A Month of Prayer, Serving & Art

Mpls and Lake St unrest response:

A Month of Prayer, Serving and Art

Let The Healing Begin

Racial Reconciliation & Restoration

Events

Hosted at Lake St and Nicollet (Kmart) 5th precinct – epicenter of riots 5/29-5/30
Fresh produce / diaper giveaway for 800-1,000 each Saturday of June
Over 2,000-3,000 Homeless Meals Weekly
wrap up prayer/art/music rally
Mural project (Kmart 400 ft wall) – FAI Coop Mural
Bicycle Donation Drop-Off (6/20 – 10am-1pm)
Bicycle Giveaway (6/27 – 2:30-3:30pm)
6/20-6/27
- 24 hr/7 day prayer vigil -prayer tent
- Prayer Flags and Art
- ~~Prayer walks/march~~ – Postponed (George Floyd’s memorial site to Lake St and Nicollet)
June 26-27
- June 27: Wrap Up Rally: prayer/serving/art/music
  - Fresh Produce and Diaper Giveaway (11am-1pm)
  - Bike Giveaway (2:30-3:30pm)
  - Concert & Creative Prayers (4-9:30pm)
  - Mural Project Reveal Celebration

A Month of Prayer, Serving and Art

After the death of George Floyd and the ensuing riots in our city, we just had a few days to put together a “Let the Healing Begin: Racial Reconciliation and Restoration” prayer, serving and art response. Yet, we have been overwhelmed with the massive response, and so we decided to extend our response at least through the month of June.

On June 7, we hosted a the fresh produce/diaper give away (saw over 600 people come and gave away 24 tons of food). We had a prayer walk/march and local worship bands lead our worship and prayer. Since we have seen the needs of our neighborhood increase, as well as the interest for this type of community engagement grow, we have decided to extend the prayer, serving and art initiatives throughout June. The last week of June will be the climax with June 27, which will be an art/music event in the Kmart parking lot (Lake St and Nicollet Ave, the ground zero of day 3 and 4 of the riots).

Our Prayer and Actions are summed up by this:
Let the healing begin – racial reconciliation and restoration.

for the Lake Street immigrant neighborhoods ravished by riots
for decades of racial injustices that still exist in our culture

Prayer: We lift up both the injustice of systemic racism and violence to an impoverished, immigrant neighborhood.

For God to gather diverse congregations with hearts and passions to confront all the ways that racism continues. Together, our pray is for healing and transformation, first in our own hearts. Then we can ask how we can influence our own networks, and seek God’s direction to be part of significant change to impact our society.
To reach our and offer hope and opportunity to our neighbors in trauma. Pray against the effect of violence and the existing residue would not leave its mark. That this neighborhood and city would be restored and building on Kingdom Foundations of our God and Christ who came to give life to all.
Prayer Gathering and Initiatives
- 24 hour – 7 Day Prayer Vigil,
  - Prayer Tent at Lake St & Nicollet
  - Zoom links to be published
- Prayer Walks/March’s from George Floyd’s Death site (Chicago and 38th), down E Lake St, to Lake St and Nicollet
- Worship from local churches at Saturday events
  - Prayer offered to neighbors that are still dealing with the trauma and suffering economically from covid and riots.
- Prayer Flags: express by and for the individuals from the community.

Serving: Help E Lake St heal, and be a conduit of food and restoration for residents, small businesses and ethnic churches.

Providing 80 tons of Fresh Produce / Diapers in the month of June to be given aware at Lake St and Nicollet (Kmart Parking Lot) – Each Saturday in June. Partnering with FOTV and Lavina.
Resourcing, producing and distributing 10,000 Meals for the Homeless and Displaced
Meals and Groceries, Milk, Eggs & Meat from the Fallout Urban Art Center
Free Bikes for Kids and Neighbors
Assisting small businesses recover

Art: Art and creativity can be bring life, bring neighbors together, restore community, give vision for a future. Creative expression can be intercessory prayers that combat violence and evil, make statements that darkness and oppression do not have a hold. Gods kingdom celebrates diversity, our creator is the original artist that made our skin colors unique, and has the heart of a generous elder that wants to see each of his children flourish and play nice together. Art can speak out to the sea and split it, calm the storm, move the mountains of historical oppressions and usher in a supernatural spirit that is holy which super naturally brings hope, truth and love that is needed for the future of justice and peace that we all desire.

Sunday morning, Pentecost Sunday, after day 3 and 4 of the riots, Lake & Nicollet parking lots and streets were clean. Saturday, during the day, thousands came with brooms after the post office, bank and businesses were burnt to the ground. Sunday morning the city cleared the debris in the parking lots, and had street cleaners clean the parking lots. (Kmart parking lot is cleaner than I ever have seen it in 25 years). The only residue of the violence and destruction, other than the small of still smoldering buildings, that was left was the vulgar graffiti plastered on every building. This was a form of Art that was powerful. It gave testimony and homage to the oppression and darkness that was present and still existed in the neighborhood. It reflected the demons smiling and gloating over the power that they had and gave them invitation to stay.

The next Tuesday, Source painted well over 1,000 feet of wall. Including the 300 foot Kmart front and 150 foot side. Lake st & Nicollet has long been a bit of the armpit of Lake St, and Kmart has been a eye sore and a bit of the billboard of oppression. The unattractive 300 foot cement wall is understandably nicknames the “Berlin Wall”.

Art Gathering and Initiatives

Mural Project: Let the Healing Begin – recruiting over a dozen mutli-ethnic mural artist groups to express the vision and prayer of Let the Healing Begin. Local Mcad artist will do 50 ft with kids from the neighborhood. We are getting quality artist to complete the whole wall by June 27
Art Opening: “let the healing begin” gallery art show. Creative expressions from local artists of the tragedy of George Floyd’s death and the violence of the riots to impoverished immigrant neighborhoods. And the hope that beauty can come from ashes and see real change. Healing come to systemic racism throughout history and recovery to neighborhood communities to be rebuilt. Let the healing begin.
- Hosted at Kmart on Saturday, June 27, 4-10pm.
Fallout Coop Mural: commission Mural on the Fallout Coop Building
Creativity during food distributions. We welcome creativity and prayers as we are serve families. Lots of Creative Prayers are common to our serving expressions. Artist creating work in a variety of formats beyond the murals, including the Prayer Tent and Prayer flags.
June 27 Wrap-up Rally: Combination of Art Opening and Coop Mural Reveal, wrap-up day fresh produce / diaper giveaway, bike give away, music, worship bands, creative prayers and Kmart Mural celebrations.