Imagine a city where pastors, intercessors, business leaders, government officials, educators, youth leaders and worship leaders share a vision to see their city transformed by the power of Jesus Christ. That city is Elk River, Minnesota, where the power of unified prayer is lighting the fuse for a major spiritual transformation.
It all began in late 1992 when then businessman Rick Heeren, and his wife Rachel, journeyed to Argentina and witnessed the transformation that was occurring there through something called prayer evangelism. Pastors there were praying together, breaking down the walls that had divided them ethnically and theologically, and commissioning their members to pray for their neighbors and co-workers. On the plane trip home, the Lord spoke to Rick and asked him to bring what he had seen God doing in Argentina back to his own country, beginning in his own home town–the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Rick left his job and began meeting with pastors all over the Twin Cities. Many pastors’ prayer groups were formed, but it was not until 1995 when Rick had lunch with an Elk River businessman by the name of K.C. Foster that the seeds of what had been brought from Argentina began to germinate. Rick told K.C about the transformation of an Argentine city named Resistencia. He told him that this transformation had been documented in Ed Silvoso’s book, That None Should Perish. K.C. was so impacted by this conversation that he bought two cases of the Silvoso book and began to distribute them to the pastors in his city. He also encouraged these pastors to begin praying together in the Elk River Library.
The first meeting at the Elk River Library included just two pastors: Paul Salfrank (a conservative evangelical) and Bob Pullar (a charismatic). In some cities, the gulf between these two streams is so large that it is unthinkable that they could ever pray together. But in the Elk River Library in 1996, these two pastors created a circle of truth around each other and declared that in Elk River it is possible for pastors from these two theological streams to pray together.
As Pastor Paul Salfrank shares, “The Elk River story represents a new paradigm for the Christian church which is not limited by denominational identities and competition among believers. In the Elk River area we speak of ‘the Church of the city.’ I not only pastor my own congregation, but I am also called by God to pastor the whole city. As spiritual leaders, we are striving to be the answer to Jesus’ simple prayer for unity in John chapter 17 when He prayed, ‘Let them be one so that the world may know.’ The Pray Elk River movement is not about programs. It never will be. It’s about relationships and a bigger vision of the Church.”
Pastor Bob Pullar relates, “It was back in 1996 that the pastors of Elk River were presented with the challenge to read the book, That None Should Perish. It created in us the need to meet together as pastors, and to pray together for our city. It created within us a greater passion for the lost. What started out as a relatively small group has become a larger, diversified group of pastors and marketplace leaders who meet together weekly to pray. Through that unified prayer, a notable change has taken place in the spiritual climate over our city and the surrounding area.
In 1997 the Lord gave Ed Silvoso a further definition of prayer evangelism out of Luke 10:1-9. Here are the four key components of prayer evangelism found in those Scriptures:
Bless (v. 5)
Fellowship (v. 7)
Pray for “felt needs” (v. 9a)
Proclaim (v. 9b)
By the fall of 1999, it was becoming apparent that the Spirit was moving in Elk River. Ed Silvoso saw in Elk River the potential to become a prototype for prayer evangelism that would “detonate” other cities to follow their lead. Rick took this message to the pastors in Elk River and they accepted it wholeheartedly.
In September/October of 2000, an acceleration of the prayer evangelism process in Elk River was launched. It was then that seven congregations from different denominations gave up their Sunday morning services to come together for a Celebration of Unity at the local high school. An offering of $15,600 was received and given to Mayor Stephanie Klinzing on behalf of the City of Elk River, to launch what today is called “Love Elk River,” a ministry of caring and discipleship to minister to specific needs.
Mayor Klinzing defines “Love Elk River” as being “…created to disciple and come alongside the needs of those that God is calling out of darkness into His marvelous light. ‘Love Elk River’ has a transitional housing program to house the homeless in different settings that we have in the city and the nearby areas. In doing so, we are surrounding them with Christians who are helping them in a lot of ways, the idea being to move them from homelessness into permanent housing. But the larger picture that I see is that God has put His hand upon this city, and He is pulling everything possible that we need to prepare this place for His glory to rest here.”
In October of 2003, Operation Care and Share provided another opportunity to demonstrate Jesus’ love for the community. On one Saturday morning, several hundred Christians from area churches delivered a copy of the Jesus Video to 10,000 homes in the Greater Elk River Area. During this outreach, they also collected 21,500 pounds of food for area food shelves.
Recognizing that the Church of the city is not limited to ministering to local needs, the Elk River Team has recently begun a community-wide mission partnership to support an area hard hit by the HIV crisis in Rwanda, Africa. Hundreds of children have been sponsored through this partnership.
“Four of us Elk River pastors traveled together to Rwanda as a delegation from our city,” shares Pastor Greg Pagh. “Our hearts were broken for the people there. God planted in us a vision for a shared city-to-city partnership that would model the reconciliation we’ve experienced in Elk River to a country trying desperately to find hope in the face of poverty, HIV Aids and their recent history of genocide. As we sow into another part of the world through this community-wide mission effort, we believe that we will also receive back many blessings that will further our city reaching effort here in Elk River.”
The business community is also exploding with growth as marketplace leaders are recognizing that the workplace provides fertile ground for transformation. Local businesses are creating workplace environments where faith can be shared. Business leaders are receiving support and encouragement for this effort through luncheon gatherings called “Bringing Your Faith to Work.”
Riverview Community Bank – one of the fastest growing banks in the state of Minnesota – is a leading example of marketplace transformation. Co-founder and Sr. Vice President, Chuck Ripka, reveals, “Our goal was to establish a bank not just founded on Christian principles, but one where faith and witness can be shared openly. We want to see this as a business that can be used by God as a vehicle for community transformation and encouragement to others. Because the expression of faith is welcomed at Riverview, the Holy Spirit has led us to pray for many customers for their personal needs. We have had many people pray to receive Christ and also to receive physical healings. Even our drive-through tellers have prayed with people.”
Other businesses in Elk River have discovered that God can use the workplace to be a powerful witness for the Lord. One of those businesses is Beaudry Oil, whose owner, Ken Beaudry and his wife, Carrie, are not only business leaders, but leading intercessors for Pray Elk River.
“For years I struggled in my business,” Ken says, “because I thought I could do it all myself. Finally in desperation I said, ‘God, I’m giving it to you.’ From this day forward, I’m asking You to be CEO of this company.’ That’s when things began to turn around. Sure, there are still struggles, but God has given me success and allowed me to use my business as a platform for ministry around the world. I no longer see my work as an obstacle to my faith. Today, I really see that my work is my ministry.”
As stated earlier, Elk River has been defined as a “detonator city.” It produces the first of many smaller explosions that will result in a larger impact in the region and the nation. In February 2004, the book The Elk River Story, written by those who have had a key role in the process up to now and edited by Rick Heeren, was released. It has become a tool to minister hope and faith to leaders in other cities all around the Midwest United States as well as other cities around the world. In May 2005, 120 leaders from 31 cities in 10 states gathered in Elk River to set in motion a strategic path to see the entire region transformed.
Testimonies continue to mount as God works in churches, schools, businesses and government institutions to change lives one by one. The pastors and marketplace ministers of the Pray Elk River movement believe that they are still just at the beginning of an exciting journey. They remain committed to seeing an entire city transformed by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They continue to pursue with passion and faithfulness the dream of the Psalmist who wrote, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity, for there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.”
Rick Heeren
Midwest US Regional Vice President, Harvest Evangelism
With the Pray Elk River Team