The brethren of the Minneapolis, Minnesota, church gathered for a first-of-its-kind neighborhood outreach event for children and families on a spectacularly beautiful day. It had rained heavily the day before, and milder rain was in the forecast on the program’s date, September 20, 2025. However, God honored the prayers of the saints and not only held off the rain, but also provided a bright, sunny day.

The program was scheduled to start at noon, so the saints arrived a couple of hours early to set up. Visitors from other Apostolic Faith branches supported the event as well, including Kehinde Omosor from Worth, Illinois; Kemi Oyedokun from St. Louis, Missouri; and Nyasha Gwaza and Toyin Shittu from Madison, Wisconsin. Mobolape, a PhD student at the University of Minnesota, also attended. By 11:30 a.m., the bounce house was completely inflated, and youngsters gleefully started their fun early. Loudspeakers sounded forth a playlist of classical and modern Gospel songs. The grilling station was prepared and game centers were carefully curated around the church. Skipping ropes, hula hoops, a bean bag toss, games like Scrabble and Mancala, were provided for youthful fun. Upon arrival, guests went to the registration/ticketing table where they were offered food and drink tickets, a summary of the church and its doctrines, tracts, and pre-packed souvenirs.

The kids did not hesitate to grab ice cream, hot dogs, or sloppy joes, and ate them happily alongside their parents. Soon, the playlist began playing favorite children’s Sunday school songs, such as “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy,” and the bounce house was filled with the sounds of youngsters singing and giggling with delight. Around the corner, Grandma Akuvi was effortlessly winning every round of the Mancala board game, until Janet Omitoyin arrived and was declared a worthy opponent. A few of the neighborhood kids attempted to teach some of the brethren how to use a hula hoop but had little success. A visitor who was first introduced to the church family through meetings at the Gospel Mission homeless shelter came and stayed until the end and also attended the Sunday service the next day. 

At about 1:00 p.m., the fire brigade arrived with their truck, and the children were eager to take a tour inside. The helpful officers handed them fire hats to pose with and kept them entertained.

By 5:00 p.m., the children, exhausted from food and bouncing, created some wonderful chalk art on the pathway. Soon, several choir members from Minneapolis and other branches began to assemble for a sing-along session. Brother Nyasha on guitar, Brother Kehinde on trumpet, and Samuel Adeapin on flute led songs like “You Are My All In All” and “Through It All,” as everyone gathered around them. The music session was eventually capped with a closing prayer by Tola Agboola, bringing the program to an official end.