s for breakfast and fellowship.