Hot Dog Church
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Stories from Chris Rattay on his New Ministry & Moving to Downtown Los Angeles
Chris Rattay shares stories from the past year through his new ministry in Downtown Los Angeles, which he will continue with his neighbors experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
A New Partnership
March 12, 2026
When Jesus called us to help build His Kingdom in Downtown LA, the intro phases looked like this: 1. Scout the downtown core and ask Jesus where we should live. 2. Move in. 3. Commit to regular prayer and fasting. 4. Build relationships with the most marginalized.
Back in June of 2025, Gus Galvan had the idea to BBQ hot dogs on a street corner once a week, giving them away and using it as an opportunity to build relationships. Quickly, we became known in our part of the city. One guy told us, "I was on the bus when somebody said, 'Hey, Hot Dog Church is tonight!' I got off right away to come and check you out." From that point on, we were “The Hot Dog Church”.
We intentionally have a small grill and make small batches at a time, so people have to wait in line because we’re also in line, trying to build friendships. One neighbor put it this way: “You guys are pretty simple, but you’re the only ones that really talk to us. Everybody else just comes and gives food.”
Besides giving away hot dogs, we have lots of conversations with our neighbors who are living on the street. We have many times of prayer together, on-the-spot Bible studies, and offer a listening ear when it is needed. As the year went on, we developed a real core of friends that started greeting us with hugs and fist bumps. But we started praying for more specialized help for mental illness, drug addiction, and housing transition services. Jesus just answered that prayer!
Peter Lam (pictured second from the left) has been working at the Joshua House, an arm of the Los Angeles Christian Health Center, for many years. Their clinic, which offers doctors, dentists, mental health specialists, and social workers, is just two blocks from our street corner. After many meetings and approvals from senior leadership, we relocated Hot Dog Church to be outside of their building on Thursday nights when they are open.
Peter and the clinic have given us a green light to build our church out of their space. As Peter says, "We have been praying for the spiritual aspect of healing to be built up here in our clinic, so let's do this."
New Hope is Growing in Me
June 5, 2026
After a year of serving up hot dogs, hugs, prayer, teaching, and a listening ear on Skid Row, I realized it has been the most difficult place I have ever ministered. Many nights as I walk home after a night of dealing with horrendous mental illness outbursts and zombie-like brains, I ask God, "How do we do this?!" But recently things are changing, and I am starting to see what Jesus is doing.
Green Eyes has been tormenting our ministry for almost two months. He is an older military vet who has mental illness and extreme PTSD. Every time he comes to our hot dog station, he never wants to wait in line and always screams and threatens people. He thinks everyone is against him. Worst of all, he always carries a weapon. One night it was a 12-inch blade, another night a sword, another night a hammer.
Every time he shows up, all the men have to stop what we are doing and slowly surround him. We try to defuse the situation and calm him down. Each week we insist that we respect him, we love him, Jesus loves him, and that we only want to care for him. But nothing was working. Each confrontation would seem to last a long time. We would be praying intensely, and miraculously he would eventually walk away.
Four weeks ago, one of the ladies who helps us, Carol, finally got tired of his yelling and started screaming back, telling him he needs to go and is not welcome. This really set him off; he walked off yelling death threats. We prayed even more for his heart change!
The next week we see him walking over, and I immediately start to pray. He is coming straight at me, and as he gets close, he says, "Jesus is in my heart," walks by me, and stands quietly in the back of the line. All of us were shocked. The woman who had screamed at him the week before went over and started to apologize to him. He quickly said, "No, I need to apologize to you and everyone else. I have been disrespectful. But now I am with Jesus and will not act like that anymore." After that, he has come in peace, continually talking with us about Jesus and acting like a true gentleman! Our God is a powerful and loving God. Please continue to pray for Green Eyes.
We have a long way to go, and there will be many disappointments and battles, but He is showing me so clearly that He is on the move in Los Angeles. We need to remember that Jesus can change any kind of life—and that He does it through others! We have to help each other to keep investing in the lives of people that God has put around us, because we truly do not know who will eventually open their heart to Jesus. What a grace that we are pulled into the family business of heaven!
After 22 years of service, Chris is stepping off staff with Servant Partners. He will continue pastoring in Downtown LA and serving through Hot Dog Church with Antioch. We are deeply grateful for his faithful presence among neighbors in East LA and Downtown LA and for the many leaders he has raised up along the way. We celebrate all that God has done through Chris and look forward to seeing how the seeds he has planted continue to grow! Watch this video to hear more of Chris’ testimony.
