Beyond Stories: 441 Ministries

Do you enjoy sipping a nice hot cup of coffee while Drew preaches on a Sunday morning? If so, then you have New City Cafe & Roastery to thank. They roast coffee from around the world while partnering with the community to create a great gathering space, and they hire teens from the community to help them recognize their gifts and develop their skills, all with the end goal of them recognizing their potential as image bearers of God.

New City Cafe is one of the programs of 441 Ministries, one of our Beyond partners. Their goal is flourishing in the Beechwood neighborhood in Rochester on three fronts: spiritually, relationally, and economically. Their programs also include kids’ and teens’ clubs, fresh produce access initiatives, and access to affordable housing. They address four specific target areas: economic development, affordable housing, holistic health, and community cultivation.

Kids and Teens Club offers programming for kids and teens during the year. Kids Club meets on Saturday afternoons, and they also have a summer meals program Monday through Friday that includes a fun nutritious meal and exercise lessons to promote wellness, as well as some Bible lessons and story times. Teens Club provides engagement for teens and meets every other Friday afternoon. Activities with mentors promote discipleship, relationships, leadership, and community service.

The Beechwood neighborhood is considered a food desert, meaning there is a lack of easy access to fresh produce for its residence. To help combat this, 441 partners with FoodLink’s Curbside Market, a truck that comes daily with fresh fruits and vegetables. They also manage a community garden that they started in May 2016. Nutrition and gardening lessons are offered at the garden and it is an open harvest with the goal of building community. Our kids ministry program recently had the opportunity to raise money for this garden in the spring.

441 Ministries also has programs for housing, to increase access to affordable housing, reduce poverty, and improve outcomes for children. They operate thirteen apartments below market value to empower tenants to flourish and gain necessary skills. 441 builds relationships with tenants to address the social determinants of health (SDOH) in their lives.

As a church family, we love being able to support the work of 441 Ministries. If you’re interested in participating in 441’s work, click here.