We are frequently asked for advice from those who are considering opening a Christian coffeehouse. We do, of course, recommend that you read our What is a Christian coffeehouse? and starting a Christian coffeehouse pages for help, but we have also found it helpful to recommend this model set of coffeehouse goals which we formulated some years ago.
These goals express our philosophy of what coffeehouse ministry can and should be. If you want to use or adapt them, be our guest! We do very strongly recommend that you show these goals (or whatever set you adopt) to any pastor, church board, etc. from which you are seeking assistance; their reaction will tell you a lot about how much support you can or cannot expect from them.
- To provide entertainment and relaxation in a Christian manner and atmosphere
- To encourage fellowship among believers
- To provide a "unity-of-the-body" ministry transcending denominational barriers
- To provide an alternative to worldly entertainment such as bars and nightclubs
- To provide a place where the lost can be brought for low-key, subtle witnessing who would not come to a church service
- To showcase local Christian music talent with emphasis on quality
- To provide a reasonable level of food and beverage service which will complement the other aspects of the ministry
- To operate on a non-profit basis yet be self-sustaining
- To cater, to the extent possible, to all ages and musical tastes; but ensuring that the primary purposes will not be lost in overemphasis on Christian rock or other less-popular styles, appeal to children at the expense of adults who want a night away from the kids, etc.
- To avoid "churchy" features such as preaching, traditional church music, altar calls, and other elements more commonly associated with formal church services; and to avoid elements peculiar to specific denominations, including tongues, prophecy, and "praise and worship" services
Note: There are several versions of this list on various Web sites - but this is the original! This list was originally compiled by ChristianCoffeehouse.info coordinator David Grant in the early 1990s.
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