October 2002 - Nehemiah Center

A Center for Prayer in the Twin Cities

In 1996, planning began for a city-wide Prayer Center in the Twin Cities called the Nehemiah Center . A number of people came forward, independently from one another attesting to God speaking to them about the same idea, but with a broader focus of a muti-purpose ministry center shared by various organizations engaged in prayer and/or evangelism.

This center would contain a prayer center, a research division, and a communications center, as well as provide office space to multiple organizations.  This would accomplish three things:

1     Facilitate networking between organizations working in the same field, but scattered across the Metro area.

2.    Create synergy between these organizations that would enhance their servanthood of the Church, especially with the help of a research division and a communications center.

3.    Be a visual aid regarding unity in the Church of the Twin Cities

In May of 1997, First Covenant Church began to fast, pray, and seek God's direction for them as a church.  They had a sense of developing a ministry center to serve the community.

About two years later, the "Nehemiah Center task force" contacted First Covenant about using their facility as the home for the Nehemiah Center.  After a joint meeting, it was clear that this was a perfect, God-designed match, and the planning began to renovate the third floor of the church.

The idea of calling the new facility the " Nehemiah Center " was based on the life of Nehemiah, a Jewish leader, and the cupbearer to Artaxerxes I, the king of Persia .  His overwhelming concern for the welfare of Jerusalem and its inhabitants prompted him to request permission from the king to return to his homeland.  He was granted permission by the king and left for Jerusalem .

The people were in disgrace, the gates were burned, and the walls were broken down.  Nehemiah challenged his countrymen to rebuild the shattered wall of Ierusalem and their reply was, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began the good work.

In spite of great opposition, the task was completed in 52 days, a feat even Israel 's enemies had to attribute to God's enabling.  As governor of Jerusalem from 444 to 432 B.C., Nehemiah encouraged, rebuked, and prayed for his people, calling them to righteous living before the Lord their God.

As the ministries on the site at the Nehemiah Center, and other "virtual" partners across the city, we seek to rebuild the wall of the Twin Cities, connect its gates, and provide protection for the city - this means to facilitate cooperation and communication between Christian ministries, businesses, and churches to be most effective in fulfilling the great commandment and the great commission.  At present there are a number of agencies at the Nehemiah Center, including Urban Bible Institue, Ethnic America Summit 2003, Harvest Evangelism, Heart of the City Ministries, Mission America, Kingdom Oil,  Prayer Transformation Ministries, First Covenant Church and the Religion Information Resources.