I came across this information on the ITeams Refugee Ministry website:

Last year Minnesota had the largest number of refugee arrivals per capita in the U.S., many of them coming from places in which they had no opportunity to hear about Jesus. God has brought the largest Somali, Hmong and Oromo (Ethiopian) populations in the US to Minneapolis-St. Paul. The Cities also host the 2nd largest Tibetan and Liberian populations in the USA. There are over 60 different ethnic groups represented in the Twin Cities. Most of the forcefully displaced people (FDPs) arrived in the last 12 years.

In the past few years, many churches in Minneapolis-St. Paul have begun to desire to reach out to these new arrivals and are asking for help. Our team desires to help churches and other believers to effectively reach out to the foreigners in their midst.

We are reaching out to refugees through teaching and tutoring English, mentoring in job skills, assisting with other various needs, reaching out in friendship, and sharing Christ as we have opportunities. We are also mobilizing other believers and churches by helping them to reach out to refugees too.

Dawn and I have a big place in our hearts for the Twin Cities… so this really seems to hit home. Both of us are alumni of North Central University which is situated in a part of Minneapolis with a large concentration of Somalian refugees.

In a sense, God is bringing people from around the world to our front door. This is an amazing and unprecedented opportunity and privilege for the church in the US - particularly in places like Minneapolis and St. Paul!

It’s no coincidence that the ITeams Refugee Ministry hub is also located in Minneapolis - just a few blocks from our college, actually. Along with coordinating ministry initiatives around the world, the team is also committed to help local churches understand the refugee situation… and connect them with ministry opportunities.

This video was created by Simon, part of the team serving in Minneapolis:

On a related note, I recently noticed that North Central is offering a new major beginning in the Fall of 2007: Social Work.

Social work is a practical ministry, promoting social welfare services and policies which bring about greater justice and meet basic human needs. The goal of the training this program provides will be to prepare students for work both in the US and internationally.

Granted, it doesn’t take a bachelor’s degree to love people, but what a great opportunity for someone who is wanting to expand that and work within the government’s system to affect change on all sorts of levels.