Voxtropolis Cafe

35 Responses to “Voxtropolis Cafe”

1. Keith says on: 3 November 2005 at 5:30 am

   Alex,

   I’ve also long thought about the cafe as a connection point between the church and the culture and community. I’m really interested in hearing how all of this is going to play out.

   Keith
2. ron says on: 3 November 2005 at 8:11 am

   Alex, the parallel universe we inhabit over on the east coast must be touching yours somewhere…we planted a church in a Greek restaurant in the Ghent section of Norfolk, Virginia and we are out-growing it. Since we came here in part because we flet compelled to depart from civilized church and connect ourselves to real life we have come to believe we can’t just go and find a bigger place to meet in because we have too many people to fit in the restaurant. It isn’t a missional reason to move. We came here on a mission, we need to move because of the mission. We have concluded that we must create a space where the world can meet Christ, not build a place where the church can meet. Our hearts have settled upon finding a big enough building to house a large meeting, but to break it up into several spaces which include a cafe’, some kind of place to care for children, the display of local art, and a stage to invite performers to use. It sounds like we are going the same way. What can we do to help each other?
3. Mike Andrews says on: 3 November 2005 at 9:08 am

   “We have concluded that we must create a space where the world can meet Christ, not build a place where the church can meet.”

   What an earth-moving thought.

   I’ve kind of drifted in and out of this conversation due to some major life and ministry changes, but this thought seems to be foundational to the whole thing. This isn’t just about improving communications within the church, but about the communication of Christ in and to the world.
4. Amy Nicholson says on: 3 November 2005 at 10:54 am

   Umm… So I’m shaking I’m so excited about this. I want more information about how y’all are starting these cafes and I want in! Please, please.
5. Cliff says on: 3 November 2005 at 11:07 am

   I think it may be time for a Voxtropolis blogring on Xanga.

   Though that may be counterintuitive if you are trying to get people to venture from Xanga to Voxtropolis.

   This is all new. I don’t yet have a clear enough picture of what this will look like empirically. In my head I have certain aromas and sensations coming to mind, but can’t yet grasp the tangible experience.

   It sounds similar to what breathE will be.

   c.h.
6. Alex says on: 3 November 2005 at 11:27 am

   Cliff, I think you’re right. Thanks for the idea. I just asked Michael to start one on his blog — to drive the age younger — please join it and invite your network too. i’d like to have vox inhabited by lots of people who’ll live most of their lives in the 21st century. Thanks.

   By the way, I hope to see you when I’m in Kansas in February.
7. Alex says on: 3 November 2005 at 11:32 am

   Ron, I read your post and felt like standing up and cheering. In fact, I think I will.
8. Keith McNamar says on: 3 November 2005 at 12:13 pm

   Ron,

   I’ll echo the praise for your heart and way of expressing it. I’m gonna carry that phrase with me for a long time - “We have concluded that we must create a space where the world can meet Christ, not build a place where the church can meet.” I love that, thanks for sharing it.

   Keith
9. Debbie Arnn says on: 3 November 2005 at 2:43 pm

   Alex,
   I am getting so excited about this. We’ve been talking about it around our house for weeks…”What would it look like if our missional community went cyberspace?” “Is there such a thing as community on the web?”

   I can’t wait to see how VOX will work…This is gonna be great stuff…We’re on the verge of something big…

   Debbie
10. Cliff says on: 3 November 2005 at 3:20 pm

    The invitation has been extended on my blog.

    The future is ours.

    c.h.
11. Mel says on: 3 November 2005 at 4:05 pm

    Wow. Alex and Ron, my parallell universe must overlap yours too…

    As a Barista Evangelist myself, this is beyond exciting to me. In fact, this is precisely what my church has been doing for the past few years, now.

    Three years ago:
    We were facing a major renovation of our church building, located in uptown Cincinnati (which is not nearly as posh as the song “Uptown Girl” would make you think!), as it was not up to code and did not meet our needs very well, either. At the same time, in a neighborhood composed mainly of college students, artists, and a few low-income families, a dream was born in the heart of some of the church-goers to have a cafe ministry; denizens of the coffee house themselves, they wantedt a warm, inviting, safe venue in which to dialigue with the people they already met, hung out with, and formed friendships with in these coffee houses. It would have to be a place where you could get a cup of coffee that was actually good, as opposed to tasting like it had been burned; where you could get a macchiato that was a macchiato; where you could get a cappuccino from someone who didn’t ask you “What size?” as if “Tall-Grande-Venti” was the appropriate way to identify a cappuccino, as opposed to the “Single-Double” that had been used for the past fifty years at least and which demonstrated that the Barista, in fact, knew what a cappuccinowas. In short, it had to be a place that disproved the popular opinion that, in the words of a friend, “Christians use the grace of God to excuse the fact that they are crappy at what they do for a living.” It had to be a place where you could sit for hours at a time without getting a dirty look from the barista, and where the barista was willing to talk if you sat at the bar. It had to be a place where open-ended discussions about life and love and God and the universe could take place.

    Today: Our church has eschewed the classic “great room” or “fellowship hall” for a cafe space. We have a full-service espresso bar and pastries from a local bakery. We have a stage, and three nights a week local acts play (Thusrsdays are Jazz night). We have changing art exhibits spotlighting work by local artists. We have free wi-fi. Our smaller rooms (one with a table, one with enourmous, comfy couches) are frequently used by community groups for meetings; everything from the Neighborhood watch to non profit organizations to urban and community development organizations, to a class from the law college at the near-by University of Cincinnati, to a knitting club. We exclusively serve 100% fair trade and organic coffees, teas, and chocolates, the coffee from a local roaster, underscoring our committment not just to our own community, but to a more just world. Not all of our baristas go to the church. Not all of them are Christians. But all of them love coffee and believe in making our world a better, more just place; and all of them like to connect with people over that great unifier– a hot beverage.

    And me? I’ve learned to make a mean cappuccino. I’ve discovered that a decaf vanilla soy latte with nutmeg is nirvana. And I’ve made deep, genuine relationships with people who have backgrounds, walks of life, religions, and God-stories very different from my own. Relationships I never would have had if not for my “third place.”

    And, of course, the coffee’s great too. Stinkowoman (Lori) introduced me to coffee houses at the age of fifteen and I’ve never looked back. But seriously, this is it, guys. Us able to connect and really dialogue with people (Christians, Mystic Warriors, non-Christians, whoever) in a meaningful way about the important stuff. This is life. If we could do this online and f2f at the same time, that would be…heaven. The Kingdom of God.

    -Mel
12. Mel says on: 3 November 2005 at 4:16 pm

    If you’re interested, check out the website of the cafe I was talking about:
13. Mel says on: 3 November 2005 at 4:17 pm

    Hmmm…HTML not working…here’s a URL to cut-and-paste.

    http://www.rohsstreetcafe.com
14. Eric says on: 4 November 2005 at 12:27 am

    What awesome stories and God-touched experiences. I see/feel a wave building, growing, almost too much power behind it.

    My excitement comes from not just watching it (as too often seems to be the case), but being in the middle of it as it builds…to be out of control, and in His control is awesome!

    E-
15. Kristi Cornwell says on: 4 November 2005 at 9:46 am

    Feeling stunned. Our small community started talking about a space like this just two days ago. It has been a dream on the heart of my dear friend Angel for YEARS. It appears God is bringing her and all our friends to the place where it could happen. In fact, the big question two nights ago was how in the world to come up with finances to buy a space. I told Angel that we couldn’t worry about that. Dream God-sized and wait for Him to come through with the details. Reading your post this morning seems to speak to that exact subject. We are weary of church as we experience it now and are hungry for change. We’re thinking of calling it “The Alternative.” After all, church isn’t really the place you go to meet God, it is the people you worship and serve with and just live life with. It’s community.

    I was really tired this morning, but this post woke me up. The excitement and all the coffee talk did it. How amazing that God seems to be putting this on all our hearts at once. It reminds me of a favorite passage…Acts 2:17-21. “AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, `THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND…”
    I love this place and these people! Thanks again Alex for facilitating.

    ~Kristi
16. Sue D. says on: 4 November 2005 at 10:17 am

    Hi Alex,

    I am a lurker - just now posting after months of anonymity. A friend, Eric Sweiven, turned my husband and I onto “the mystic”. We enjoy reading your posts and are inspired by your courage. Thank you.

    I love the idea of this parallel unvierse where people all over the world and in our own communities can come together and share the same vision to serve Christ. Cyber space is our new frontier.

    Right now, I feel that here in Sacramento we are fragmented. However, there are a few of us “mystic warriors” who are banning together. It is trully exciting! We have been meeting with Eric and Lizette quite a bit, and I believe good things are to come.

    Thanks again!

    Sue D.
17. Christina says on: 4 November 2005 at 10:45 am

    Mel,

    I read your post and I am in tears (literally). My husband and I are wanting to do just that … start at culture pub in Thousand Oaks, California. We have hopes and visions and this undeniable calling that resonates with what has manifested for you already. I am more encouraged than ever to pursue this dream. It is risky but who cares. We MUST try. Thank you for taking the time to share. You give me hope. The possibilities are endless!
18. Alex says on: 4 November 2005 at 11:04 am

    sue, welcome to the mystic. know and love eric sweiven. i think he looks like kevin spacey at times.
19. Sue D. says on: 4 November 2005 at 11:18 am

    I KNOW! I always tell him that!

    His wife, Lizette, and I have known each other our entire lives. On a whim, we invited the Sweivens over for a BBQ, and Heath and Eric fell in love with each other. It was adorable. They were talking about Mosaic, “An Unstoppable Force”, your brother and so on and so on and so on.

    Heath and Eric are planning on going to the conference in May together. Maybe you’ll get a chance to meet him. He looks like BEN AFFLECK! No joke!
20. Lori says on: 4 November 2005 at 12:19 pm

    I fell like I am already living a parallel life. Voxtropolis will be a unity of my two halves. I welcome the challenge. I have the weird feeling that this Voxtropolis thing could just change my life.
21. kevin sutherland says on: 4 November 2005 at 12:31 pm

    totally down with this idea.i have a couple of guys in church who have pitched around this idea also.if this becomes a reality…..the mystic vision takeing on time and space….mosaic miami militia wants to be in the game.
    kevin s
22. Albert says on: 4 November 2005 at 4:07 pm

    I am enjoying learning about this new adventure to reach the world around me. It seems you all are church leaders and I have the desire to jump in with you but wonder how this will be something that someone like me can do. How can someone like me who is just a church attender, not a leader, get involved?
23. Alex says on: 4 November 2005 at 4:24 pm

    Albert,

    I’m on a quest to eliminate the word “just”. let’s talk about how we can return the ministry to us.
24. Sally Schilling says on: 4 November 2005 at 8:35 pm

    Alex,

    “I’m on a quest to eliminate the word “just”. let’s talk about how we can return the ministry to us.”

    That’s the best “leadership” comment I’ve heard in weeks!

    Thank you, kind sir!
25. mixed_moss says on: 4 November 2005 at 9:45 pm

    Albert,

    I’m not a church leader. Just a barista and the campus minister’s gratis baby-sitter. In fact I am in the job-hunt process myself right now. Maybe I’m just riding the wave created by the “church leaders;” then again, maybe they are just riding the wave created by God.

    All I find myself really able to say with any certainty is that we are, each of us, so very lucky to be drowning in God’s waves.

    -Mel
26. Lori says on: 5 November 2005 at 7:36 am

    Ah, Mel, I’m getting all misty… who knew that giving caffeine to a 15 year old could impact the world? I’m so proud of my bad influence! Wait, no…
27. Keith says on: 5 November 2005 at 8:13 am

    Oops, Mel, I think Alex is going to have a problem with that little word, “just” you threw in there!

    Keith
28. Beth says on: 6 November 2005 at 6:15 pm

    Haven’t popped into your world in several days, and I just have to say this conversation is AMAZING.

    Thanks.
29. ron says on: 6 November 2005 at 7:07 pm

    Alex - I know the podcast question you posed was a while ago but I think it would be great to inject it back into this discussion now. Is it a Christ following value to create wealth? Had this discussion with the owner of the restaurant we meet in. God obviously made him with the ability to see certain things and he has used it to build a successful business. His business produces wealth for him. He isn’t a greedy man, he is a generous man and used both the wealth and his facility in kingdom causes (God honoring things). He also provides employment for people (a God honoring thing). He provides a good meal at a fair price for his community (a God honoring thing), he creates tax revenue for the city which needs wealth in order to build infrastructure (a God honoring thing). Our city made me consider this question because we have so much non-taxable property in the city 9we house the world’s largest naval base) that it has hampered our ability to have healthy growth. Why would a city want another church built in it when each one steals another chunk of tax revenue? Why not shift the paradigm so that a city would welcome a new church because it not only improves the intangibles but also produces wealth which can be used to improve the lives of all it’s citizens? I feel like the non-profit status is one of the largest sacred cows we have left - are we going to hold onto our tax exempt status at the cost of pushing the gospel forward or is it a ball and chain holding us back? I think we will need to become evangepreneurs (ok so that term may be a bit corny..) if we are going to create a future which honors Jesus.
30. daniel says on: 7 November 2005 at 9:38 am

    what’s up man! i’m a friend of chris and anne jackson and they told me about you and this website. so i thought i’d check it out. i’ve kind of joined a similar ministry that a church here in Kansas has started. they built an amazing coffee shop and have opened it to the community. this opened in june and things have been slow but somewhat picking up. we are having our first of hopefully many music nights coming up in a couple weeks. it’s a great ministry and i think that coffee shops are one of the best and most influential ways to meet people and get to know them on a deeper maybe spiritual level. i’m the manager of the coffee shop and have been a barista for a couple of years now. i would love to hear how everything works out with that so keep us updated!
31. Mel says on: 7 November 2005 at 6:07 pm

    Ron,

    Good questions. I don’t feel I can speak to whether churches should maintain non-profit status. But as to the question of whether it is God-honoring to create wealth…it is not having wealth or even giving away wealth that God cares about, I think, so much as it is whether we can trust him with it. If he asks us to give, we should do so– cheerfully, without hesitation, without fear. Which is tough because poverty really is most peoples’ greatest fear.

    It was C.S. Lewis, I think, who said that he thought “the only safe thing to do was to give more than you think you can afford.” Poverty was his greatest fear; he admitted as much. And yet, when he died, it was discovered that he had given away about two thirds of his income annually, to individuals and to charities– and he thought that he had never done enough. Hmmm…what life could look like…the possibilities.
32. Albert says on: 7 November 2005 at 10:21 pm

    You’re right. I understand the need to eliminate the word “just”, especially the way I used it here. I’m only saying “how can I get involved and do what you guys and gals are doing for the Kingdom?” Some of this is all new to me like barista, what’s this? I want to join you. I also have the burning desire to reach those that need to hear Christ’s message but will probably not attend a church. This is exciting and it blows me away just reading your posts and knowing there are people who have been dreaming of this for months or years. You are the innovators, the world changers, thanks for sharing your vision with us. Alex, I want to learn more about “into the mystic”.
33. Nicolas Nelson says on: 7 December 2005 at 12:28 pm

    ron said, “Why would a city want another church built in it when each one steals another chunk of tax revenue? Why not shift the paradigm so that a city would welcome a new church because it not only improves the intangibles but also produces wealth which can be used to improve the lives of all it’s citizens? I feel like the non-profit status is one of the largest sacred cows we have left - are we going to hold onto our tax exempt status at the cost of pushing the gospel forward or is it a ball and chain holding us back?

    Wow. New thought. Tasting– it’s good. Digesting– it’s healthy. Everything you have said, ron, has resonated with me. My greatest fear in life is (as far as I know my own heart) not poverty but to be living proof of the truth of Mel’s evil rumor, “Christians use the grace of God to excuse the fact that they are crappy at what they do for a living.”

    If I can manage not to be crappy at what I am doing, I will create wealth to some degree. If I can do it excellently (writing, tutoring, marketing/property management), then I will create a lot of wealth. And my dear hope is not only to be all that ron and Mel describe, but to someday help fund Voxtropolis dreams like Kristi Cornwell’s and Christina’s and many other “evangelpreneurial” schemes (good word, ron).

    May we all “create a space where the world can meet Christ, not build a place where the church can meet.”
34. Nicolas Nelson says on: 7 January 2006 at 5:50 am

    I have been emailing with Joyce Millikan of Working Faith about these ideas; I hope she will join the conversation. (I hope this conversation continues!) She says “It seems a mission-minded Christian led/owned business has a better vehicle with which to impact people with Christ’s ministry than does the church… Business as a mission vehicle has the potential to provide people many ways of growing up: in faith (potentially), in skills (certainly), in people relations (definitely), and in financial responsibility (hopefully).”

    As an example, Joyce sent me the article below. I don’t know if Weaver Street is Christ-focused or not, but it is very easy to imagine a team of mystic warriors creating this sort of thing:

    Weaver Street Cooperative
    Living Economy Award
    For its sustainable products, community focus, and democratic governance.

    At a meeting in 2002, urban design consultant Dan Burden pointed to two photographs taken on the lawn of the Weaver Street Market. One showed people sitting and talking on the stone wall around the market’s outdoor fountain. The other showed kids on the market’s lawn, laughing. “I show these two images to the nation,” Burden said. “This is the pinnacle of excellence of public space. The Weaver Street area is something you are doing better than any other place in the nation. That’s your greatness.”

    In its small town of Carrboro, N.C., the 17-year-old Weaver Street Market Cooperative is more than a food store — it’s a community hub, with a stated mission of creating a “vibrant, sustainable community.” The grocery store features an outdoor space with sculpture, fountain, tables, and benches. And the store hosts food and music events three times a week that attract hundreds of local residents. The store emphasizes sustainably produced foods, purchased locally as much as possible. Its glass bottle milk comes from a dairy seven miles away; its heritage breed poultry comes from farmers in the next county; and its pork comes from a local farmer’s co-op. “We try to connect people to their own food,” said general manager Ruffin Slater.

    Yet Weaver Street is more than a food market. It runs a restaurant, Panzanella, also devoted to locally produced and seasonal foods, which hosts frequent special dinners and wine tastings to show off local producers. The cooperative donated staff time and unused real estate to create a new community radio station. And it created a nonprofit to build affordable housing. When residents nearby wanted a second market, they approached Weaver Street to open one. It did so, and 600 subscribers signed up to finance the venture. The co-op also began deliberate outreach to hire Hispanics, who are now 20 percent of the workforce and have been a huge benefit to the store. “They are a very stable workforce, which is a rarity in the food service business,” said Slater.

    This focus on community service arises naturally from the design of Weaver Street, which is incorporated as a cooperative. One of the seven formal guiding principles of all cooperatives is “concern for community.” A second cooperative principle is “democratic member control.” Weaver Street Cooperative is one of the few hybrid coops in the U.S., owned by both workers and consumers, governed by a board reflecting this dual ownership.

    The element of employee ownership gives Weaver Street a competitive advantage, said Slater. “Our staff’s commitment to food and fun is what differentiates us and has been instrumental to our success.” The store has 75 employee-owners.

    Capital funding for the co-op has come from 8,000 consumers who invested an average of $100 to join the co-op. When the board recently suggested raising the membership fee to $200 in order to pay off bank debts, the proposal touched off a storm of controversy. “It will be a much longer approval process than we thought,” said Slater, noting that the proposal is still pending.

    “We really are a great example of the living economy,” Slater added. “Because of our ownership structure, we are here to serve the community. With most retail stores, decisions are made strictly based on profit. We at Weaver Street are freed up to be creative, a community where consumers know the shopkeepers.”

    Ruffin Slater, General Manager, Weaver Street Cooperative, 101 East Weaver St., Carrboro, NC 27510. Phone: 919-929-0010. Email: feedback@weaverstreetmarket.coop
    
    This article appears in the Fall 2005 issue of Business Ethics. To request a free sample copy, e-mail Fall2005AwardsIssue@business-ethics.com
35. Bill Colburn says on: 10 March 2006 at 8:06 pm

    Amen to the missionally incarnational - getting into the marketplace to build relationships with those we wouldn’t otherwise ever get to know.

    After 25 years of ministry, my wife and I left a senior pastorate position last year to start a cafe. We wanted to be in the middle of where God said he would be at work. We have been finding more evidences of God’s presence outside the ‘church’ than inside!

    Intentionally, there is nothing ‘Christian’ about our cafe - no crosses, Christian music, books, pictures, etc. We have nothing ‘Christian’ to divert people’s attention from the Spirit. We have folks from all walks of life, from various religious, ethnic and racial backgrounds. All safely and securely meet under our one ‘roof’ only having a growing relationship with my wife and myself in common with each other. Through us they meet each other. The only thing ‘Christian’ about our cafe is that we invite the Spirit to teach us, lead us, and to use us in building meaningful new relationships with those who come to our cafe.

    I believe there is a place for preaching and teaching - but not here in the market place - at least in the traditional sense of preaching and teaching. This is a place for identifying, experiencing and being led by the power of God alone. There are no spiffy four-color tracts, gospel presentations, invites to church, free bibles, or pretense in relationship building. We treat each person as a precious child of god - whatever their response. We hope to see foundational faith birthed by the Spirit, not by a religious institution - which we believe gets ‘believers’ off onto the Christian life on the wrong footing. We are not inviting God to bless our clever activities in His name. Instead, we have simply decided to go where God said he would be working and to learn to discern his work in each persons life and set our hearts to be ready to be used by him. His work is to reveal Christ in us as the same ’spirit’ that is speaking to them.

    Each person we meet is an exciting opportunity to discover the Spirit at work in ways we never imagined and in ways most of these people do not yet understand. When they get to know us they, hopefully, get to meet Christ living out his life within us. We believe the Spirit will then speak to their hearts, in a way they can understand, helping them to sense a resonance between the Spirit who is working both in their lives and in ours. We believe a person’s faith best grows when they have ‘discovered’ the truth, rather than when they have been ‘told’ the truth. In the market place God may use us as a catalyst in this discovery process.

    We have also opted not to try to build a ‘church’ within our cafe walls - though this was my initial intention. I discovered that such a plan compromised me in the eyes of our customers - making them question my motivations. I have no secret plans to make them all church goers or members of my own little church. My motivations are quite simple: allow them to meet Jesus in us and let the Spirit continue to lead from there. We obviously need to be in this for the long haul, planting seeds of Christian love and trusting the Spirit to nurture each new seedling.

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