:: Questions about Missions with Virginia Marion
:: Redeemer, A Mover of Movements
:: Get the RCPC Church Planter Manual
:: Got Church Planting in You? Find Out!

INFINITY CHURCH: THE GOSPEL IN THE HOOD
Part I: Making the Gospel Relevant

Planting a church in any location is challenging... but what if you were called to a ghetto neighborhood? What if you had to deal with social and family issues that seemed to be beyond your control? Poverty? Sex? Broken homes? Drugs? How could you really understand the heart of the problems facing your community? How would you make the Gospel relevant to their lives?

Church-planter Dimas Salaberrios is not a stranger to the ghetto environment. He knows the importance of understanding the culture and meeting the needs of a specific community. And as the pastor of newly-launched Infinity Church, his mission is to do just that. Reach the kids. Meet their real needs. Get involved with their lives. Speak their language so that they will understand the Gospel.

Scopin' Out the 'Hood
The new church opened its doors this past September and focuses on the youth in Marble Hill and the surrounding ten-block Bronx neighborhood. It's not the most elegant 'hood in New York - the buildings look run down, with graffiti-encrusted walls, doors and windows dressed in iron bars. The kids that roam the town look tough, wearing baggy clothes and listening to rap music.

The population is mostly Dominican and African-American with lots of youth and single parent homes. There is a 7% graduation rate from high school in this area. Most kids dropout, and Dimas reflects that he has never met so many kids that just quit. They end up getting jobs at McDonalds, video joints, or local convenience stores. In the rare instance when a kid does graduate and become successful, he or she usually doesn't come back to the neighborhood to make a difference.

It's easy to think about stereotypes of the inner-city on this block. It's all here - complete with the drug deals, crime scenes, sex, broken families, poverty and even dueling gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, in opposition over a few feet of space. There is little, if any, gospel exposure here. Not the Gospel of Christ, anyway. The reigning good news offered seems to come only from the gangs. Many of the youth see the gangs as their family. And why not? These gangs offer its members acceptance, love, protection and a territory to call their own.

And the sex and drugs -- they seem to offer some superficial relief too. Marijuana is a big seller. So is crack cocaine. And while the drug business is not as big in the Marble Hill area compared with the south Bronx, it still plays a big role in the culture of this neighborhood.

It is these people that Dimas is seeking to reach. "I have a heart to see change in this generation," he says. "They're looking for family, acceptance and love. And they get excited, happy when they see us, because of the activities and involvement we have in the kids lives. Then we can teach the Gospel in a language that they'll understand."

Dimas is talking about contextualization, a crucial church growth principle that includes both knowing the gospel and understanding your city. Thoughtful gospel-driven contextualization can bring culture-transforming power. A church planter must know the culture. Adapt, not a click too little or too much.

Dimas certainly is equipped to speak this language. Today, Dimas is an international youth leader, conference speaker and teacher. He's finishing his Master of Divinity degree at Alliance Theological Seminary, and has directed many ministries around the world for inner-city youth. But Dimas started out in the streets of Queens. And although he became a Christian when at the age of eight, he also experienced the drug scene first hand in his teens.

But God was at work even then, developing in Dimas a growing vision for his community. In his 20's, Dimas fully committed his life to Christ, and started evangelistic rallies and services where hundreds of kids would show up. He sensed that the rallies could turn into a movement of some sort, or maybe grow into a church. But he noticed that when young people accepted Christ, existing churches didn't receive them as they were. They were expected to change their "look" and social behavior.

"Romans 5 talks about circumcision of the heart. It's not about changing a dress code," Dimas responded. "I kept thinking to myself, 'What are we going to do with all these kids that are coming to Christ? We have to make this relevant to their culture."

Breaking Ground
Starting any church is a challenge, but in this neighborhood, Dimas admits that he faces some unique problems. For example, finding the meeting place is always difficult in a large city. Currently, they are meeting at Fort Independence Community Center. The space is large and will hold a couple hundred people. But the Center is right in the middle of Crypt territory - a place to where any Blood member might think twice about going. Dimas and his team are praying about a specific building that is in "neutral territory" located in the downtown area of Marble Hill.

And of course, there is always the funding issue. Most churches rely on congregational tithes and offering, in addition to start-up pledges and sponsorships. But with a congregation consisting of mostly kids, Infinity can't expect such offerings that will sustain activities and services from its attendees. They will have to rely on donations and special sponsorships from other sources.

Speaking to the Culture
Back to the drugs and sex. . .

When it comes to key issues that these kids face, Dimas deals with these issues head-on. "I'm a Christ centered preacher. I deal with the power of God's grace and forgiveness, and how the gospel is not a list of rules. But at the same time, I deal with the fact that when we love Christ and truly understand the gospel, we respond to that sacrifice that Jesus gave by living holy lives," he explains.

"Some respond and live holy lives, and others are still trying to figure it out. For the most part, you don't have to convince them too hard that they are living in sin. They know what's wrong and what's right. But I don't think they know how to do what's right. They need to see more examples of how to do right in their urban context. That's why you have to live among them, understanding what they experience."

Living among them, understanding the culture. . . being part of the community. That also means that the lifestyle has to match.

"There is a big stereotype that 'looking nice' for church is important. A lot of these families can't afford to focus on looking nice and dressing well. They need a church that accepts them for what they are," Dimas states, as he emphasizes the importance of living and dressing appropriately. "I'm through with a suit and tie at this point. Even when I'm invited to preach, I won't wear them."

And he doesn't. He's dressed in casual Rockaway jeans and a striped polo, about to head off to a youth meeting.

Next issue: The Gospel in the Hood Part II will explore how Infinity Church connects with the community through activities and church services, additional challenges that they face, and how you can get involved to insure the future of this ministry.

by Audrey Lee . . . with Dimas Salaberrios in the hood.