History

Abounding Grace Ministries was founded by Pastor Rick Del Rio in 1982. The ministry formed as a church designed to specifically meet the needs of the most hardened drug addicts, criminals, and homeless living on the lower east side. Central to our mission is the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the spiritual transformation offered through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the Bible. Our youth programs aim to empower young people to create and pursue hopeful alternatives to mediocrity, poverty, and delinquency; and to enable youth to develop and realize ambitions and dreams.

Abounding Grace Ministries vision for community outreach and renewal includes twenty outreach programs including the Apple’s Core Coffee House, a weekly soup kitchen serving an average of fifty homeless people each week; the Victorious Overcomers, a weekly support group for former substance abusers; the Kidz’ Rock Children’s Ministry, which serves roughly 75 children from ages 1 to 12 each week; and scores of community service projects.

In 1994, Abounding Grace Ministries launched Community Solutions, Inc. and Generation X-Cel, a separate program to advocate for social justice and community uplift within inner city neighborhoods; to develop holistic strategies for meeting the financial, educational, emotional, housing, and social needs of impoverished peoples; and to provide services which promote urban revitalization and family restoration. These programs included X-cel after school, helping students ages 8-13 to life their level of academic achievement, X-Cel Theatre, providing after school programs in dance, music, theatre, and the arts for high school students, YW8-2-XL (Why wait to X-Cel?) a college and career preparation program, and X-Cel summer, providing recreational alternatives and programs for children during the summer.