Post on 14-Dec-2014
description
transcript
Coffee Community
Church
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Index
1. Introduction
2. Setting the Table
2.1 Once upon a time
2.2 A warm welcome
2.3 Three criteria
3. Coffee
3.1 The perfect shot
3.2 Making money
3.3 Selling customers short?
4. Community
4.1 Love actually
4.2 A third place
4.3 The job of the church?
5. Church
5.1 Missio dei
5.2 From crusade to context
5.3 Spreading the Word
6. Facts and Figures
6.1 Market overview
6.2 Church attendance
7. The Business Case
7.1 Coffee for non‐believers
7.2 Location, location
7.3 It’s all about people
7.4 Delivering quality
7.5 Balancing the books
8. And finally…
8.1 Will the penny drop?
8.2 Give me five
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Introduction
In an increasingly fragmented culture
people are going to coffee shops to find
community. The high street professionals
in particular are adept at gathering people
and building relationships. Is there anything
to learn from the brand managers who sell
us caffeine?
This report looks at how selling coffee
might help the church build community
and grow. Not to diminish mission to a
commercial activity. But to help the church
do its job well at a time when many walk
past a Sunday service to find their way to
a comfy sofa and a double shot latte in the
local Starbucks.
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Setting the Table
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Once upon a time
In the City of London surrounded by
offices we sold coffee to commuters on
their way to work. At Christmas on a
trestle table in a church bell tower we took
£1,200 in five mornings.
The lovely people at Monmouth Coffee had
given us free beans and we were able to
give the money we made to the homeless.
Lots of people joined in with what we were
doing – two folks even ended up joining
the church staff. Everybody seemed
happy. And perhaps surprisingly lots of
people came to church that week. We were
singing carols (which is an easy ‘sell’) but
the jump in figures was still impressive.
Only around 5 people at the time were
coming to the Thursday lunchtime service.
Serving coffee boosted numbers that week
to over 80.
We all wondered if we were on to a good
thing….
One volunteer came with her
young daughter to the carol
service. The family generally
doesn’t go to church.
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“if there is any concept worth restoring to its original
depth and evocative potential,
it is the concept of hospitality.”Henri Nouwen, priest
A warm welcome
To its very core the church is about a warm
welcome. It is a community builder. Or at
least it should be. Loving neighbour and a
welcome to the stranger are fundamental
to the Christian life (e.g. Mark 12.31 and
Hebrews 13.2).
People who make money out of selling
coffee also know the value of a friendly
face, a helping hand or a warm smile.
They understand that hospitality makes
a profit. Brands are about relationship
building ‐ and there is money in making
people feel good.
Consumerism has outclassed the Christian
way of life. A generation continues to walk
past the church and readily finds its way to
the comfy chairs in Starbucks.
The Jesuit priest Henri Nouwen nails it
when he writes:
“if there is any concept worth restoring toits original depth and evocative potential, it is the concept of hospitality. It is one ofthe richest biblical terms that can deepenand broaden our insight in our relationshipsto our fellow human beings.”
There is a need to take note ‐ not for the
sake of profit but with the aim to maintain
a prophetic voice.
Three criteria - Coffee, Community andChurch
This report looks at the church and the
role selling coffee can play. Firstly, it looks
at coffee sold commercially when the
operation is outsourced.
It then looks at a clear intention to
build community. It does this with the
understanding that selling coffee is a first
step that builds a bridge between church
and those who live and work nearby.
Finally, if selling coffee can build
community can it also help grow the
church? Different examples show how
on the ground selling coffee, building
community and growing the church can
work together hand‐in‐hand.
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Coffee
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The perfect shot
If a church is going to sell coffee it has
to be good. For those in the know it’s all
about the shot. That’s the hot water that
passes through the freshly ground beans
to deliver a shot of espresso en route to
the perfect cup. The shot lies at the heart
of all the drinks that those like Starbucks
and Café Nero sell us ‐ lattes, cappuccinos,
macchiatos and flat whites etc. You just
add hot water and milk.
The list of drinks goes on. And one thing
that the market demands is that any coffee
vendor is up to speed. Knowing the product
and delivering the quality is essential.
Making money
The outlay for a coffee machine is not
small. But the mark‐up on coffee is good
and there is money to be made. It’s not
easy. There are pitfalls. But there is
potential to be tapped and not just by
the well known high street operators.
Increasingly independent coffee
companies are holding their own.
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Example
St Margaret’s Patten has a coffee cart
by its front door. The forecourt offers a
great place for Ray to run his business. He
pays the church £150 per week (which is
£7,800 for the year) and sells to local office
workers.
Selling an Italian coffee means that the
product more than holds it own against
the competition. And outside space offers
somewhere for those who also want to
smoke. Assistant priest Hugh is a great
fan. “A major factor is the quality - betterthan Starbucks and any in-house vendingmachine.”
The model is simple. And is a step towards
forming a bridge with the local community.
Other examples
St James’ Piccadilly has a Café Nero on its
premises. Bill Sewell runs cafés in three
churches ‐ London, Hereford with the
latest in Cambridge (St Mary le Bow, AllSaints and St Michael’s House) selling
fine coffee alongside the food he serves.
He is a lovely man who has majored on
selling food and drink in church venues.
Of course plenty of churches across the
country rent out part of the premises.
Cathedrals often have refectories but
if we’re honest they tend not to be the
warmest of places.
A final example makes clear the value of
two words ‐ location, location. St Mary’s,
which is the University Church in Oxfordrents out its restaurant space. But it’s the
garden overlooking the Radcliffe Camera
(part of the university library) that’s a
winner. Who wouldn’t want a coffee with
a world‐class view thrown in for free?
Selling the customer short…?
Handing the keys over to a company is one
option. It can generate a return and also
provide a ‘non‐churchy’ space to meet.
But can this sell the customer short?
Just serving coffee but not actively building
community or reflecting Christian values
in a way that perhaps a church enterprise
can.
The next section looks at selling coffee and
building community as joint priorities.
Enjoying coffee outside
St. Margaret’s Patten in
the City of London
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Community
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Love actually
God is love. (1 John 4.8 and 16). Biblical
demands to love neighbour aren’t an
option. The coffee shop environment
offers to make the person of Jesus real by
creating a space where people can feel
loved ‐ at the very least served and looked
after well.
The American theologian Leonard Sweet
has written a book called The Gospel
according to Starbucks. (It’s worth a read).
In it he explains:
“Starbucks is fundamentally in therelationship business. Starbucks sells notcoffee but connection.”
In one parable Jesus actually tells his
listeners to be as shrewd as the people of
the world. (Luke 16.8) The church needs
to be as on the ball as the companies that
dominate our high streets.
Hospitality as a Christian principle is never
far from divine connections. We need to
mirror God’s love. It’s that simple. And it’s
that hard.
“You may think, as I first did, that I’m primarily in the
business of serving food and drink
…what’s more meaningful is creatingpositive, upliftingoutcomesfor human experiences
and human relationships.”
Danny Meyer, restaurateur
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A third place
Brand managers set out to build
community. They offer a third place. Not
home or work but a place to gather and
they’ve got the formula right ‐ a warm and
friendly place that’s accessed for the price
of a coffee.
Henri Nouwen’s thoughts on hospitality
echo the thinking behind third places.
He claims that churches need to offer a
“friendly empty space”. That’s somewhere
which is agenda free. In this space he
argues the church can reach out and by
doing so witness to the possibility of a
relationship with God.
Example
One success story is Bridges in the heart
of Kent. A converted chapel it was saved
from the developers in the early nineties
not to stay a place of worship but to offer a
drop‐in centre to the community.
Members of local churches in Edenbridge
bought the building. And now it’s run by a
paid manager who oversees a team of
volunteers.
Mary takes a low salary for her 28‐hour
week but loves overseeing her seventy
helpers. They’re a friendly mixed bunch.
Two‐thirds are committed Christians. The
other third aren’t involved in church at all.
Coffee is central to the food and drink on
offer but it’s seen as fuel ‐ oiling the
community work that’s carried out. Prices
are low. But crucially there is a sensitivity
not to be seen as competition to the cafes
in the area.
Finally, the aim is not to make money.
Bridges isn’t smart. It’s not slick. But it is
a place of real welcome and while
Christianity is not pushed the centre is
without doubt a witness. There’s a deficit
to run the place. It’s £5,000. The folks in
local churches raise this sum each year.
And are content they’re getting value – a
fair bang for their bucks.
Other examples
It’s worth flagging up that some places that
sell coffee and build community are as
smart as the big boys on the high street.
The Oval Café at the YWAM (Youth With A
Mission) base in Harpenden has a £10,000
machine that offers a full range of drinks.
Part of a broader initiative to engage with
the local community the café has been a
success.
Two thirds of customers make a special
trip to The Oval Café on the edge of town.
Served up by volunteers you’d be hard
pushed to fault the food and drink.
Another contender in terms of great layout
is The Sky is Red based in a modern
church building in Swiss Cottage. The site
is opposite the underground with
windows overlooking the main road. Half
the staff is paid the other half volunteer.
It’s been a sharp learning curve. And the
manager Luke has learned a lot in the past
two years. From a humble start with an
ebay coffee machine The Sky is Red is now
on track. Set to break even in 2010 this
café is a real part of church life.
Notably both The Oval Café and The Sky is
Red (like Bridges) play to Nouwen’s insight
of offering a friendly empty space.
Bridges provides a home from
home for people like Michael in
the local community
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The job of the church…?
But is loving service and playing to the
ideals of a third place enough? There is an
easy answer. No. Selling coffee and
building community isn’t the primary
focus of mission for any church.
The examples in this section run cafes as
part of a bigger picture. Their aim is to
offer a relevant and effective witness and it
is difficult to grade success.
In terms of growing the church the trustee
of Bridges I spoke to was aware of two
couples that now attend a Sunday service.
At Holy Trinity Swiss Cottage a couple of
the most regular customers have attended
an alpha course and another coffee drinker
now comes to church but would not call
himself a Christian.
At YWAM results are even less clear. As
regulars, if they were to start going to
church, would do so in Harpenden and not
on the base.
However, the next section casts a broader
net beyond selling coffee and building
community. It adds an explicit agenda of
growing church.
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Church
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Missio dei
The two Latin words missio dei literally
mean mission of God. It’s what the people
of God do when they join in with His plans
on earth. For a job description look no
further than the five marks on the left.
These pretty much hit the spot. But how
does serving coffee help? It works as a
vehicle and breaks down barriers. Over
coffee conversation flows and people
connect.
From crusade to context
In the days of Billy Graham the crusade
connected with a nation that had the
church more central to its life. Today
there’s spadework to be done.
The course has tried to fill the gap. Alpha
and other curricula lay out what faith is all
about. But people resist even courses and
hold the church at arms length. One
answer is to offer a third place ‐ a context
for conversation.
But there’s also a needs for challenge. So
that the good news is proclaimed. In this
section the churches offer space with low
barriers to entry but these are also places
where Christians also clearly meet.
A key factor is the buildings. They’re
flexible and use can change. The built
environments discussed are not static (like
a regular church) and they’re reactive to a
community and its needs. They’re hubs
Five Marks of Mission
• To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
• To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
• To respond to human need by loving service
• To seek to transform unjust structures of society
• To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation
and sustain and renew the life of the earth
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for people on journeys. And that might
include a journey of faith.
These examples sell coffee, build
community and grow the church.
Example
Tubesation in Plozeath is a striking
example of flexible space carved out of a
1930’s Methodist church. This Cornish
congregation is connected to the surfing
world. Their website puts it well:
“It’s about people coming together,
breaking down boundaries and taking
risks. It’s about the ride, having fun
experiencing the fullness of life and being
inspired by the ocean and the wonder and
beauty of creation. It’s about music, art,
waves, snow and opening compassionate
eyes to our world, encouraging people to
reach for their full potential…”.
Since 2002 a congregation of four people
has grown to a core of over forty. But in
the holidays numbers swell and reach 250
on a busy Sunday.
Described best as a place to hang‐out the
church cost £120,000 to do up. There’s a
skate ramp, a landscaped site and an area
of decking. At the heart is a café run by
married couple Martha and Terry. Martha
has a commitment to quality and is keen to
see the image of the church coffee shop
change. “People have a perception of
church serving instant coffee in a
polystyrene cup – what kind of testimony
is that?”
But as well as a cafe there’s a computer
club with laptops for hire, an art gallery,
somewhere for prayer, conference
facilities, weddings and gaming on Wii.
The offer of Pilates classes ends the
extensive list of things to do.
“Lots of people think they have to take a
deep breath before they go anywhere
religious” co‐director, Henry Cavender
explains “and what we try to do is take
down all the barriers.”
Other examples
Another Methodist building also provides
a wonderful story of community
involvement and church growth. In west
Yorkshire Caroline Holt started a play gym
in 2007.
The Wesley Playhouse has since seen more
than 24,000 visitors pass through its
doors. The church was set for closure with
just seven members but now there’s an ark
shaped play zone and a café. Notably its
Ikea furniture was a donation ‐ the
Swedish company happy to join in with the
project seen to be a good thing.
Caroline is clear about the benefits in
particular the way that people feel
comfortable and at ease. “It’s a fresh way
of making faith real to people in a way they
understand…and we’ve had five
christenings.”
Also on the first Sunday of the month
there’s Playhouse Praise – a congregation
that’s’ grown directly from the families
that first came as customers to this
Howden Clough facility.
Finally, looking to the future. St Katharine
Cree in the City of London is set for
change. The aim is to offer sanctuary and
serve the workplace. At the heart of the
vision coffee will be served to the local
office workers. This will reclaim a history
of the church use as a refectory after the
Great Fire. There will also be a flexible
interior laid out according to its use.
This is like Tubestation to the world of
surf. Or The Wesley Playhouse to local
families. In the case of St Katharine Cree
the aim is to serve the men and women in
the Square Mile. Offering a context to
reflect on what it is to live and to work
well.
The signs are hopeful. Supporters include
Professor Alister McGrath of London
University. “The Refectory church vision of
feeding body and soul offers us all a fresh
and valuable model on how to do church
today.”
Tubestation at Polzeath Community Churchoverlooking one of the UK’s top surfing beaches
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Spreading the word
Finally, in looking at the role of church
here’s a section on conversational
evangelism. Not to clash with a safe place
that’s agenda free. But to ensure that
difficult questions aren’t ducked and to
help us to explain the hope we have when
asked. (1 Peter 3.15)
Having earned the right to share the
acronym JAM Jar helps. The first letter is J.
Any witness needs to point the listener to
Jesus. Not to church or to oneself but to
the Saviour.
Next the letter A for authentic ‐ sharing the
hope that Christian has must come from
the heart. Often this is best done through
personal story. This should be an
authentic testimony about meeting God. A
spiritual first‐hand encounter re‐told to
encourage the listener.
M stands for made‐to‐measure. The
speaker needs to tailor what’s said.
Speaking to a fifteen year old demands a
different manner to a conversation with
someone in their fifties.
And what’s said must be jargon free.
Christian terminology can sound alien.
Choose words carefully. Or what you say
will fall on deaf ears.
Jesus focussedAuthentic Made-to-measureJARgon free
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Facts and Figures
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Church attendance
The figures make depressing reading. And
that’s in spite of London’s numbers which
are more hopeful. Over 20% of those
living in the capital are going to church.
But the harsh reality that hits home is the
two thirds of the UK population that’s out
of touch with the Christian faith.
This second amount is 32.2 million people.
And according to Tearfund figures out in
2007 this number is evenly split with
those who are de‐churched and the second
half that’s never been to church at all.
Notably this secular majority is made up of
29.3 million of folks who are unreceptive
and closed to church. A Sunday service or
religion in any shape or size is simply not
on the agenda.
Market overview
There will be more than 12,500 coffee
shop outlets in the UK by the end of 2012
as coffee culture becomes entrenched in
UK lifestyle. The coffee shop market
achieved £1.63 billion in sales in 2009 up
6.2% on 2008.
Allegra Strategies also predict the growing
influence of high quality niche
independent coffee shops on the branded
chains. Typified by the high street take up
of the specialist flat white.
And while the recession has claimed
weaker operators average spend dropped
only slightly from £3.59 in 2008 to the
latest 2009 figure of £3.50.
The National Statistics Office added
muffins and smoothies to the RPI in 2008
to the detriment of ‘stubbie’ lager and TV
dinners which is another indicator of the
market’s perceived strength.
While over 30% of all cafes are branded or
run by popular chains such as Starbucks,
Café Nero or Costa Coffee there is equally
scope for smaller or local social enterprise
cafes.
Of course there are inherent risks.
Especially in the current economic
environment and any decision must be
grounded in good business practices. But
one thing is certain the coffee shop has
potential. And the independent harnessed
by the church could offer a way forward
for mission in an increasingly secular
world.
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The BusinessCase
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Coffee for non-believers
Those who are leaders in the world of
coffee talk about ‘non‐believers’. The
people not converted to a cup of coffee at
its best. The caffeine equivalent of wine
that’s appellation controlee.
Two of the leading coffee evangelists call
themselves The Coffee Boys. John and
Hugh hail from Ireland. What they don’t
know about a hit of caffeine isn’t worth a
bean. They’ve a formula for how to run a
coffee shop. And here’s a précis to their
guide.
There are four key areas. They’re property,
people, quality and money. Let’s look at
them one‐by‐one.
Location, location
A sound strategy needs to be developed
that takes into account the local market.
For a starter it’s about location. You need
the footfall and those who’ll spend. .
If you’re in a church, what’s the number
that passes by? Watch and learn. Sit for
an hour and check at different times of day.
How does this compare with a local coffee
shop that’s running well? And only then
do your sums.
But remember. While the chains base
position just on footfall independents
sometimes flout the rule. They find a
niche and build community. Tobias brewing coffee
at Shoreditch’s Penny
University coffee shop
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Finally, here’s a question. Pause and think
hard. There’s caution for the church. And
it’s this ‐ the dilemma of competition with
the parish. Check yourself and don’t get
carried away. The right thing to do
because of a local business might be this.
Nothing.
But take heart. One vicar in west London
whose planning a café is looking to a local
set up. They’ll come in and run the show.
In the City another member of the clergy is
weighing up a joint venture with a deli as a
way to run a cart.
It’s all about people
There’s a hot debate. Is property the
hardest hurdle for setting up shop or is it
people? On balance most would say it’s
staff. It’s tough to get it right. The main
requirement is attitude as knowledge can
be taught.
First, take a look around. Are there people
on the doorstep already set to be involved?
In a church there are often folks with
passion and the key is to release them.
Delivering quality
To make a go in coffee you need taste.
That’s in terms of style but you’ll also need
the products to be at their very best.
Like YWAM in Harpenden you may think
it’s worth big money to invest in a
machine. But what’s key is your customer
and what they want to eat and drink. Put
yourself in his or her shoes and only then
decide on product.
Balancing the books
It’s all about the money. Even for a church.
The profit motive may be not as high but at
the very least the venture must be viable.
Even if there’s a deficit like Bridges you
need to know your sums.
Look at he figures to the left. It’s an
exercise on the back of an envelope. The
percentages will help ensure it all adds up.
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And Finally . . .
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Will the penny drop?
The coffee shop in the UK has a remarkable
story. Back in 1692 Edward Lloyd served
coffee. At his tables the first insurance deals
were carried out. And now the world’s most
famous insurance market bears his name.
Today just to the east of the City is a coffee
roaster called The Square Mile. It’s name
as homage not just to Mr Lloyd but to the
thousand plus coffee shops that existed.
These were known as Penny Universities.
For a single penny (that’s about 40p
today) you got not just coffee but an
education. The calibre of the chat was high.
Professionals sat with workers side‐by‐
side in these classless settings. These were
the authentic community hubs of their day.
Today might the church grasp the nettle of
contextual mission and harness coffee shop
as a way to grow? Echoing this bygone era.
Successful examples exist. But might the
penny drop? Will the church realise the
full potential of its buildings and release its
people to engage in mission – selling coffee
to build community and to grow the
church?
Others are already in on the act. In the US
Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop serves coffee.
It explains its job is to serve the bike
community. But it sees its mission as to
convert people to a bike life.
A cup of Brazilian Capao
freshly poured at the
Penny University
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Give me five
And finally here’s a thought to help get
things going. And to see where there’s
potential. A pop‐up coffee shop initiative
called Give me 5.
The idea is very simple. A pop‐up that
runs for five weeks. The aim is to serve
coffee to raise money for five local
charities. To offer lunch for a fiver. And
finally, when you buy five coffees you get
one free.
Could this start a revolution? Will people
see the point? A way of doing mission
that’s commitment lite but with the
possibility of huge gains. It could also pilot
a café ‐ checking a location and testing the
temperature to check enthusiasm of a
church and volunteers.
The project needs a franchise to set the bar
high in terms of quality. But already there
are people interested.
St Michael’s Southfields gets the vision and
is trialing its new extension. In Chelsea St
Luke’s is also poised to go.
5 weeks pop-up coffee shop
5 local charities
5 pounds for lunch
5 coffees + get one free
Give me5
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Holy Trinity Swiss Cottageoffers only high qualityproduce in its Red Sky Cafe
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Outside space offerspotential for a coffee
shop at St. Luke’s Chelsea
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