INTRODUCTION
:: Intro
:: Global Crossroads For A Church Planting Movement

RESOURCES
:: Get the RCPC Church Planter Manual
:: Got Church Planting in You? Find Out!

INFINITY CHURCH: THE GOSPEL IN THE 'HOOD
Making the Gospel Relevant
By Audrey Lee with Dimas Salaberrios

Church-planter Dimas Salaberrios is no stranger to inner city environments. And that’s good, because as the pastor of the newly-launched Infinity Church in the Bronx, his mission is to reach the youth in Marble Hill and the surrounding ten-block Bronx neighborhood.

It's easy to think about stereotypes of the inner city in this ‘hood. 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.

The population is mostly Dominican and African-American with lots of youth and single parent homes. Most kids drop out of high school, and 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. There is little, if any, gospel exposure here. Many of the youth look to the gangs for acceptance, love, protection and a territory to call their own.

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 when they see us, because of the activities and involvement we have in the kid's lives. Then we can teach the Gospel in a language that they'll understand."

Speaking the Language
Dimas certainly is equipped to speak this language. Today, Dimas is an international youth leader, conference speaker and teacher. But he started out in the streets of Queens. And although he became a Christian 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.

“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. Romans 5 talks about circumcision of the heart – it's not about changing a dress code."

Breaking Ground
So Infinity Church began as a different place for these kids – a place where the gospel was made relevant to their culture. Like all churches, Infinity offers a weekly worship service, held on Saturday afternoons. Using drama, hip-hop, R&B music and a direct speaking style, Dimas reaches out using the language of the community, with a more casual worship style. The first service in September, 2003, went well with 60 people in attendance.

Since then, both adults and children (many of them non-believers) have continued to attend, and a children's ministry has been added. After the service the congregation gathers for a meal and a time of fellowship. In addition, Infinity partners with World Vision and other groups to provide toiletries, backpacks and schools supplies for the kids.

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,"

"The number one priority is to get Christ in their lives," says Dimas. "My experience in youth ministry here is that, once kids get to know who Christ is it starts to permeate the rest of their lives – they start to do well in school, they begin to dream bigger things and understand that they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them. So that's been my motto in ministry. It's been really effective."

Activities
In addition to church services, Dimas also organizes fun events for the kids and their friends. One of these events is the "Teen Jump-Off," a rally and gospel hip-hop concert. Held in various venues, Dimas gives a talk and plans a program of music, dance and/or drama. Sometimes the talk is about conflict management or life priorities, but it always centers around the gospel. These gatherings are planned regularly, maybe once or twice a month, with about 150-400 kids at each event. During a recent "Teen Jump-Off," fifty kids made decisions for Christ.

These activities also serve to bring the community together in a "neutral" environment. That means that the opposing gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, as well as other kids from the block, can share in an event and focus on something other than their territorial disputes. Dimas is even talking to the head leaders about a peace treaty and how they can solve their differences.

Challenges in the ‘Hood
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 Crip territory – a place to where any Blood member might think twice about going.

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 offerings that will sustain activities and services from its attendees. They will have to rely on donations and special sponsorships from other sources.

The Future
Dreams for Infinity? There are many. Dimas looks forward to the day when there will be 400-500 kids consistently hearing the gospel and being discipled. With the additional funding and staff, he can run two thriving services every week, one focused on outreach and the other focusing on growing deeper in the faith. He hopes to establish cells groups, tutoring programs and after-school activities. And beyond the success of the programs, the 'hood will genuinely be transformed by the gospel.

And then, having accomplished all that, maybe it will be time for Infinity to be a sponsoring church. Perhaps planting a church itself, in the South Bronx.