We have a small Christian version of Starbucks near where I live that is doing quite well. A coffee shop and bookstore run by a local Reformed Baptist church, they not only have good coffee, but serve an informal breakfast and lunch as well. Open six days a week (closed on Sundays of course), and staffed by church volunteers. Nice cheery atmosphere, good classical music playing quietly in the background, and bookshelves filled with Christian books and literature, primarily emphasizing Reformed and classical Puritan writings. Attracts both Christians and non-Christians, especially high school and college students for study groups and get togethers, and for people having small business meetings. No proselytizing goes on, but you certainly know you are in a Christian meeting place and the materials are there for you to peruse and buy if you wish. It can be done.
I used to work in a library branch at a shopping center, next door was a storefront church (since re-located to their own, new building) with coffee shop and bookstore. It was very popular among the employees of the library and of the other stores in the shopping center.
But the article reminds me of the “theological treatise”: [url=http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=2603]Coffee as a means of grace[/url] very funny reading!
Any given Sunday St.Arbucks probably draws ten-fold more faithful than sT.EC.
Probably lots more gay and lesbian people too.
“Faithful” and otherwise.
We have a small Christian version of Starbucks near where I live that is doing quite well. A coffee shop and bookstore run by a local Reformed Baptist church, they not only have good coffee, but serve an informal breakfast and lunch as well. Open six days a week (closed on Sundays of course), and staffed by church volunteers. Nice cheery atmosphere, good classical music playing quietly in the background, and bookshelves filled with Christian books and literature, primarily emphasizing Reformed and classical Puritan writings. Attracts both Christians and non-Christians, especially high school and college students for study groups and get togethers, and for people having small business meetings. No proselytizing goes on, but you certainly know you are in a Christian meeting place and the materials are there for you to peruse and buy if you wish. It can be done.
I used to work in a library branch at a shopping center, next door was a storefront church (since re-located to their own, new building) with coffee shop and bookstore. It was very popular among the employees of the library and of the other stores in the shopping center.
But the article reminds me of the “theological treatise”: [url=http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=2603]Coffee as a means of grace[/url] very funny reading!