Cafe church
A cafe church is a Christian church centered in cafés. These edifices are associated with alternative worship and the emerging church movements, and seek 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 of a café in their ministry.
The cafe church can be viewed as an organically based philosophy for planting churches, 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 bread, 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 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:
"Café Church is a Glebe-based, non-traditional Christian faith community. We aim to provide an inclusive, accepting and welcoming space for everybody, no matter what their spiritual path. Café Church revolves around open discussion, creative expression and alternative approaches to worship. Our core values include hospitality, creativity, discipleship and social and environmental justice."
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