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Where the Cross Meets the Street: What Happens to the Neighborhood When God Is at the Center
Missio Alliance Essential Reading List The cross means more than we've let it mean. Proclaiming the gospel and forming the faithful: these are the most practiced disciplines of the evangelical church. As central as these disciplines are, however, they are only part of the story. And as Christian Community Development Association CEO Noel Castellanos has learned over a lifetime of ministry and mission, the neglect of the gospel's full implications for the world has contributed to the erosion of communities and the languishing of poor and other marginalized people. In Where the Cross Meets the Street Castellanos shows the strengths and limitations of a narrowly focused church and broadens our imaginations to embrace a gospel that proclaims Christ and forms disciples. This life-giving gospel also demonstrates compassion, confronts injustice and restores individuals and communities to wholeness. This is the whole work of the cross; this is the privilege of those who follow the Word made flesh.
183 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 13, 2025
Castellanos theology is great and I appreciate many of his insights, but I expected more of the theology and praxis and less of his personal autobiography. I don’t think his talents necessarily lie in writing so much as the work he does, so I wish he had talked more about his work and the theology that undergirds it. Great insights about Nehemiah as a community builder though and now I really want to read all of Ezra and Nehemiah with a community development lens! I also really appreciate that his concern for more macro social issues like immigration, mass incarceration, racial justice, and equitable education flowed not from the top down, but from the bottom up through being present to his community in Chicago. I think this would be a good intro book for someone to CCDA theology and practice who is more of an evangelical Christian because Castellanos took the same journey, but as someone who is already down with the theology and hungry for more insight, I wanted to skip the warming up.
August 31, 2021
Phenomenal book. Though i already agreed with a lot of the teaching in this book prior to reading it, I’m deeply challenged by the books claim that Jesus’ posture gives priority to the people who live in the margins of society, and therefore the role of the church is to be proximity to and love our neighbors on the margin. I think anyone wanting to do ministry in any capacity, or wanting to faithfully follow Jesus will benefit from being challenged by Noel and his leadership.
March 21, 2023
Part memoir and part how-to, this book is a lovely mixture. I loved hearing Castellanos’ story and lived experiences intertwined with how we can live out racial reconciliation and being Jesus to the poor and marginalized. There was so much recognition about how it’s different from a “regular” evangelical ministry, and I loved how Castellanos ended the book with a timely event (at the time) and real action steps to respond.
April 17, 2015
I first heard of Noel Castellanos when I attended the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference in Atlanta over a decade ago. Castellanos shared the stage with John Perkins and Wayne Gordon and showed how the CCDA song may be sung in a Latin key. Today Castellanos is now the CEO of CCDA. I have a deep appreciation for the work CCDA does in transforming whole communities. Decades before other evangelicals were talking about holistic mission and incarnational ministry, the CCDA folks were doing it, seeking to live out God's justice in neighborhoods.
So when I saw that Castellanos published Where the Cross Meets the Street I knew this was a book I had to read, but as much as I love CCDA, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. CCDA publications often focus on introducing readers to the philosophy behind their approach. Which is good but that gets repetitive. Certainly Castellanos also cares about delineating his approach to ministry but this isn't a book outlining "the eight components of Christian community development" or the "three r's." This isn't so much a book about components or principles, though Castellanos is thoughtful about the dynamics of incarnational ministry and he imparts some principles for urban mission from Nehemiah. This is much more Castellanos's own story of his coming to faith and eventually his life work in Christian community development.
Castellanos narrates his early life in Texas and California. He was born to Tejano parents. In California, Castellanos worked at losing his Spanish speaking. Though raised Catholic, he invited Jesus into his life at a Young Life camp. After attending Whitworth College, Castellanos found himself increasingly drawn to those on the margins. This culminates in his relocating to Chicago's La Vilitta neighborhood (after attending the first CCDA conference). Ministry in a Latino context helped Castellanos reconnect with his own cultural heritage and put him in a place of humility as he had to rely on his neighbors to help him to relearn Spanish. He learned things as he sought to minister in his context. For example, his ministry among neighbors who were undocumented immigrants sensitized him to the need to advocate on their behalf:
I am shocked and appalled by the insults l against undocumented men, women and children in our nation. Yes, they have broken laws to be in this country but they also have been hired, used and of abused by employers and our economic system in need of cheap labor. Because of their vulnerable status, it has become common to scapegoat and hurl insults at them without regard to the fact that they are human beings created in the image of God. Most shocking is that they types of insults are sometimes made by those claiming to be followers of Christ. (141)
Castellanos doesn't stop at immigration reform but advocates on behalf of the poor and flawed in all sorts of ways. When he voices his concern about injustice in our country, it is not some arm-chair liberal diatribe or paternalistic platitude. These are issues Castellanos has come to care about through walking alongside people in pain and making his home with them.
Castellanos is passionate about effecting systemic change--not just raising individuals but whole communities. This puts him on the same page as his mentors John Perkin and Wayne Gordon. And Castellanos shares other traits with these two men. Like them, Castellanos has invested his life in neighborhoods and people that others had written off. Like them he has stared down difficulties, struggle and false starts but he remains hopeful and confident that Jesus confronts injustice, demonstrates compassion and restores communities.
I recommend this book for anyone seeking to do neighborhood ministry and who cares about justice. I love that Castellanos is so attentive to his neighbors and what Jesus is up to in the neighborhood. In a world where issues of systemic injustice, racial tension and poverty can seem overwhelming it is inspiring to read such a hopeful account. CCDA is in good hands and I am excite what God will do. I give this book five stars!
Notice of material connection, I received this book from Intervarsity Press in exchange for my honest review.
So when I saw that Castellanos published Where the Cross Meets the Street I knew this was a book I had to read, but as much as I love CCDA, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. CCDA publications often focus on introducing readers to the philosophy behind their approach. Which is good but that gets repetitive. Certainly Castellanos also cares about delineating his approach to ministry but this isn't a book outlining "the eight components of Christian community development" or the "three r's." This isn't so much a book about components or principles, though Castellanos is thoughtful about the dynamics of incarnational ministry and he imparts some principles for urban mission from Nehemiah. This is much more Castellanos's own story of his coming to faith and eventually his life work in Christian community development.
Castellanos narrates his early life in Texas and California. He was born to Tejano parents. In California, Castellanos worked at losing his Spanish speaking. Though raised Catholic, he invited Jesus into his life at a Young Life camp. After attending Whitworth College, Castellanos found himself increasingly drawn to those on the margins. This culminates in his relocating to Chicago's La Vilitta neighborhood (after attending the first CCDA conference). Ministry in a Latino context helped Castellanos reconnect with his own cultural heritage and put him in a place of humility as he had to rely on his neighbors to help him to relearn Spanish. He learned things as he sought to minister in his context. For example, his ministry among neighbors who were undocumented immigrants sensitized him to the need to advocate on their behalf:
I am shocked and appalled by the insults l against undocumented men, women and children in our nation. Yes, they have broken laws to be in this country but they also have been hired, used and of abused by employers and our economic system in need of cheap labor. Because of their vulnerable status, it has become common to scapegoat and hurl insults at them without regard to the fact that they are human beings created in the image of God. Most shocking is that they types of insults are sometimes made by those claiming to be followers of Christ. (141)
Castellanos doesn't stop at immigration reform but advocates on behalf of the poor and flawed in all sorts of ways. When he voices his concern about injustice in our country, it is not some arm-chair liberal diatribe or paternalistic platitude. These are issues Castellanos has come to care about through walking alongside people in pain and making his home with them.
Castellanos is passionate about effecting systemic change--not just raising individuals but whole communities. This puts him on the same page as his mentors John Perkin and Wayne Gordon. And Castellanos shares other traits with these two men. Like them, Castellanos has invested his life in neighborhoods and people that others had written off. Like them he has stared down difficulties, struggle and false starts but he remains hopeful and confident that Jesus confronts injustice, demonstrates compassion and restores communities.
I recommend this book for anyone seeking to do neighborhood ministry and who cares about justice. I love that Castellanos is so attentive to his neighbors and what Jesus is up to in the neighborhood. In a world where issues of systemic injustice, racial tension and poverty can seem overwhelming it is inspiring to read such a hopeful account. CCDA is in good hands and I am excite what God will do. I give this book five stars!
Notice of material connection, I received this book from Intervarsity Press in exchange for my honest review.
February 6, 2015
My husband and I have often wondered: Is it easier to bring social justice to the evangelicals or Jesus to the mainliners?
So often, our experience has been that despite the fact the Bible emphasizes the importance of both Jesus and social justice to our faith, churches tend to focus on one or the other. That's why I think the work of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) - an organization whose commitment to social justice ministry stems from it's belief in Jesus - is so important. In his book, Where the Cross Meets the Street , CEO of the CCDA Noel Castellanos explores what happens to the neighborhood when God is at the center.
The book, part memoir, is a fascinating read. Throughout it, Noel shares his own story, using it to emphasize how and why he became involved in community development. As a white female committed to better understanding different cultures and races, I admit I felt a sense of shame when I realized how little I know about the Mexican community, especially given it's growing importance in the United States. For this reason, I greatly appreciated Noel's willingness to share his heritage and story throughout this book, along with both the joys and challenges that face Mexican immigrants, even in my own city of Chicago.
Throughout Where the Cross Meets the Street, I also greatly appreciated the way in which Noel unpacks his theology of ministry. In his words, “God consistently puts the neglected and oppressed at the center of his ultimate concern, not by targeting them as the objects of his salvific action but by redeeming and engaging them to be colaborers with the Holy Spirit in the mission of declaring and demonstrating to the entire world that the kingdom of God is at hand.”
Noel also reminds his readers of the ways in which a proclamation-only ministry falls short and instead challenges people to see the “incarnation as the linchpin and foundation for all effective ministry.” To help his readers do so, he unpacks the book of Nehemiah in terms of community development principles, a section of the book that is particularly strong.
More than just a theology book, however, Where the Cross Meets the Street is also practical. Chapter 9, “Confrontation of Injustice” shines in this regard, helping people to think critically about their involvement in a variety of justice issues including immigration, mass incarceration, and education, which Noel suggests is the “most significant justice issue many of our poor communities face”.
As a youth pastor and a Christian committed to both Jesus and social justice, I have no doubt that Where the Cross Meets the Street is a book that I will refer to and recommend often.
So often, our experience has been that despite the fact the Bible emphasizes the importance of both Jesus and social justice to our faith, churches tend to focus on one or the other. That's why I think the work of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) - an organization whose commitment to social justice ministry stems from it's belief in Jesus - is so important. In his book, Where the Cross Meets the Street , CEO of the CCDA Noel Castellanos explores what happens to the neighborhood when God is at the center.
The book, part memoir, is a fascinating read. Throughout it, Noel shares his own story, using it to emphasize how and why he became involved in community development. As a white female committed to better understanding different cultures and races, I admit I felt a sense of shame when I realized how little I know about the Mexican community, especially given it's growing importance in the United States. For this reason, I greatly appreciated Noel's willingness to share his heritage and story throughout this book, along with both the joys and challenges that face Mexican immigrants, even in my own city of Chicago.
Throughout Where the Cross Meets the Street, I also greatly appreciated the way in which Noel unpacks his theology of ministry. In his words, “God consistently puts the neglected and oppressed at the center of his ultimate concern, not by targeting them as the objects of his salvific action but by redeeming and engaging them to be colaborers with the Holy Spirit in the mission of declaring and demonstrating to the entire world that the kingdom of God is at hand.”
Noel also reminds his readers of the ways in which a proclamation-only ministry falls short and instead challenges people to see the “incarnation as the linchpin and foundation for all effective ministry.” To help his readers do so, he unpacks the book of Nehemiah in terms of community development principles, a section of the book that is particularly strong.
More than just a theology book, however, Where the Cross Meets the Street is also practical. Chapter 9, “Confrontation of Injustice” shines in this regard, helping people to think critically about their involvement in a variety of justice issues including immigration, mass incarceration, and education, which Noel suggests is the “most significant justice issue many of our poor communities face”.
As a youth pastor and a Christian committed to both Jesus and social justice, I have no doubt that Where the Cross Meets the Street is a book that I will refer to and recommend often.
July 16, 2015
Honest, Eye Opening, and Encouraging
I read this book based on the recommendation of a friend and it was absolutely worth it! Mr Castellanos does a great job of interweaving his personal story and Scripture into the lessons he's teaching in each chapter. As a Half Mexican Half Israeli raised in TX I have personally experienced the cultural tensions Mr Castellanos describes so well. This book is for anyone who desires to engage in urban multi-ethnic ministry. Also a great read for Majority culture Christians who want to better understand and walk a few steps in the shoes of their minority brothers and sisters in Christ.
I read this book based on the recommendation of a friend and it was absolutely worth it! Mr Castellanos does a great job of interweaving his personal story and Scripture into the lessons he's teaching in each chapter. As a Half Mexican Half Israeli raised in TX I have personally experienced the cultural tensions Mr Castellanos describes so well. This book is for anyone who desires to engage in urban multi-ethnic ministry. Also a great read for Majority culture Christians who want to better understand and walk a few steps in the shoes of their minority brothers and sisters in Christ.
October 5, 2016
The strength of Noel Castellano's book is in his vision and passion for transforming underprivileged neighborhoods with the love of Jesus. He presents his own journey, successes and failures, with honesty. This call for transforming neighborhoods is a long-term investment requiring sacrifices from the entire family. This call is challenging, but absoutely essential as Christians move forward to reach these areas.
February 15, 2015
Thanks Noel for sharing your story!
This is a must read for anyone who is serious about doing neighborhood work. Noel shares the basics of Perkin's 3 R's in a real life context. This is a humbling look at how God uses our flaws to touch others with the gospel.
This is a must read for anyone who is serious about doing neighborhood work. Noel shares the basics of Perkin's 3 R's in a real life context. This is a humbling look at how God uses our flaws to touch others with the gospel.
September 21, 2015
So much of this story mirrors my own that I can't help but give it 5 stars. I loved it.
December 9, 2015
Easy to read well written book portraying both the philosophy as well as the actuality of living CCDA (Christian Community Development) principles. Recommended for all going into urban ministry
April 22, 2017
This book is one of the required readings for session 8 of the Academy of Spiritual Formation, and if it were not, I probably would never have even looked at it. I'm glad I did, though, since Noel Castellanos writes about his experience as a community development leader in La Villeto, a barrio in Chicago. It's inspiring, and not because he always succeeds in reaching his goals. He discusses his mistakes as well as his successes. He admits to being a flawed human being even as he recognizes that he is a good person with gifts to share. Very powerful and inspiring. Highly recommended.
June 4, 2018
Considering what our church and my ministry teammates are working toward with race reconciliation, this book is a very helpful resource. It's one I put down a lot and kept coming back to at random times. I am sure it would have been even more helpful to read more thoroughly through at once. I do plan on going back and reading again....one day. :)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews