The Fourroux News

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

 

As we all know, our world is crazy about coffee.  Someone just told me that if you vote on Tuesday, you get a free Starbucks coffee.  While this is big news, what is also big news is how coffee is transforming our ministry.

This summer while we were at OCBP, my friend handed off an espresso machine that he had been using for a couple of years in his ministry.  Since then, I have seen how coffee does bring people together.  I currently have it set up in my office for use at the church.  Often I used to go out to Starbucks or another type of coffee shop to meet with students and friends. Now I invite people into the office and make them something special.  But the biggest difference has been the feel of inviting people there to serve them. Also, Hesed and I used the machine to serve students at Temple Ambler with free lattes for the first game of the World Series.  (Phillies won by the way!)  Students reactions were funny, asking me if Temple hired me for the night.  “Nope, I am just part of this ministry here at Temple Ambler and we want to serve and love students.”

Hospitality is one of the forgotten aspects of ministry, but the Lord is teaching Hesed and I about real service with food and even coffee.  When we serve with food, people are struck by that kindness and service.  I truly believe that hospiality is the key to reaching the next generation.  Coffee, in that key, brings people together.  Good coffee, made through good beans and teaching people how good specialty coffee can be, communicates care, relationship, and even love.

Pray for this new addition to the ministry.  To keep this machine for ministry in both the church and campus, we would have to purchase and pay a balance for it.   As we go forward, pray also that the movement of hospitality would continue in our ministry.

(For excellent beans check out Chestnut Hill Coffee Company, where I get ones for the machine.)

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