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Local Women’s Ministries Feature—Inner City Church of Minneapolis (ICCM)

Chris and Monica DeLaurentis pioneered the Inner City Church of Minneapolis in their home in 1993, in the poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhood in the Twin Cities. Besides this church that now runs nearly 500 in Sunday morning services, Chris and Monica have dispatched teams to plant churches in St. Paul, Miami, New York and Chicago. Their goal is to reach the urban poor, the addicted, the abused, and the abuser.

The Women’s Ministries coordinator at ICCM is Evelyn Winfield. A staggering 95 percent of women under her mentorship are coming out of addiction, prostitution, incest and other extreme abuses. Necessarily, their meetings focus heavily on healing and restoration. Once their lives progress from crisis mode to some degree of balance, the women are discipled. Winfield herself has gone from crack addict to Women’s Ministries coordinator, and now extends her wisdom and compassion to others.

This Women’s Ministries group is unique on a number of levels. DeLaurentis calls them “a community of believers who are overcoming some of life’s worst scenarios.” Many Women’s Ministries groups can quickly help women find a place of ministry; however, this can be a rather arduous task at ICCM, because women come to the church with virtually no self-esteem. Most don’t have caring family units or positive role models.

Even though ICCM is a missions church, they also support other missionaries. They support 10 Muslim girls in India, making it possible for these girls to attend school rather than being married off at a young age.

ICCM women do an outreach the last Sunday of each month. In January, focus is on Martin Luther King Day; February is Black History Month; March is generally an Easter outreach; in April, people from Chicago fill the streets of Minneapolis for “Chi Town Reunion”; in May, ICCM offers free photos of all families; outdoor crusades with rappers are offered June through August; needs are met through a back-to-school outreach in September; a Fall Festival is held each October; turkey giveaways help needy families in November; and gift giveaways round out the year in December.

According to DeLaurentis, hundreds get saved every month because of these outreaches. In Minneapolis alone, ICCM has reached out to more than 20,000 families. Women who had no hope are realizing God has a purpose for their lives. Despite lack of social skills and education, “the Holy Spirit came alive, and now they have a new desire to do what is right,” says DeLaurentis.

You may contact Monica DeLaurentis via e-mail at revica@iccmonline.com.

PATTY KENNEDY is assistant web content editor for the national Women’s Ministries Department. She also writes book and music reviews for Pages and Tunes, a free e-newsletter provided by the national Women’s Ministries Department.

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