Reaching the Tony Hawks of this World…
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Wed, July 18, 2007
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More from the Ledger-Enquirer:
More than 200 skate ministries have popped up across the globe, including Sk8 4 God in California, King of Kings Skate Ministry in Arizona, and Saved Skaters in upstate New York. The movement has spurred an industry of specialty Christian skateboards and inspired a flurry of Web sites and YouTube videos.
“In the past, you could expect people to attend services in a church setting,” said David Kling, a professor of religion at the University of Miami. “Now if you want to reach people, you have to seek them out in their own particular culture.”
The warehouse site at 6290 NW 27th Way isn’t glamorous. There is no air conditioning; a series of industrial-strength fans carries air through the building. But punk rock blasts from the speakers and the snack bar is always stocked with pizza and candy. There’s also a healthy crowd around the ping-pong tables.
The skaters study the Bible at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and hear Saturday-morning sermons from Frallicciardi. In the far corner of the skate park, more than 100 folding chairs are lined up in front of an old wooden lectern. The paperback Bibles are stored in huge Tupperware bins.
When it’s time for the Bible study to start, scores of teenage boys - and a few girls - skate over and file into the rows. Most leave their helmets on. They stow their boards underneath the seats and open their Bibles. A couple of moms and dads join in, too.
On a recent Tuesday, Ramp 48+ manager Joe Ferraro read a verse from the book of James: What good is it if a man claims to have faith, but has no deeds to express that faith?
“You guys need to go out there and do the deeds, you know?” said Ferraro, who was wearing a blue soccer jersey and jeans. “You have to serve the Lord. That’s what’s important, guys.”
At first glance, Ulises Frallicciardi seems more punk rock than pious. His messy black hair peeks out from beneath a trendy trucker cap. He wears black canvas sneakers with pink and white skulls near the toe. But several times each week, Frallicciardi, 32, ministers the Gospel to hundreds of Tony Hawk wannabes at Ramp 48+, a Christian skateboard emporium that's part of Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., bristling with ramps, stairs, half-pipes and grind rails. "Basically, we're trying to spread the word of God by reaching out to skaters," Frallicciardi said on a recent busy night. "We're bringing the Bible to them." Sound unique? It isn't...
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