“Minnesota in a deep freeze – and proud of it”

From the Saint Paul Pioneer Press:

Frozen Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis by Greg Benz

Yes, we’re the cold, northern star of the country this week. Meteorologists everywhere are talking about us — the negative temperatures, the dangerous wind chills, the endless blizzards that are making this the winter of our discontent. And yet, perhaps all the national attention actually makes us content: The rest of you, you don’t know cold like we know cold. We’ve got salt. We’ve got snowplows. We’ve got stoicism. We can handle it … 

Minnesota’s extreme temperatures are often at their most extreme in International Falls, which frequently gets mentioned at this time of year in national weather forecasts. Wednesday, City Council Member and Vice Mayor Tim “Chopper” McBride was showing a “Good Morning America” news crew around town for a spot that was scheduled to air this morning. On Wednesday, the city’s temperature dipped to minus 42 at 3:36 a.m., tying the record low from 1972 (the city’s high Wednesday, by the way, was minus 14, and the wind chills were minus 35 to minus 40).

Currently in Saint Paul, it is 19 degrees below zero and it feels like 34 degrees below (it is -6 degrees, and feels like -26 in Chicago).  Yes it gets cold here, but this radical weather is common for the Midwest (see Weather in Minnesota).

For obvious reasons – my car didn’t start this morning.  My nose hairs are also thawing out.

Theological Confusion in the Twin Cities

A recent Christianity Today article by Collin Hansen called “Fire and Nice,” highlights the “feisty collection of influential churches” in the Twin Cities.

Here in the Twin Cities, we have a hodgepodge of churches from theological extremes.  We have fiery Calvinists (Bethlehem Baptist – John Piper), postmodern emergents (Solomon’s Porch – Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones), philosophical open-theists (Woodland Hills – Greg Boyd), evangelical leaders (Wooddale – Leith Anderson), prosperity preachers (Living Word – Mac Hammond) and baby boomer mega-churches (Eagle Brook – Bob Merritt).  Of course there is even everything in between.

Why plant a church in a city with all these evangelical options?  There are many reasons that I have outlined elsewhere (and will continue to highlight).  However, let me touch on one more point here in light of the article above. 

A picture of a mega church in the Twin Cities

I agree that the Twin Cities do not need more new churches just to have more churches.  If I planted a church that is hip and cool, and preached the good news that God wants you to be rich, then I added to the area a community of greed-centered heretics.  The Twin Cities does not need more churches that add to the confusion, this metro area needs more churches that are centered on the mission to glorify God through the testimony of the biblical gospel of Jesus Christ.  There are certainly churches that are centered on this mission, but there are also many that are not.  My prayer is that this plant will be centered on the gospel of God’s grace in order to be a new church that blesses the Twin Cities rather than confuses it more.

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See also the Star Tribune article “Rock of [younger] ages,” which highlights the church culture among the 20-30 somethings of the Twin Cities.

Weather in Minnesota

In light of Minnesota’s first snowfall on Sunday (do not worry, it all melted as soon as it hit the warm ground), I wanted to share some thoughts on Minnesota weather. 

Minnesota in general, and the Twin Cities in particular, have four beautiful seasons.  MSP More to Life gives this summary:

The National Weather Service describes our climate as “continental,” defined as “great seasonal variation in temperatures, four distinct seasons and a relatively small annual precipitation.” We call it “just about perfect.”

Minneapolis Saint Paul’s changing seasons make it extraordinary. Sure, we have winter. Yes, it can be cold. We love it. It’s what makes us unique. But we have 3 other seasons, too – a prismatic autumn, a slow summer and an exhilarating spring. That’s what makes us complete.

People don’t hibernate come winter. We embrace it and celebrate it. We build ice castles and host the only U.S. pond hockey tournament. Our community was built to prosper November through March. Skyways were invented by us for us. 13 miles of climate-controlled bliss connect downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Proud, hearty and always on the go.

The land of four seasons has shaped an extremely busy and active population. Rollerblading the lakes in the summer or snow kiting on them in the winter.

The winter seems to be a big concern for many individuals when I talk with them about this church plant in the Twin Cities.  Minnesota has gained a reputation for being only second to the Antarctic in terms of snow and freezing temperatures.  In fact, even many from Chicago seem to dread the thought of a Minnesota winter even though Chicago winters are far from a walk in the park.  Allow me to share with you some stats about winters in the Twin Cities in comparison to other U.S. cities:

Average days a year under 32 degrees

• Barrow, Alaska: 321.
• International Falls, Minnesota: 197. 
• Twin Cities: 156 days.
• Chicago: 130 days.
• New York City: 78 days.
• Los Angeles: 0 days.

Lowest Recorded Temperature

• McGrath, Alaska: -75 degrees.
• International Falls: -46 degrees.
• Twin Cities: -34 degrees.
• Chicago: -27 degrees.
• New York City: -3 degrees.
• Los Angeles: 23 degrees.

Normal Daily Mean Temperature

• Barrow, Alaska: 9 degrees.
• International Falls: 36 degrees.
• Twin Cities: 44 degrees.
• Chicago: 49 degrees.
• New York City: 54 degrees.
• Los Angeles: 63 degrees.

Average Annual Snowfall (inches)

• Valdez, Alaska: 324″
• International Falls: 65.3″
• Twin Cities: 49.9″
• Chicago: 38.9″
• New York City: 26″
• Los Angeles: 0″

Number of Sunny Days a Year

• St. Paul Island, Alaska: 18 days.
• Seattle: 71 days.
• International Falls: 76 days.
• Chicago: 84 days.
• Twin Cities: 95 days.
• New York: 97 days.
• Los Angeles: 186 days.

I hope the above gives you an idea of the weather in Minnesota.  Even within Minnesota there are extremes when you compare International Falls with the Twin Cities.  In addition, there is not much of a difference between Chicago and the Twin Cities.  Both see some extreme Midwestern weather.  One can understand why someone from Los Angeles would want to avoid a Twin Cities winter, but not someone from Chicago.

In conclusion, I see one tremendous benefit from the Twin Cities having such a repetition about its winter — it keeps the sissies out of the city. 

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Picture above from Wakefield Police website.

Being Green in the Twin Cities

 

Como Park in St. Paul

Some of you only think about white when you think about the Twin Cities.  It is also time to think green. Consider the following from MSP More to Life:

• Minneapolis landed 7th on Forbes’ 2008 list of “Best Cities for the Outdoors,” giving it top marks for having 5,400 acres of city land devoted to parks
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked among the top 10 greenest cities in America in 2007 by Earth Day Network
• Minneapolis was ranked 2nd best in the nation for recycling byBioCycle magazine
• Minnesota ranks 3rd in the nation in 2008 for wind-energy production
• Forbes named Minneapolis the 7th best city for the outdoors in 2008
• Loring Park ranked among the top 10 best leafy getaways tucked away in the big city by USA Today in April 2008
• Elle Décor called the Minneapolis Riverfront “a center of enlightened gentrification”
• “The unassuming City of Lakes has been making a name for itself as a green heavy weight by steadily lightening its environment footprint.” – MSN City Guides
• “Minneapolis began to rediscover its riverfront in the early 1990s, and the resuscitation of the region is an urban success story of profound proportions.” – Columbus Dispatch
• Popular Science named Minneapolis the 11th greenest city in the nation.

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Above picture from www.pps.com 

The Professional Prowess of the Twin Cities

Picture of Target Headquarters in Minneapolis by Pete Sieger

New York, Chicago or Houston typically comes to mind when people think of cities with a strong professional job market.  The Twin Cities metro area should as well.  Consider the following from MSP More to Life:

• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked 5th best city for young professionals by Forbes in 2008
• MarketWatch named Minneapolis Saint Paul the best metro area for business in 2007
• Working Mother named General Mills among the top 5 best places for multicultural women to work
• Policom announced that the Minneapolis Saint Paul metro area has the 19th strongest economy in the nation
• According to the New York Times, Minneapolis has become a national leader in developing sound governance practices for nonprofit organizations
• Saint Paul-based Ecolab, Golden Valley-based General Mills and Blaine-based Aveda ranked among the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere
• American Electronics Association named the Minneapolis Saint Paul MSA among the nation’s top high-tech employment regions
• Minnesota ranked as the 10th top state for business in America according to CNBC
• Minneapolis (23rd), Rochester (53rd) and St. Cloud (75th) all ranked as cities that combine a great business environment with alluring leisure offerings as decided by Fortune Small Business magazine
• Black Enterprise named General Mills in the top 40 best companies for diversity
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked 17th in the nation for best market for young people by BizJournals
• ComputerWorld named 3 Minnesota companies into the top 11 best places to work in IT
• Rochester Medical Corp., IntriCon Corp., WSI Industries Inc., MedTox Scientific Inc. and Nortech Systems were all named inFortune Small Business magazine’s list of America’s fastest-growing small public companies
• FORTUNE named 8 Minnesota companies in the Global 500 rankings of the world’s largest corporations
• A Harris Interactive Reputation Quotientsurvey announced that Minnesota companies General Mills Inc. and 3M Co. are among America’s favorite companies
• BizJournals named Minneapolis Saint Paul one of the smartest metros in America
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranks 5th in business climate among large metros by Site Selection magazine
• Minnesota ranked 9th in the number of Fortune 500 Headquarters in 2007 reports Compare Minnesota
• American City Business Journals named Minneapolis Saint Paul among the top 5 best metro areas in the nation for small business in 2007
• Minnesota ranked 10th “Best State for Business” by Forbes in 2007
• Minnesota ranked 3rd in global patents in 2007 according to the Kauffman Foundation
• Minneapolis Saint Paul ranked 5th in new and expanded corporate facilities by Site Selection magazine in May 2008
• MarketWatch reports Minneapolis Saint Paul had the second highest concentration of Fortune 1000 and S&P 500 Companies in 2007

Minneapolis is Underrated

MSNBC explains why Minneapolis is one of the top 10 underrated U.S. cities:

When you think “Midwest architectural mecca” the first city that springs to mind is probably Chicago. But a burst of new buildings from the world’s top architects — Herzog & de Meuron’s Walker Art Center expansion, Jean Nouvel’s new Guthrie Theater, Michael Graves’ addition to the Institute of Arts — reinforces the fact that Minneapolis’s cultural cachet doesn’t entirely depend upon Prince (the city’s most notorious native son). The city’s revitalization has spread to banks of the Mississippi, where the booming Mill District has shops, restaurants, and boutique hotels catering to style-savvy travelers, many of whom come for the tax-free shopping.

Greg Benz, who also took the picture of the Minneapolis skyline above, also explains:

“Underrated” is a term I used to describe Minneapolis a lot.  I moved here a few years ago, and really had no idea what a cool city it is.  Even in Chicago, most people seem to think this is some backwater town sitting on the edge of the frigid arctic.  Sure its cold (but not really colder than Chicago I’d say) and it isn’t as big as New York (but there’s plenty to do) – but once you’re here a while, you realize you pretty much have everything you’d want to do (good night life, pro sports, beautiful natural area, …) all within a few minutes anytime you want.  It’s truly one of the most misunderstood and underrated cities I’ve ever encountered.

- Posted by Bryan

Those in the Twin Cities are smart, fit, fun and diverse

 

(picture from Videodetective.com)

When many people think of the Twin Cities they think of Minnesota, and when they think of Minnesota they think of movies like Fargo (which is in North Dakota) and Grumpy Old Men.  They think of white European decedents who speak with a long “O” and spend most of their time ice fishing, having potlucks and telling Ole and Lena jokes.

However, people from the Twin Cities seem to be better described as smart, fit, fun and diverse.  Consider the following facts:

• A Smart City.  Minneapolis is consider the most literate city in the nation, according to Dr. John W. Miller of Central Connecticut State University.  St. Paul ranks 3rd with Seattle between the two.  A Midwestern global city called Chicago ranks 40.  Yikes.  Also, St. Paul has “10 colleges and universities within city limits (18 in the region), which makes it second only to Boston in the number of higher education institutions per capita” (USA Today).
• A Fit City.  Minneapolis is ranked second fittest city according to Men’s Fitness.  Colorado Springs is first.  Chicago didn’t make the fittest city list, but did take spot 20 in the fattest city list.  Not bad for a city that prides itself on hot dogs, deep dish pizza and Italian beef (for the record, I LOVE Chicago food!).  Also, Minneapolis is second to Portland for bicycling commuters, and eighth for walking commuters in the nation.
• A Fun City and State.  Minneapolis is the most fun city to live, according to Money Magazine’s Bert Sperling.  The study showed that the city “has more theaters than Boston, more parks than Denver, more golfers per capita than any other city in American, and with 10,000 lakes in the state, Minnesota, has more coastline than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined.”
• A Diverse City.  Immigrants “from areas as varied as Laos, Mexico, and Somalia have made Minneapolis-St. Paul’s immigrant community one of the most diverse in the U.S.” (see Brookings).  It is incredible to see the international diversity of the Twin Cities grow.  Much more will be written on this point in later posts.

It is true, this metro area has much more than lutefisk and snow.

- Bryan

Twin Cities vs. Chicago: comparing the two cities.

  VS.  

 

The Twin Cities and Chicago are my two favorite cities.  I have deeply enjoyed my time in both of them, and would feel honored if God called me to do church planting in either one.  At this time in my life, I feel called to the Twin Cities.

Most of the Core Team, and those considering being part of the Core Team, will be moving out of the Chicago area to the Twin Cities.  I think it would be good (and fun!) to compare these two cities in certain areas based upon Travel + Leisure’s yearly American’s Favorite Cities survey.  These results are based on the 2007 results, but you can take an online quiz for 2008.

Here are the categories and the winner of each:

• People (diversity, intelligence, athletic, etc.).  Winner: Chicago 5th vs. TC 7th
• Type of Trip (sports, family, wild weekend, etc.).  Winner: Chicago 5th vs. TC 7th.
• After Dark (singles scene, music, clubs, etc.).  Winner: Chicago 6th vs. TC 15th.
• Culture (architecture, theater, music, etc.).  Winner: Chicago 3rd vs. TC 10th
• Shopping (vintage, antiques, etc.).  Winner: Chicago 3rd vs. TC 13th.
• Food/Dining (pizza, ethnic food, farmer’s markets, etc.) Chicago 1st vs. TC 10th
• Cityscape (cleanliness, parks, skyline, etc.) – TC 3rd vs. Chicago 4th
• Characteristics (affordability, safety, weather, etc.) - TC 6th vs. Chicago 12th

Hope you enjoy!

- Bryan

(both pictures of Minneapolis and Chicago from wikipedia)