Cafe church
Encyclopedia
The Cafe Church, a Christian church
model that can be associated with alternative worship
and the emerging church
movements, seeks to find new forms and approaches to existing as a church in the 21st century. These churches are often focused on relationship aspects of Christian fellowship and outreach to their local community, and use the modern gathering place, a café
, in their ministry.
, centered around the idea of making the message of Christ's love relevant to the needs of the local community that the church seeks to serve.
The Alma Mount Hope Coffeehouse Church, of Alma, MI, says:
The goal of cafe church endeavors is to impact their local community with a message of God's love and the transforming power of Christ's love.
Depending on the leadership, some cafe church leaders will provide a clear doctrinal perspective, while others may be more open-minded and comfortable with members and visitors asking questions of speakers.
For example, One World Coffeehouse in Columbia, Maryland
was founded by a church member who said, "I felt that our church needed an outreach effort ... and a way to express principles such as multiculturalism
and acceptance of others different from yourself."
And the Glebe Café Church, in New South Wales, Australia states that:
, which offers the local community a high quality array of coffee, sandwiches, and food, and provides a venue where the members of the church fellowship meet. Church members may also volunteer their time to support the enterprise.
Other churches simply use the cafe model as a way to build community
, facilitating variation within their normal service structure and within the confines of their building, by serving coffee after or during the service in a predesignated area, or holding a coffeehouse event
.
, is one example of a cafe church. Its website asks, "How much more comfortable can you get sipping a Chai
in church?" This church is a multi-location
church located at sites accessible by public transit, which links its indie music coffeehouse broadcasts to other locations via the Internet.
Also located in Washington is the Potters House, an outreach ministry of the Church of the Savior. Its website states, "We, the members of that church, asked ourselves, 'Would Jesus want to hang out
with folks at a traditional institutional church? or would he want to hang out over a beer
in a bar or coffee
in a restaurant?' The resounding answer was the latter. We chose coffee over beer because of our support for the budding AA movement
in 1960."
An old congregation house of Oxford University, dating back to 1320, is home to The Vaults and Garden Cafe, operated by the University Church of St Mary the Virgin
, which specializes in organically grown and locally sourced foods. The cafe serves the community by catering events, and donating funds. Another religious organization specializing in healthy food is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
, which runs a chain of vegetarian restaurants called Govinda's
.
The Loft coffeehouse, a project of Alamo Heights
United Methodist Church
, San Antonio, TX includes "a food bank
, thrift store
and a resource center for the needy."
has operated for over 40 years (since 1966) on the site of The First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church
in Cambridge, MA. And fifty years ago, it was The Sacred Mushroom
coffeehouse in Columbus, OH that hosted Phil Ochs
; a local fan reminisced, "One of his first public performances as a solo artist was at the First Unitarian Universalist Church on Weisheimer Road, where he performed for a ladies luncheon," she said with a laugh ... "God only knows the songs he performed there."
In fact, Unitarian Universalists are a denomination particularly known for sponsoring folk coffeehouses.
Folk music
is featured at The Old Ship Coffeehouse Off The Square, located in the parish house of Old Ship Church
in Hingham, MA, (which is, incidentally, "the oldest English church in continuous use in America.")
The First Congregational Church
in Branford, CT sponsors the Branford Folk Coffeehouse, a monthly folk music concert series held in its auditorium.
Mom & Pop's Coffeehouse, a folk concert series held in the sanctuary at United Christian Church
in Levittown, PA, uses the altar as the stage, and has been held since 1994.
And in 2011, the Good Folk Coffeehouse began its 21st concert season at the Rowayton United Methodist Church
, in Rowayton, CT.
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
model that can be associated with alternative worship
Alternative worship
Alternative Worship is "what happens when people create worship for themselves," according to Steve Collins. As a phenomenon it began mainly in Europe, Australia and New Zealand in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and the emerging church
Emerging Church
The emerging church is a Christian movement of the late 20th and early 21st century that crosses a number of theological boundaries: participants can be described as evangelical, Protestant, Catholic, post-evangelical, anabaptist, adventist, liberal, post-liberal, reformed, charismatic,...
movements, seeks to find new forms and approaches to existing as a church in the 21st century. These churches are often focused on relationship aspects of Christian fellowship and outreach to their local community, and use the modern gathering place, a café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, in their ministry.
Cafe Church philosophy and planting churches
The cafe church can be viewed as an organically based philosophy for planting churchesChurch planting
Church planting is a process that results in a new Christian church being established. It should be distinguished from church development, where a new service, new worship centre or fresh expression is created that is integrated into an already established congregation...
, centered around the idea of making the message of Christ's love relevant to the needs of the local community that the church seeks to serve.
The Alma Mount Hope Coffeehouse Church, of Alma, MI, says:
"The ministry statement for AMH Coffeehouse Church is found in Acts 2:42: 'And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of breadEucharistThe Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, and in prayers.'"
The goal of cafe church endeavors is to impact their local community with a message of God's love and the transforming power of Christ's love.
Depending on the leadership, some cafe church leaders will provide a clear doctrinal perspective, while others may be more open-minded and comfortable with members and visitors asking questions of speakers.
For example, One World Coffeehouse in Columbia, Maryland
Owen Brown, Columbia, Maryland
Owen Brown is one of the 10 villages in Columbia, Maryland, USA, incorporated in 1972. Neighborhoods in the village include Dasher Green, Elkhorn, and Hopewell...
was founded by a church member who said, "I felt that our church needed an outreach effort ... and a way to express principles such as multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
and acceptance of others different from yourself."
And the Glebe Café Church, in New South Wales, Australia states that:
"Café Church is a Glebe-basedGlebe, New South WalesGlebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
, non-traditional Christian faith community. We aim to provide an inclusive, accepting and welcoming space for everybody, no matter what their spiritual pathSpiritualitySpirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
. Café Church revolves around open discussion, creative expressionCreativityCreativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...
and alternative approaches to worship. Our core values include hospitalityHospitalityHospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
, creativity, discipleshipDisciple (Christianity)In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
and socialSocial justiceSocial justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
and environmental justiceEnvironmental justiceEnvironmental justice is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." In the words of Bunyan Bryant,...
."
Coffeehouse cafes vs. coffee as a Christian fellowship event
Churches using the cafe as a model for their organization can take different forms. Some cafe churches maintain a permanent cafe or restaurantRestaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, which offers the local community a high quality array of coffee, sandwiches, and food, and provides a venue where the members of the church fellowship meet. Church members may also volunteer their time to support the enterprise.
Other churches simply use the cafe model as a way to build community
Community building
Community building is a field of practices directed toward the creation or enhancement of community among individuals within a regional area or with a common interest...
, facilitating variation within their normal service structure and within the confines of their building, by serving coffee after or during the service in a predesignated area, or holding a coffeehouse event
Coffeehouse (event)
A Coffeehouse is a social event, often held to raise funds for and/or generate awareness of a social cause or other event.The name "Coffeehouse" is derived from the limited menu which is typically available at the social event: coffee is usually the featured beverage, together with other...
.
Churches which operate coffeehouses and cafes
Ebenezer's Coffeehouse, in Washington, DC, operated by the National Community ChurchNational Community Church
National Community Church is a multi-site church located in the Washington, D.C. area, pastored by Mark Batterson. The vision of the church is to meet in movie theaters at metro stops all across the Washington DC area...
, is one example of a cafe church. Its website asks, "How much more comfortable can you get sipping a Chai
Masala chai
Masala chai is a beverage from the Indian subcontinent made by brewing tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs.-Terminology:-Plain chai:...
in church?" This church is a multi-location
Multi-site church
A multi-site church is one church that meets at multiple locations. Churches began to use the multi-site church model in the mid 1980s...
church located at sites accessible by public transit, which links its indie music coffeehouse broadcasts to other locations via the Internet.
Also located in Washington is the Potters House, an outreach ministry of the Church of the Savior. Its website states, "We, the members of that church, asked ourselves, 'Would Jesus want to hang out
What would Jesus do?
The phrase "What would Jesus do?" became popular in the United States in the 1990s and as a personal motto for adherents of Evangelical Christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the...
with folks at a traditional institutional church? or would he want to hang out over a beer
Pub Church
A pub church is a Christian Church which meets in a public house or similar establishment. Their purpose is to exist as an authentic Christian community, located in a way that is more accessible to non-churched people...
in a bar or coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
in a restaurant?' The resounding answer was the latter. We chose coffee over beer because of our support for the budding AA movement
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
in 1960."
An old congregation house of Oxford University, dating back to 1320, is home to The Vaults and Garden Cafe, operated by the University Church of St Mary the Virgin
University Church of St Mary the Virgin
The University Church of St Mary the Virgin is the largest of Oxford's parish churches and the centre from which the University of Oxford grew...
, which specializes in organically grown and locally sourced foods. The cafe serves the community by catering events, and donating funds. Another religious organization specializing in healthy food is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
, which runs a chain of vegetarian restaurants called Govinda's
Govinda (disambiguation)
Govinda or Govind can refer to:*Govinda, a name of the Hindu deity Krishna*Lama Anagarika Govinda, expositor of Tibetan Buddhism*Govinda , a Bollywood actor and politician*"Govinda" , a single by the British band Kula Shaker...
.
The Loft coffeehouse, a project of Alamo Heights
Alamo Heights, Texas
Alamo Heights is an incorporated town that is completely surrounded by the City of San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. At the time of the 2000 U.S. Census, this town's population was just 7,319, and 7,477 by 2009. However, its location as an enclave in San Antonio causes it to be a part of the...
United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, San Antonio, TX includes "a food bank
Food bank
A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...
, thrift store
Charity shop
A charity shop, thrift shop, thrift store, hospice shop , resale shop or op shop is a retail establishment run by a charitable organization to raise money.Charity shops are a type of social enterprise...
and a resource center for the needy."
History of church-sponsored coffeehouses and American folk music
Church-sponsored coffeehouses have a long history in the United States. For example, Nameless CoffeehouseNameless Coffeehouse
The Nameless Coffeehouse, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, opened in 1967 and is now New England's oldest all-volunteer coffeehouse. Located in the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Harvard Square, the Nameless currently presents a six-concert schedule showcasing acoustic music and comedy...
has operated for over 40 years (since 1966) on the site of The First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church
The First Parish in Cambridge
The First Parish in Cambridge, a Unitarian Universalist church, is located in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The church is notable for its almost 400 year history, which includes pivotal roles in the development of the early Massachusetts government, the creation of Harvard College,...
in Cambridge, MA. And fifty years ago, it was The Sacred Mushroom
Psilocybin mushroom
Psilocybin mushrooms are fungi that contain the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin. There are multiple colloquial terms for psilocybin mushrooms, the most common being shrooms or magic mushrooms....
coffeehouse in Columbus, OH that hosted Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
; a local fan reminisced, "One of his first public performances as a solo artist was at the First Unitarian Universalist Church on Weisheimer Road, where he performed for a ladies luncheon," she said with a laugh ... "God only knows the songs he performed there."
In fact, Unitarian Universalists are a denomination particularly known for sponsoring folk coffeehouses.
"The welcoming environment of Unitarian Universalist coffeehouses has provided an artistic haven for a variety of performers and helped launch the entertainment careers of folk musicians such as Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
and Arlo GuthrieArlo GuthrieArlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
.
Folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
is featured at The Old Ship Coffeehouse Off The Square, located in the parish house of Old Ship Church
Old Ship Church
The Old Ship Church was built in 1681 in Hingham, Massachusetts in the United States. It is the oldest church in continuous ecclesiastical use in the United States. It is the only remaining 17th century Puritan meetinghouse in America...
in Hingham, MA, (which is, incidentally, "the oldest English church in continuous use in America.")
The First Congregational Church
First Congregational Church
First Congregational Church, or variations such as First Congregational Church, Former, may refer to:-Alabama:*First Congregational Church of Marion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Marion, Alabama-Arizona:...
in Branford, CT sponsors the Branford Folk Coffeehouse, a monthly folk music concert series held in its auditorium.
United Christian Church
The denomination known as the United Christian Church is a small evangelical body of Christians with roots in the pietistic movement of Martin Boehm and William Otterbein...
in Levittown, PA, uses the altar as the stage, and has been held since 1994.
And in 2011, the Good Folk Coffeehouse began its 21st concert season at the Rowayton United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, in Rowayton, CT.
See also
- Emerging churchEmerging ChurchThe emerging church is a Christian movement of the late 20th and early 21st century that crosses a number of theological boundaries: participants can be described as evangelical, Protestant, Catholic, post-evangelical, anabaptist, adventist, liberal, post-liberal, reformed, charismatic,...
- Multi-site churchMulti-site churchA multi-site church is one church that meets at multiple locations. Churches began to use the multi-site church model in the mid 1980s...
- Internet church
- Pub churchPub ChurchA pub church is a Christian Church which meets in a public house or similar establishment. Their purpose is to exist as an authentic Christian community, located in a way that is more accessible to non-churched people...
- Coffeehouses
- Coffeehouse (event)Coffeehouse (event)A Coffeehouse is a social event, often held to raise funds for and/or generate awareness of a social cause or other event.The name "Coffeehouse" is derived from the limited menu which is typically available at the social event: coffee is usually the featured beverage, together with other...