Back in the golden days of cafes, before metal chairs with short backs assaulted my body and destroyed my back, coffee places were flush with pastors.
I might work on a sermon, engage the people of my community, and sip a divine dirty chai all at once. Bougie coffee spots were a one stop shop for my lazy, middle-class outreach.
For those of us who minister amongst the urban poor, coffee houses are rare and often a sign of a future real estate boom where the neighborhood slowly becomes reshaped for obvious wealthier outsiders. I’m not talking about “the city.” I’m talking HOOD.
The closest coffee place in our hood had needles and worse in the bathrooms and people threw rocks at the baristas, turning it into a drive through only. This is the hood. I’m talking about ghetto birds, liquor stores, and smoke shops. Dogs running wild and the weeds, which are the only bit of green in sight, growing from concrete. A place where Norteño bands make ear drums bleed in cramped taquerias.
The question becomes, “How can you live on mission when there are few jobs here and the city has given priority to every other community?” My advice is simple: Stop leaving for greener pastures, wear out your shoes, and live hyper local. I’ve once heard it said we need to build bridges that can withstand the weight of truth. But how can you build bridges without places to hang out? It turns out there are PLENTY of places to spend time in the inner city.
The Schools
My first friendships in Mt. Hope outside of my closest neighbors were at our local elementary school, Chollas Mead. I remember sitting with the parents and talking before and after school, while working on my terrible Spanish. (I grew up learning Spanish but only the curse words stuck!) When the school was getting the short end of the stick, it was the parents who first told me all the disadvantages of having a kid without the help they deserved.
Pastor Dhati Lewis says, “Nothing is really a problem until it becomes your problem.” Having my children in the local school meant I wanted to fight for my kids and the other children in our community as well. Now, I recognize not all pastors should put their families in local public schools, that is a highly personal choice. But it wasn’t long before parents were asking me about certain controversial lessons being taught in the school and if they contradicted the Bible.
Our family’s presence meant we were able to advocate on behalf of all children, in areas of faith and deserved resources. Both my wife and I are products of public schools and we were both saved while going to public school. So being comfortable there and seeing the opportunity to serve the community in this way just made sense.
When my children got older, they attended a local charter school in our community, where they only knew one Christian. My wife and I prayed God would provide Christians, but none appeared. Soon we prayed God would save our kid’s friends. And as we got involved in the Bible club on Mondays, we saw many come to faith.
They didn’t all suddenly start going to our church. Instead, it was an investment in the Kingdom. Many remained Catholic at the demand of their parents, but now many kids at the school attend Bible club, talking about Jesus and bringing their Bibles to public school. But it all started when we decided to commit to our local schools. Also, we went to lots of meetings where the coffee always sucked.
The Streets
Very early on in our first year I realized people in our community were not going to come to church services so I could share the gospel. I would have to chase after them. In a moment of despair, I picked up “On the Block” by Doug Logan. I saw the way he used his passion for dogs to reach his community. I was tired of my own fear and inaction and felt inspired by Pastor Logan to hit the pavement. I started knocking on doors and offering prayer like an old school pastor or like the Mormons who intentionally avoid my house. But it worked. I didn’t have more people coming to my church, but I DID have the honor of praying for those who desperately needed prayer for hopeless situations.
I also started walking the streets several times weekly. My lack of melanin made me an instant suspect for snitch or cop, but I just kept going. I talked to everyone I saw. And if I was afraid of someone, I would often prayerfully approach them. Over time I made friends with gang members. I usually stayed away from certain corners where drive-bys were expected, but I engaged anyone who would let me. I wore out my shoes and then I wore out the next pair and the next.
I met incredible Christians already doing great Kingdom work and many people who wanted this goofy white boy to go away forever. But I just kept walking, talking, stopping, praying. I’ve prayed beside shooting victims in hospitals. I’ve performed CPR during a fentanyl overdose. I’ve called for multiple ambulances. I once anointed the men in our park and prayed over them while anxiously waiting for a violent response from a rival gang. I could’ve gone to coffee places, and I sometimes did. But walking our community and engaging everyone I met with purpose made me friends and well-wishers who came to trust me. For some of them, it took nine years to trust this guëro, pastor. But now they do. Because they know I love and pray for them. Even if Valentina hot sauce is too spicy for me. (It’s not hot.)
The Savory
Mt. Hope is considered a “food swamp.” We have food, just not many healthy options. But, God is providing! Project New Village has a weekly market for veggies and fruit. We also have a small Mexican market in our community providing well-needed nutrition. And my feelings are, if I can buy it in Mt. Hope, I want to spend my time and money here first. If you want to meet with me, you are coming to Mt. Hope. You might get some ribs, greens, and black-eyed peas at Bowlegged BBQ or you might want some carne asada fries from Mariscos Altata. I’d never turn down a Philly bowl at Savio’s Pizza.
How can I expect people to be loyal to Jesus if I’m not loyal to them? The food in Mt. Hope is the best. But surely if you prioritized the places in your own community, you would find the second-best food on the planet (second only to Mt. Hope).
We are loyal to the soil here. I spread my dad’s ashes at Petco Park where the San Diego Padres play. How can we not be even more loyal to the place God has called us to share the gospel? When our church was offered a free building 10 minutes outside of Mt. Hope, we said no and continued to search because the poorest in our community couldn’t walk there.
We eventually went into great debt for our current building, but I walk to church from my home, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Be hyper local. AND STAY when a better offer comes. If the gangs BLEED for their community and people are willing to sacrifice everything for their neighborhood, how might pastors be called to even deeper presence and commitment?
No wonder some people didn’t trust me until year 10.
Advocate
And as you walk the streets you will start to notice the disparities. I ask a lot of questions. Why are all the rec centers in opposing gang territories? Why doesn’t the city take care of our park? Why are the police allowed to shoot at their outdoor shooting range in our community late at night but nowhere else? Why do smaller, richer public schools in our district get a vice principal rather than our school with 85% ESL students and most kids below the poverty line?
In 2020, we provided food the first week of the shutdown for our families in the school because we knew the families counted on meals for breakfast and lunch in the schools. Soon after we went to the district to make sure these families had what others took for granted like vaccines and other necessary care.
My Giftings
As I walked the streets, I noticed things I was uniquely created for. I am a musician and a terrible aspiring muralist, but I love painting. So, when I noticed the motorcycle club in our community was tagged weekly, I decided to paint a small design to see if anyone would mess with it. The wall was instantly tagged, but NOT over my art. It stayed green.
I started painting more walls with more designs, all the while asking the residents and gangs how they felt about it. They loved it. Even gangs get tired of sloppy tagging.
So, I started painting walls with Bible verses and pictures I thought my community might like. It looks silly compared to the professionals who painted a Tony Gwynn, Nipsey, and Kobe in our community, but it looks a LOT better than scribbling. I also learned the gangs tell others not to mess with it because I’ve earned respect over the years by putting in the time. Most of “my flock” are not actually in the church.
Pastor Pete Contreras says inner city pastors often don’t just pastor a church, but a whole community. That’s my goal. We don’t have a super hip coffee house, but we make conversation in the gutter, liquor stores, and restaurants. We chop it up at the community garden and the park. We make friends while painting walls for hours. We sit at bus stops and on electrical boxes and listen as people give their lives to Jesus.
People can have their bougie coffee. I’ll make mine at home. People can do church online. I’m gonna wear out my Jordans.
Why? Because most of my ministry happens on sidewalks, at bus stops, and in front yards. And because I live in the greatest place on the planet. And these people are worth it.
