3 Degrees began in 1989 under its former name, The New Union and was an outreach of Living Word Christian Center. The purpose was two-fold: to present the Gospel in a relevant and accessible way for people who wouldn’t necessarily step foot inside a church and to provide a safe and entertaining place for Christians of all denominations to come together. Pastors Steve and Nancy Aleksuk met at The New Union as volunteers when the ministry was just starting. After getting married in 1990, they were given the reigns of the ministry in early 1992. Originally housed in the old Union Bar and Grille in Northeast Minneapolis, the ministry purchased and renovated the Falldin American Legion building, moving in January 1994. After relocating, the club expanded to 3 nights per week, booking the best in local and national Christian artists. It was during this time that the band tournament also grew and expanded. In 1998, The New Union began holding church services, one of the first to do so in a "night-club" type setting. However, the ministry was limited in Northeast Minneapolis. As bands changed how they toured, the size of the facility couldn't accomodate the changing music industry. Also, in moving to the 2nd location, a lot of the random ministry opportunities were lost. The first location was located around several bars at the time and there were many who stumbled in or just happened to be walking by that were able to receive prayer. It didn't take long to determine the ministry needed to be located in a highly populated area: the heart of the entertainment district in downtown Minneapolis.
In October 2003, with an extraordinary volunteer effort, 3 Degrees relocated to the Warehouse District in downtown Minneapolis under its new name. The move garnered an enormous amount of media attention from a feature in Newsweek and Rolling Stone magazines to national and international TV news coverage, as well as all of the local media outlets. 3 Degrees was built with state-of-the-art sound and lighting and at the time was the largest nightclub (and sleekest - according to Rolling Stone) that Minneapolis had. Most importantly however, was the significant jump in the amount of people reached with the Gospel on a regular basis. In 2008 alone, close to 800 people have prayed the prayer of salvation through the ministries of 3 Degrees.
In January of 2008, 3 Degrees launched out on it's own, an independant church and ministry still Pastored by Steve and Nancy Aleksuk. Living Word Christian Center could no longer financially underwrite the ministry but at the same time, the leadership and congregation of 3 Degrees weren't ready to let go of the mission to reach the city for Christ. It was time for 3 Degrees to stand on it's own. God supernaturally provided the $625,000 needed to operate in 2008. During the summer of 2008, two very exciting things happened: We opened a daytime coffee shop in the lower level and we came alongside a ministry in Indonesia to open a 3 Degrees in the capital city of Jakarta. They share the same passion to reach their city with the Gospel in non-tradional ways.
By November 2008, however, the funding needed to continue a full-scale operation in Minneapolis wasn't coming in. The congregation of 3 Degrees, while growing, isn't big enough to take on all of the resources needed to run 3 Degrees. It was time for yet another change. We are NOT done! 3 Degrees church will continue as well as the new coffee shop in the lower level. The facility is available for weddings, receptions, private events and will still host occasional national bands and concert events.
If you would like information on how you can get involved as a financial partner or volunteer, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .