At times the poverty rates around our church reach 40% - four in ten families living with an unlivable wage. Children go hungry. Families barely hold on to their homes.
Gangs and drugs rule our community. Youth without work, without a plan, with nothing to do - find themselves looking for fun and fellowship any where they can find it. A sub-culture has formed in many urban communities like ours. A sub-culture that rejects what most of us would call normal, and seeks a darker path of drug addiction, liberal sex, and wasting time.
Our ministry has developed around the needs of this community and the needs of Christian witness. We do our best to help children to rethink education through our Tutoring Program. This mentoring and educational program has influenced a few of our kids. Some who have been the first in their family to go to college. We offer food boxes to families in need at our Food Program. This effort does help our neighbors at the end of the month when money and food stamps have run out. Like many urban ministries we work with children. We reach out annualy to hundreds of children through our Vacation Bible School . Where we have games, crafts, and always share Bible lessons. Our tutoring program is an outreach program. At Against the Flow we attempt to move our older kids toward a more serious commitment to Jesus. On Sundays and Wednesdays a few serious leaders are discipled.