On Saturday, there's going to be an event here at the Harold Washington Library in connection with the Chicago Poetry Fest. If my schedule permits, I hope to come here and read a couple of my poems at an "open mic" event known as a "poetry slam" (in which each poet will be allotted three minutes to read his or her poems). Here's one of the poems I hope to read:
THE FALL OF MANKIND
© Mark William Pettigrew
You say that if there is a God, he must be harsh and cruel,
so anyone who’d follow such a God must be a fool.
I understand why you might think the way you clearly do,
but even so, I have some thoughts I’d like to share with you.
It’s true, the world we see today is not the way it should be.
If there had never been a Fall, that isn’t how it would be.
But long ago, a tempter came, and tried to ruin God’s plan.
When Eve rebelled and Adam sinned, it caused the death of Man.
The heart of God was broken by the thought of what they’d done.
Their death was just a token of the troubles they’d begun.
God could have washed his hands of us, destroying one and all,
but love’s not easily destroyed, not even by the Fall.
So through the years, the Lord reached out and made his presence known,
so those who chose to worship him could find their way back home.
Some people tried to follow God, and did to some degree.
But something more was needed. It was plain for all to see.
And then one night in Bethlehem, a miracle took place,
to bring the hope of joy and peace to all the human race.
God sent his son to walk the earth, proclaiming what was true,
and healing those who sought his help with faith in what he’d do.
And when the enemies of God got wind of what he’d done,
they plotted to destroy the one who said he was God’s son.
They nailed him to a wooden cross upon a barren hill,
attempting to destroy the one who’d done his Father’s will.
But love’s not easily destroyed, not even by the cross,
and resurrection power can restore a soul who’s lost.
Despite your hardened heart, he beckons you to hear his voice,
so open up your heart today and make the righteous choice.
He never said that life would be without its share of pain,
but those who choose the road of faith have everything to gain.
He’s waiting for your answer while he’s knocking at your door,
so let him be your master and find peace forever more.
*************************************************************************
Pretty bold, if I do say so myself, considering that I'll be reading for a secular crowd, some of whom are more likely to admire foul-mouthed poets such as Alan Ginsberg. But what's the point of preaching the gospel if one doesn't reach out to those who need to hear it?
I think that my favorite part is the repetition of the thematic idea that "love's not easily destroyed", tying Christ's work on the cross to the original Fall (which is appropriate, since the Bible describes Jesus as the "second Adam").
NOTE: To download additional Christ-centered poems I've written (stored online in the form of PDF files which can be downloaded from a public SkyDrive folder), visit this link, then select the poem in which you have an interest, and then click the Download button.
Showing posts with label evangelism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evangelism. Show all posts
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Are You Churched? Does It Matter?
Back in the 90's, I bought a book by Lee Strobel (of Willow Creek Church) entitled "Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary". The book focuses on evangelism, and has a lot of useful observations and ideas (many of which have been implemented at Willow Creek) with regard to how we might make our churches more friendly (and less intimidating) for unbelievers, so that cultural barriers do not hinder such people from listening to the gospel with an open mind.
Overall, I have no problem with that idea, provided that it doesn't result in a church in which spiritual "meat" is seldom offered to believers who are ready to go on to the next level, and provided that it doesn't strip out the harsh but nevertheless true aspects of the gospel which are essential to an accurate understanding of the Christian faith.
Unfortunately, some Christians think that it has in fact done just that, in the case of Willow Creek and other "seeker friendly" churches such as Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church. Such critics appear to think that the slogan for such churches ought to be "all of the milk, none of the meat" --- or perhaps "quantity, not quality".
That may be an unfair exaggeration, but I still think that we ought to take such criticisms seriously. There is a balance, and we ought to seek that balance. It ought to be possible to create a "seeker-friendly" church which nevertheless makes no moral compromises. We shouldn't confuse our human traditions (many of which alienate unbelievers to an unnecessary degree) with God's word. However, even if we make adjustments to our methods in order to create church environments which are more "seeker-friendly," there is no way to please everyone. Pleasing God should always be our first priority, even if it sometimes makes the marketing "experts" unhappy.
I think that the title of the Strobel book also raises some interesting questions which ought to be discussed by all Christians in more depth:
We can do so by setting up group activities which enable people who have never "witnessed" to others before to get their feet wet so that they eventually feel very comfortable about talking about the Lord with others, and by creating environments (such as storefront Christian coffeehouses) which are particularly conducive to such conversations with unbelievers. (Most churches, even the best churches, are NOT conducive to such honest conversations.)
People learn how to do such things by doing such things, and by observing other Christians as they engage in such conversations. I also think that we ought to invest time in training people in advance (using role playing exercises, for example) so that they are encouraged to spend time thinking about how they might most effectively answer specific objections when engaging in conversations with unbelievers. We should also make people aware of various training resources (such as Paul E. Little's book "How to Give Away Your Faith", which helped me quite a bit when I was young) pertaining to personal evangelism.
I also think that it's vital to emphasize the idea that listening to unbelievers and attempting to honestly grapple with their questions and issues is an essential aspect of effective evangelism. Far too many Christians approach unbelievers with an attitude which borders on disdain or condescension. Such "evangelism" can be worse than no evangelism at all.
No methodology can replace a personal one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ in terms of training people to engage in witnessing and evangelism, but having such a relationship doesn't necessarily mean that one will be an effective evangelist. That's why people need to be actively trained and encouraged to share their faith with people who aren't saved.
When people become personally involved in kingdom building by sharing their faith directly with unbelievers --- instead of merely promoting the evangelistic activities at their local churches --- then they are well on their way to becoming real disciples, not just church goers or converts.
Overall, I have no problem with that idea, provided that it doesn't result in a church in which spiritual "meat" is seldom offered to believers who are ready to go on to the next level, and provided that it doesn't strip out the harsh but nevertheless true aspects of the gospel which are essential to an accurate understanding of the Christian faith.
Unfortunately, some Christians think that it has in fact done just that, in the case of Willow Creek and other "seeker friendly" churches such as Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church. Such critics appear to think that the slogan for such churches ought to be "all of the milk, none of the meat" --- or perhaps "quantity, not quality".
That may be an unfair exaggeration, but I still think that we ought to take such criticisms seriously. There is a balance, and we ought to seek that balance. It ought to be possible to create a "seeker-friendly" church which nevertheless makes no moral compromises. We shouldn't confuse our human traditions (many of which alienate unbelievers to an unnecessary degree) with God's word. However, even if we make adjustments to our methods in order to create church environments which are more "seeker-friendly," there is no way to please everyone. Pleasing God should always be our first priority, even if it sometimes makes the marketing "experts" unhappy.
I think that the title of the Strobel book also raises some interesting questions which ought to be discussed by all Christians in more depth:
- If someone is currently "unchurched," does it logically follow in every instance that the person is therefore an unbeliever? Does it logically follow, for that matter, that the person is a shallow or immature Christian? Is it possible that there are situations in which the fact that a person is "unchurched" says less about that person than it says about the churches to which that person has access? Might there not even be cases in which obedience to the Lord would demand that one refrain from participation in the activities of specific churches?
- Conversely, if a person is "churched," does it automatically follow that he or she is a faithful and spiritually mature disciple of Christ who has a vital relationship with God? (I think that the obvious answer is NO. I'm reminded of preachers who have correctly pointed out that living in a hen house doesn't make one a chicken.)
- Should our goal be to make people into "church people," into converts, or into disciples? What are the differences, if any, between those three things? Why did Jesus tell us to go and make people into disciples, not into church people or converts?
- What is the basis for the assumption that the only way or the best way to win unbelievers to Christ is to persuade them to attend church with us? Is that the most appropriate or effective way in which to do evangelistic work? What about the role of individual Christians insofar as evangelism is concerned? Is their role merely to get folks to come to church so that they can hear formal evangelistic presentations? Isn't it somewhat lazy to rely primarily on the "professionals" for evangelism, rather than learning to actively share one's faith with one's friends, relatives, neighbors, coworkers, etc.? What are the best ways to teach people to allow God to directly use them in such a manner?
- Why aren't we Christians making more of an active effort to infiltrate the surrounding culture with the gospel of Christ so that it isn't necessary to bring people to church in order to present the gospel to them in a manner which leads to conversions?
We can do so by setting up group activities which enable people who have never "witnessed" to others before to get their feet wet so that they eventually feel very comfortable about talking about the Lord with others, and by creating environments (such as storefront Christian coffeehouses) which are particularly conducive to such conversations with unbelievers. (Most churches, even the best churches, are NOT conducive to such honest conversations.)
People learn how to do such things by doing such things, and by observing other Christians as they engage in such conversations. I also think that we ought to invest time in training people in advance (using role playing exercises, for example) so that they are encouraged to spend time thinking about how they might most effectively answer specific objections when engaging in conversations with unbelievers. We should also make people aware of various training resources (such as Paul E. Little's book "How to Give Away Your Faith", which helped me quite a bit when I was young) pertaining to personal evangelism.
I also think that it's vital to emphasize the idea that listening to unbelievers and attempting to honestly grapple with their questions and issues is an essential aspect of effective evangelism. Far too many Christians approach unbelievers with an attitude which borders on disdain or condescension. Such "evangelism" can be worse than no evangelism at all.
No methodology can replace a personal one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ in terms of training people to engage in witnessing and evangelism, but having such a relationship doesn't necessarily mean that one will be an effective evangelist. That's why people need to be actively trained and encouraged to share their faith with people who aren't saved.
When people become personally involved in kingdom building by sharing their faith directly with unbelievers --- instead of merely promoting the evangelistic activities at their local churches --- then they are well on their way to becoming real disciples, not just church goers or converts.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Drinking Water and Christian Missions
When Jesus talked to people during his brief earthly ministry, he described himself as the "Bread of Life" and "Living Water". By comparing the unseen needs of the human soul with tangible and universal physical human needs everyone could relate to, Jesus made it easier for people to visualize their "hunger" and "thirst" for the type of spiritual fulfillment which only Jesus could offer to mankind.
By feeding the hungry and healing the sick, Jesus earned the credibility he needed to have when claiming that God genuinely loved people and cared about all of their needs.
Christian missionaries have long recognized the link between missionary endeavors designed to lead to spiritual regeneration and charitable acts pertaining to fundamental human needs such as food and drink, housing and medical care.
While tragedies such as drought and famine are clearly to be avoided whenever possible, such tragic events have sometimes had positive aspects as well. Such events have caused people in desperate need of help to be more receptive to new ideas introduced by missionaries who have cared about those disaster victims enough to respond to crises with fresh arrivals of outside food and water.
In many third world countries, problems pertaining to lack of safe and plentiful drinking water have led to all kinds of evil results, not the least of which has been the rampant proliferation of various diseases with which those in more developed nations seldom have to deal.
Medical missionaries, in particular, have recognized the pointlessness of trying to combat diseases without addressing the causes of those diseases. Consequently, one of the first things missionaries often do when visiting such countries is to help build new wells in order to alleviate many of the problems caused by the lack of adequate and safe drinking water.
No doubt, that type of traditional work will continue to be needed for a long time to come. But just as the invention of the airplane forever changed missionary work by making it possible for missionaries to visit remote villages deep in the jungle without having to spend months and months trying to get to those locations, there are now new technologies which seem to have a great deal of potential in terms of providing short-term and long-term solutions to drought conditions.
I just read about a company named Aqua Sciences, located in Miami Beach, Florida. According to an article I read in a recent national magazine, Aqua Sciences makes a product (available in several sizes, capabilities and prices) which is capable of pulling vast quantities of safe drinking water out of the air on a daily basis. It can be powered in multiple ways, including a diesel generator or local AC power.
Once a community has begun to produce adequate crops for the purpose of creating biodiesel fuels in addition to meeting all of the community's nutritional requirements, a switch from regular diesel fuel to environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel might enable such communities to continue to generate drinking water without further contributing to a depletion of the world's oil reserves. (That's my idea, not something found on the Aqua Sciences web site. But I'm guessing that their machine could be modified at some point so that it could use biodiesel fuels.)
Their largest model (measuring 40 feet x 7.7 feet x 7.8 feet) is capable of extracting up to 1,200 gallons a day from the air, depending on environmental conditions. With its reverse osmosis module included, the unit "can provide emergency water for up to 3,000 people per day." (The reverse osmosis module "can provide up to an additional 8,000 gallons/day from an existing source dependent upon conditions.")
The company's web site says, "Aqua Sciences, Inc. is poised to transform the water industry while making a positive humanitarian impact on the world's capability to deal with crisis situations on an emergency or long-term basis. Its success will be measured not merely by the company's profitability, but by its continuing contribution to the world's safety, health, and quality of life."
Unlike a physical well, which is a permanent structure and which therefore can only serve one village or region, an Emergency Water Station from Aqua Sciences is a portable unit which could easily be towed by a large commercial truck from one village to another, making it suitable for short-term disasters which temporarily overwhelm the normally adequate capabilities of local water systems. The website mentions the applicability of the company's machines to disasters ranging from hurricanes to terrorist attacks on a city's water supply.
The company's home page says, "According to the United Nations, between 5 and 9 million people per year die as a result of lack of access to safe drinking water." That's something which should concern every Christian and every church.
Undoubtedly, national and international secular relief organizations will find it extremely useful to be able to generate thousands of gallons of drinking water on the spot, even in areas afflicted by extreme water pollution or lack of adequate drinking water due to other factors.
However, Christian missionaries and mission organizations have been in the international relief business for far longer than any secular government or international organization. It seems to me that Christian mission organizations should therefore leap at this new opportunity (provided that Aqua Sciences' claims are found to be credible) to meet the fundamental human need for adequate drinking water throughout the entire world.
Bringing safe drinking water to regions of the world will open new doors to evangelistic missionary endeavors, to be sure, but our motives should ultimately be to obey and serve Jesus, regardless of whether or not such altruistic efforts result in conversions. Charity should not just be the carrot on the stick which lures people into the church in order to furnish our pastors with captive audiences and new sources of donations. Rather, charity should be a sincere expression of the love for all people which results from a full appreciation of the love and mercy God has extended through Christ Jesus to each and every one of us.
For more information, visit http://www.aquasciences.com.
By feeding the hungry and healing the sick, Jesus earned the credibility he needed to have when claiming that God genuinely loved people and cared about all of their needs.
Christian missionaries have long recognized the link between missionary endeavors designed to lead to spiritual regeneration and charitable acts pertaining to fundamental human needs such as food and drink, housing and medical care.
While tragedies such as drought and famine are clearly to be avoided whenever possible, such tragic events have sometimes had positive aspects as well. Such events have caused people in desperate need of help to be more receptive to new ideas introduced by missionaries who have cared about those disaster victims enough to respond to crises with fresh arrivals of outside food and water.
In many third world countries, problems pertaining to lack of safe and plentiful drinking water have led to all kinds of evil results, not the least of which has been the rampant proliferation of various diseases with which those in more developed nations seldom have to deal.
Medical missionaries, in particular, have recognized the pointlessness of trying to combat diseases without addressing the causes of those diseases. Consequently, one of the first things missionaries often do when visiting such countries is to help build new wells in order to alleviate many of the problems caused by the lack of adequate and safe drinking water.
No doubt, that type of traditional work will continue to be needed for a long time to come. But just as the invention of the airplane forever changed missionary work by making it possible for missionaries to visit remote villages deep in the jungle without having to spend months and months trying to get to those locations, there are now new technologies which seem to have a great deal of potential in terms of providing short-term and long-term solutions to drought conditions.
I just read about a company named Aqua Sciences, located in Miami Beach, Florida. According to an article I read in a recent national magazine, Aqua Sciences makes a product (available in several sizes, capabilities and prices) which is capable of pulling vast quantities of safe drinking water out of the air on a daily basis. It can be powered in multiple ways, including a diesel generator or local AC power.
Once a community has begun to produce adequate crops for the purpose of creating biodiesel fuels in addition to meeting all of the community's nutritional requirements, a switch from regular diesel fuel to environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel might enable such communities to continue to generate drinking water without further contributing to a depletion of the world's oil reserves. (That's my idea, not something found on the Aqua Sciences web site. But I'm guessing that their machine could be modified at some point so that it could use biodiesel fuels.)
Their largest model (measuring 40 feet x 7.7 feet x 7.8 feet) is capable of extracting up to 1,200 gallons a day from the air, depending on environmental conditions. With its reverse osmosis module included, the unit "can provide emergency water for up to 3,000 people per day." (The reverse osmosis module "can provide up to an additional 8,000 gallons/day from an existing source dependent upon conditions.")
The company's web site says, "Aqua Sciences, Inc. is poised to transform the water industry while making a positive humanitarian impact on the world's capability to deal with crisis situations on an emergency or long-term basis. Its success will be measured not merely by the company's profitability, but by its continuing contribution to the world's safety, health, and quality of life."
Unlike a physical well, which is a permanent structure and which therefore can only serve one village or region, an Emergency Water Station from Aqua Sciences is a portable unit which could easily be towed by a large commercial truck from one village to another, making it suitable for short-term disasters which temporarily overwhelm the normally adequate capabilities of local water systems. The website mentions the applicability of the company's machines to disasters ranging from hurricanes to terrorist attacks on a city's water supply.
The company's home page says, "According to the United Nations, between 5 and 9 million people per year die as a result of lack of access to safe drinking water." That's something which should concern every Christian and every church.
Undoubtedly, national and international secular relief organizations will find it extremely useful to be able to generate thousands of gallons of drinking water on the spot, even in areas afflicted by extreme water pollution or lack of adequate drinking water due to other factors.
However, Christian missionaries and mission organizations have been in the international relief business for far longer than any secular government or international organization. It seems to me that Christian mission organizations should therefore leap at this new opportunity (provided that Aqua Sciences' claims are found to be credible) to meet the fundamental human need for adequate drinking water throughout the entire world.
Bringing safe drinking water to regions of the world will open new doors to evangelistic missionary endeavors, to be sure, but our motives should ultimately be to obey and serve Jesus, regardless of whether or not such altruistic efforts result in conversions. Charity should not just be the carrot on the stick which lures people into the church in order to furnish our pastors with captive audiences and new sources of donations. Rather, charity should be a sincere expression of the love for all people which results from a full appreciation of the love and mercy God has extended through Christ Jesus to each and every one of us.
For more information, visit http://www.aquasciences.com.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
The Voice of Wisdom
I'd like to share the lyrics to a song I wrote some time ago. The song was inspired by the first chapter of the book of Proverbs (Verses 20-33), and also by the excellent book Death in The City by Francis Schaeffer.
There's a line in the song which says, "our children have nothing to eat". While it certainly refers in part to the needs of the poor, who literally go to bed hungry when they should not have to do so, it also refers to the spiritual hunger which has existed in cities ever since Adam and Eve committed the first sins. That hunger can only be satiated by Jesus, the Bread of Life.
The accompanying tune had a driving rock beat, in the key of E minor. I've always played it on the piano, but I'd really like to hear it performed by a hard rock band, since that was the feel I was trying to achieve.
(Incidentally, the lyrics to this song are copyrighted, as are all of the other materials on this blog site. If you wish to republish anything on this site for some purpose, send me a message at mark_w_pettigrew@hotmail.com to let me know specifically what you want to do with my creative work. Unless your utilization of my work stands to substantially cut into the money I might make from that work, I'll probably grant you limited permission to do so. Naturally, I have no problem with your linking to this blog entry, or others, on your own web page or in your e-mail messages.)
Wisdom cries out, listen now, hear her voice in the street.
The city is dying, our children have nothing to eat.
Tell me, how long will you follow your own foolish plans?
How long will you be a slave to what Satan demands?
CHORUS
Turn your face towards Heaven.
Leave your past behind.
You can be forgiven;
given true peace of mind!
Verse 2
Jesus is calling and knocking at everyone's door.
Let him inside, and you won't be alone anymore.
Listen to wisdom, and not to your selfish desires.
Judgment is coming, and payment will be required.
(REPEAT CHORUS)
----------------
As the above lyrics amply demonstrate, rock music doesn't necessarily have to glorify evil things, even though it's certainly been used for that purpose on occasions. In fact, I like to think that there's something vaguely prophetic about my lyrics for In The Street.
Speaking of good and evil, I recently posted some substantial updates to a blog entry I posted earlier. Even if you have already read the post entitled "When Bad Is Called Good," I invite you to check it out again. Its Web address is: http://markpettigrew.blogspot.com/2005/10/when-bad-is-called-good.html
There's a line in the song which says, "our children have nothing to eat". While it certainly refers in part to the needs of the poor, who literally go to bed hungry when they should not have to do so, it also refers to the spiritual hunger which has existed in cities ever since Adam and Eve committed the first sins. That hunger can only be satiated by Jesus, the Bread of Life.
The accompanying tune had a driving rock beat, in the key of E minor. I've always played it on the piano, but I'd really like to hear it performed by a hard rock band, since that was the feel I was trying to achieve.
(Incidentally, the lyrics to this song are copyrighted, as are all of the other materials on this blog site. If you wish to republish anything on this site for some purpose, send me a message at mark_w_pettigrew@hotmail.com to let me know specifically what you want to do with my creative work. Unless your utilization of my work stands to substantially cut into the money I might make from that work, I'll probably grant you limited permission to do so. Naturally, I have no problem with your linking to this blog entry, or others, on your own web page or in your e-mail messages.)
IN THE STREET
© Mark Pettigrew
Verse 1
Wisdom cries out, listen now, hear her voice in the street.
The city is dying, our children have nothing to eat.
Tell me, how long will you follow your own foolish plans?
How long will you be a slave to what Satan demands?
CHORUS
Turn your face towards Heaven.
Leave your past behind.
You can be forgiven;
given true peace of mind!
Verse 2
Jesus is calling and knocking at everyone's door.
Let him inside, and you won't be alone anymore.
Listen to wisdom, and not to your selfish desires.
Judgment is coming, and payment will be required.
(REPEAT CHORUS)
----------------
As the above lyrics amply demonstrate, rock music doesn't necessarily have to glorify evil things, even though it's certainly been used for that purpose on occasions. In fact, I like to think that there's something vaguely prophetic about my lyrics for In The Street.
Speaking of good and evil, I recently posted some substantial updates to a blog entry I posted earlier. Even if you have already read the post entitled "When Bad Is Called Good," I invite you to check it out again. Its Web address is: http://markpettigrew.blogspot.com/2005/10/when-bad-is-called-good.html
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
More Comments Regarding Christian Coffeehouses
In response to my last blog post, which pertained to Christian coffeehouses, I received a thoughtful e-mail from Paul Ellingsen, a talented Christian folk singer who often performs with his band at the Celebrate Jesus coffeehouse in Forest Park, IL (at St. John's Lutheran church). Rather than reprint his entire letter, I'm simply reprinting my response to him, since that response contained the portions of his letter to which I felt a response was needed.
NOTE: Paul's comments regarding large organizations were in response to the portion of my blog (at the end) where I talked about my extremely ambitious plans for the Christian Artists' Resource Center.
Here is my letter to Paul.
Dear Paul,
I appreciate your perspective regarding the contents of my blog.
You write: "I question if the Lord really wants more big organizations, or just a handfull of people who are willing to follow the Lord with all their heart, all their soul & all of their mind. 12 apostles turned the world upside down."
My question: Why does it have to be an "either/or" proposition?
Yes, 12 highly-dedicated apostles turned the world upside down, but they did it by thinking big. Would you really be saying that they had turned the world around if there were still only 12 dedicated believers in Christ in the world today? I think not. If they'd been complacent about the status quo, one in which the overwhelming majority of the world was ignorant about Christ, you and I probably wouldn't be serving the Lord today, because we never would have heard about Him.
Big organizations and intense discipleship are not mutually exclusive. All other things being equal, church growth is a sign of spiritual health, whereas stagnation is a pretty reliable sign that something vital is being done poorly or not at all. This is not to say that all big Christian organizations are in tune with God's will, but it is to say that if they are out of touch with God, the cause is not the mere fact that they are big.
The automatic equation of small groups with deep dedication to the Lord is highly questionable. In any given Christian organization, regardless of whether it's large or small, some people will be more dedicated to the Lord than others.
The real question, it seems to me, is this: Is there a need for the type of ministry I envision when I describe my vision for the Christian Artists' Resource Center? It seems to me that there is. In fact, I would describe it as a desperate need.
Even a casual reflection on the state of society today will surely reveal that the Christian consensus which once existed in America has eroded significantly, particularly in big cities such as Chicago where liberalism is the predominant mode of thinking. That's reflected in our art, our music, our movies, and other aspects of our culture. If you don't believe me, spend a day or so browsing through the rock record racks at a place such as Tower Records. Pay close attention to the song titles. If you're like me, you will surely be appalled at some of the godless trash being disseminated today.
How can we as Christians be indifferent to this problem? Sadly, we often are. We may give lip service to the idea that we want to change the world for Christ, but if we aren't constantly evaluating and reevaluating our methods, and revising those methods as need be in order to maximize the effectiveness of our evangelistic efforts, it remains mere lip service. There's an old saying: "Insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." The truths of the gospel of Christ are timeless, but that doesn't mean that our evangelistic methods shouldn't change with the times in which we live.
Large organizations for the sake of large organizations are a waste of time and resources, but there are some legitimate reasons to seek the cooperation and assistance of as many people as possible when pursuing goals which require substantial material resources.Many of the things which need to be done in order to turn our culture around spiritually can only be accomplished by large organizations, or by numerous smaller organizations (including, but not limited to, churches) which pool their resources in pursuit of a common goal. The Church has the resources to do what needs to be done. The question is, does it have the desire? If we neglect to do everything we can do to save our generation, I believe we will answer for our apathy on Judgment Day.
You write:
"Quite a while ago I suggested to Darlene that we just advertise the Coffeehouse as "a Coffeehouse" instead of "Celebrate Jesus Coffeehouse", and she strongly disagreed with me. Later I was ashamed of myself as I thought, "Am I ashamed of the name of Jesus?" I see too many "Christian" performers who are afraid to mention the name of Jesus so that they will be accepted in secular venues."
I certainly agree that Christians, whether or not they are musicians, ought to be proud to proclaim the name of Christ (although it doesn't necessarily follow from that fact that they have an obligation to do that in every song they sing). But you're comparing apples to oranges here. I wasn't talking about the content of the songs bands sing once they're inside the coffeehouse. I was talking about the name of the coffeehouse itself. What's the point of having a roster full of music groups which boldly proclaim the name of Jesus, if the coffeehouse is promoted in such a way that most non-Christians never hear those musicians because they never go inside?
Do me a favor, Paul. The next time the Celebrate Jesus Coffeehouse holds its monthly session, ask the audience for a show of hands in order to indicate whether or not they consider themselves to be Christians. In fact, do that for the next several months, just to be on the safe side. I'll go out on a limb and say that I can virtually predict the results of such a survey already. I've been there three times now --- four, if you count the time when the only people who showed up were me and one other person --- and I have spent enough time talking with the people there to be able to say with a reasonable amount of certainty that hardly anyone who attends that coffeehouse is a nonbeliever. In fact, my perception is that the coffeehouse doesn't really do a very good job of attracting Christian believers who don't have a vested interest in attending. Last time the coffeehouse was held, I noticed that almost everyone in attendance was a musician who was planning or hoping to perform that night. Talk about preaching to the choir!
Personally, I think that evangelism should be one of the main reasons for running a Christian coffeehouse, and I would therefore characterize a coffeehouse which isn't regularly drawing reasonable numbers of nonbelievers as a failure. But even if the sole objective of a coffeehouse is to provide a place for Christians to meet, it seems to me that it ought to attract a wide spectrum of believers, not just Christians who are looking for a chance to showcase their talents!
In the early 1970's, I was a regular at a Christian coffeehouse in Springfield, Missouri. It was called the New Wine Coffeehouse. The name was subtle enough that unless you knew the scriptures, you might have no idea that it was a Christian coffeehouse. But I can assure you that the message of Christ was unequivocally proclaimed at New Wine. On most weekends, the place was jam packed with people from all areas of the city, many of whom were non-Christians who came to know the Lord as the result of the ministry (which featured nationally known performers such as Larry Norman, as well as a lot of local Christian musicians).
Another ministry which has done quite well over the years is one, founded by Rev. David Wilkerson, called Teen Challenge. That drug and alcohol rehab ministry was (and still is) thoroughly and unequivocally Christian, but its name was sufficiently neutral to attract people who would have been turned off by a more blatantly Christian name.
Chi Alpha, a college ministry run by the Assemblies of God, is yet another example. Again, the name is subtle enough that most non-Christians would be unaware of its Christian connotations. And again, I can assure you (having spent many hours in the company of the members of my local Chi Alpha chapter at SMSU in Springfield) that the gospel was boldly proclaimed at their meetings.
When I was in college, I briefly ran a Christian coffeehouse called The Brass Serpent. The name sounded like it could have been the name of a bar or restaurant, but those familiar with the Old Testament knew that the name had its origins in scripture.
If I were to run a Christian art gallery, I might call it Gallery 1212. The first 12 would refer to the 12 tribes of Israel, and the second 12 would refer to the 12 disciples. (You may notice, incidentally, that my current room number at Lawson House YMCA is also 1212.)
It's possible that you and I will have to simply "agree to disagree", but I hope that I've furnished you with some food for thought.
Additional thoughts pertaining to Christian coffeehouses will be forthcoming at a later date and time.
NOTE: Paul's comments regarding large organizations were in response to the portion of my blog (at the end) where I talked about my extremely ambitious plans for the Christian Artists' Resource Center.
Here is my letter to Paul.
Dear Paul,
I appreciate your perspective regarding the contents of my blog.
You write: "I question if the Lord really wants more big organizations, or just a handfull of people who are willing to follow the Lord with all their heart, all their soul & all of their mind. 12 apostles turned the world upside down."
My question: Why does it have to be an "either/or" proposition?
Yes, 12 highly-dedicated apostles turned the world upside down, but they did it by thinking big. Would you really be saying that they had turned the world around if there were still only 12 dedicated believers in Christ in the world today? I think not. If they'd been complacent about the status quo, one in which the overwhelming majority of the world was ignorant about Christ, you and I probably wouldn't be serving the Lord today, because we never would have heard about Him.
Big organizations and intense discipleship are not mutually exclusive. All other things being equal, church growth is a sign of spiritual health, whereas stagnation is a pretty reliable sign that something vital is being done poorly or not at all. This is not to say that all big Christian organizations are in tune with God's will, but it is to say that if they are out of touch with God, the cause is not the mere fact that they are big.
The automatic equation of small groups with deep dedication to the Lord is highly questionable. In any given Christian organization, regardless of whether it's large or small, some people will be more dedicated to the Lord than others.
The real question, it seems to me, is this: Is there a need for the type of ministry I envision when I describe my vision for the Christian Artists' Resource Center? It seems to me that there is. In fact, I would describe it as a desperate need.
Even a casual reflection on the state of society today will surely reveal that the Christian consensus which once existed in America has eroded significantly, particularly in big cities such as Chicago where liberalism is the predominant mode of thinking. That's reflected in our art, our music, our movies, and other aspects of our culture. If you don't believe me, spend a day or so browsing through the rock record racks at a place such as Tower Records. Pay close attention to the song titles. If you're like me, you will surely be appalled at some of the godless trash being disseminated today.
How can we as Christians be indifferent to this problem? Sadly, we often are. We may give lip service to the idea that we want to change the world for Christ, but if we aren't constantly evaluating and reevaluating our methods, and revising those methods as need be in order to maximize the effectiveness of our evangelistic efforts, it remains mere lip service. There's an old saying: "Insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." The truths of the gospel of Christ are timeless, but that doesn't mean that our evangelistic methods shouldn't change with the times in which we live.
Large organizations for the sake of large organizations are a waste of time and resources, but there are some legitimate reasons to seek the cooperation and assistance of as many people as possible when pursuing goals which require substantial material resources.Many of the things which need to be done in order to turn our culture around spiritually can only be accomplished by large organizations, or by numerous smaller organizations (including, but not limited to, churches) which pool their resources in pursuit of a common goal. The Church has the resources to do what needs to be done. The question is, does it have the desire? If we neglect to do everything we can do to save our generation, I believe we will answer for our apathy on Judgment Day.
You write:
"Quite a while ago I suggested to Darlene that we just advertise the Coffeehouse as "a Coffeehouse" instead of "Celebrate Jesus Coffeehouse", and she strongly disagreed with me. Later I was ashamed of myself as I thought, "Am I ashamed of the name of Jesus?" I see too many "Christian" performers who are afraid to mention the name of Jesus so that they will be accepted in secular venues."
I certainly agree that Christians, whether or not they are musicians, ought to be proud to proclaim the name of Christ (although it doesn't necessarily follow from that fact that they have an obligation to do that in every song they sing). But you're comparing apples to oranges here. I wasn't talking about the content of the songs bands sing once they're inside the coffeehouse. I was talking about the name of the coffeehouse itself. What's the point of having a roster full of music groups which boldly proclaim the name of Jesus, if the coffeehouse is promoted in such a way that most non-Christians never hear those musicians because they never go inside?
Do me a favor, Paul. The next time the Celebrate Jesus Coffeehouse holds its monthly session, ask the audience for a show of hands in order to indicate whether or not they consider themselves to be Christians. In fact, do that for the next several months, just to be on the safe side. I'll go out on a limb and say that I can virtually predict the results of such a survey already. I've been there three times now --- four, if you count the time when the only people who showed up were me and one other person --- and I have spent enough time talking with the people there to be able to say with a reasonable amount of certainty that hardly anyone who attends that coffeehouse is a nonbeliever. In fact, my perception is that the coffeehouse doesn't really do a very good job of attracting Christian believers who don't have a vested interest in attending. Last time the coffeehouse was held, I noticed that almost everyone in attendance was a musician who was planning or hoping to perform that night. Talk about preaching to the choir!
Personally, I think that evangelism should be one of the main reasons for running a Christian coffeehouse, and I would therefore characterize a coffeehouse which isn't regularly drawing reasonable numbers of nonbelievers as a failure. But even if the sole objective of a coffeehouse is to provide a place for Christians to meet, it seems to me that it ought to attract a wide spectrum of believers, not just Christians who are looking for a chance to showcase their talents!
In the early 1970's, I was a regular at a Christian coffeehouse in Springfield, Missouri. It was called the New Wine Coffeehouse. The name was subtle enough that unless you knew the scriptures, you might have no idea that it was a Christian coffeehouse. But I can assure you that the message of Christ was unequivocally proclaimed at New Wine. On most weekends, the place was jam packed with people from all areas of the city, many of whom were non-Christians who came to know the Lord as the result of the ministry (which featured nationally known performers such as Larry Norman, as well as a lot of local Christian musicians).
Another ministry which has done quite well over the years is one, founded by Rev. David Wilkerson, called Teen Challenge. That drug and alcohol rehab ministry was (and still is) thoroughly and unequivocally Christian, but its name was sufficiently neutral to attract people who would have been turned off by a more blatantly Christian name.
Chi Alpha, a college ministry run by the Assemblies of God, is yet another example. Again, the name is subtle enough that most non-Christians would be unaware of its Christian connotations. And again, I can assure you (having spent many hours in the company of the members of my local Chi Alpha chapter at SMSU in Springfield) that the gospel was boldly proclaimed at their meetings.
When I was in college, I briefly ran a Christian coffeehouse called The Brass Serpent. The name sounded like it could have been the name of a bar or restaurant, but those familiar with the Old Testament knew that the name had its origins in scripture.
If I were to run a Christian art gallery, I might call it Gallery 1212. The first 12 would refer to the 12 tribes of Israel, and the second 12 would refer to the 12 disciples. (You may notice, incidentally, that my current room number at Lawson House YMCA is also 1212.)
It's possible that you and I will have to simply "agree to disagree", but I hope that I've furnished you with some food for thought.
Additional thoughts pertaining to Christian coffeehouses will be forthcoming at a later date and time.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
In Need of a Good Coffeehouse
In the early 1970's, Christian coffeehouses became extremely common throughout the country, as a way to communicate the gospel of Christ with street people and others who would never set foot inside the doors of a traditional church. This was at the beginning of the era in church history known as the Jesus Movement. That term entered the consciousness of mainstream America when Look magazine published an extensive cover story on the phenomenon in 1970.
People who belonged to and identified with the Jesus Movement were Christians who embraced certain cultural elements characteristic of the hippie movement (such as the rock music, the clothing and hair styles, and in a few cases, the communal lifestyles), while rejecting elements (such as the use of illegal drugs) which were deemed incompatible with their Christian beliefs. In a sense, they were more revolutionary than the hippies, since they took a radical stand which embraced neither progress nor tradition for their own sakes. Instead, they believed in a third way, based on the idea the people had a moral responsibility to exercise discernment. Different groups experimented with this idea with varying degrees of success. In a few cases (such as the well-known group The Children of God), unbiblical and cultish characteristics arose among certain groups, but that was the exception, not the rule. Often, the people who were at the center of the Jesus Movement went on to become spiritual leaders in their local churches.
The members of the Jesus Movement were sometimes known as "Jesus people" or "Jesus freaks". The latter term was sometimes used derisively by non-Christians (just as the term "Christian" was used derisively during the first century). It was embraced, nevertheless, by those who understood its potent appeal to the outcasts of conventional society.
The decor at Christian coffeehouses was often typical of what one might find in a hippie hangout, with blacklight posters, crudely constructed furniture (such as recycled telephone cable spools), drippy candles and so forth. Music (which was usually live) was usually in a folk-rock style, dominated by acoustic guitars, but Christian rock bands occasionally made an appearance as well. Sometimes, traditional gospel music groups would also perform, but they had limited appeal to the demographic group which dominated in such coffeehouses. Those who attended such coffeehouses were primarily students in high school and college. They were the generation which supported the first musical performers (such as Larry Norman, the Children of The Day, Love Song, Randy Stonehill, Barry McGuire, Nancy Honeytree and others) who were the pioneers in what eventually became known as contemporary Christian music.
Members of the Jesus Movement had to deal with resistance, both from ultraconservative Christians who regarded the music and attire as inherently un-Christian, and also from members of the secular counterculture, who felt justified in excluding Christian rock music on the grounds that it was "inauthentic", since they defined "authentic" rock music as music which thumbed its nose at traditional beliefs such as Christianity. To be a "Jesus freak" was to understand firsthand what it meant to be persecuted (or, at the very least, ridiculed) for one's beliefs.
Christian coffeehouses were sometimes the focal point of evangelistic activities which would spread out into the surrounding streets and neighborhoods, with Christians periodically coming and going throughout the night, in-between excursions during which they would approach strangers on the street, engage them in conversations about the Lord, and hand them gospel tracts (which were miniature printed sermons designed to appeal to the unsaved). Often, an encounter on the street would lead the Christian to invite the unsaved person back to the coffeehouse, and many people accepted Christ as Savior as a result of such personal attention.
When properly conceived and administered, Christian coffeehouses served other purposes, too. They served as meeting places for like-minded Christians throughout the cities and towns in which they were located. Baptists, Assemblies of God, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans and many other Christians found common ground, as well as opportunities to exchange ideas about their doctrinal and political differences in an environment of mutual respect, friendship and Agape love.
Socially, Christian coffeehouses met the needs of numerous Christians. Many friendships were forged, and more than a few marriages resulted from encounters which took place in Christian coffeehouses.
Today, there are still a few good Christian coffeehouses in the country, but there are also large regions of the country where there is a real void in terms of such ministries. In some cases, there are no Christian coffeehouses at all. In other cases, the people who run what they describe as Christian coffeehouses don't really understand what it takes to create a successful coffeehouse ministry. Instead of running ministries which are making a major impact on their communities, they limp along year after lonely year, eventually coming to believe that second-best is the most they can ever hope for. Often, such ministries are little more than an exercise in nostalgia.
---
What are my criteria for a successful Christian coffeehouse ministry?
First, in order to be really successful, a Christian coffeehouse should be supported by numerous churches, as well as other Christian institutions in the area, such as Christian colleges. A coffeehouse which is just an extension of a single local church (or which is just a church in disguise) fails to meet this standard, because other churches tend to see that coffeehouse as "the competition", when they ought to see it as a resource.
Second, a really successful Christian coffeehouse should be in a neutral location, such as a storefront, so as to attract non-Christians who might be averse to the idea of entering a traditional church. For the same reason, the name of the endeavor should be subtle in terms of its references to Christianity. By definition, a coffeehouse with a name which is blatantly Christian will attract very few non-Christians.
Third, a successful Christian coffeehouse must be built on a solid business model so that its continued existence will not be at the constant mercy of the benevolence of others. Even though it may be a non-profit endeavor which accepts donations, a successful coffeehouse ministry needs to have other substantial sources of legitimate income to supplement the money from donations, since the attendance at most Christian coffeehouses can ebb and flow with the seasons (especially in cases where large percentages of those in attendance are college students). Numerous non-profit groups and church groups sell products and/or services in order to supplement the money from donations. These days, there is an amazing variety of legitimate fundraising options from which to choose. For people willing to consider such options, and to clearly communicate their vision and their needs with Christians who are in a position to help, there is no reason to be hamstrung by financial limitations.
Fourth, a successful Christian coffeehouse must be in tune with the times. Things considered "hip" in the early 70's are not necessarily considered to be hip anymore. People's expectations have changed. This is not to say that every aspect of the old coffeehouses should be rejected by someone wishing to start a modern Christian coffeehouse ministry, but it is to say that the coffeehouse should be updated in such a way that it is appealing to people living in this century and this decade.
For example, a single drip coffeemaker might have sufficed in the early days, but people are now accustomed to fancy coffee from places such as Starbucks, Julius Meinl, Caribou Coffee and Seattles' Best Coffee. Expecting to draw huge crowds consisting of a healthy percentage on non-Christians, with little more than drip coffee, lemonade and a few storebought cookies, is irrational.
Fifth, the music at a modern coffeehouse should be eclectic. It should cater to people with a variety of stylistic preferences, including soft and hard rock, folk, jazz, new age, electronic music, country, bluegrass, Latin, R&B, soul music, blues, hip-hop and even classical. (NOTE: By "new age", I mean music, usually instrumental, which fits that description stylistically. The term "new age" can also refer to a set of specific religious beliefs which are contrary to the teachings of Christianity. Obviously, music promoting such beliefs would be inappropriate in the context of a Christian ministry!) Other types of performance art and related events (such as Christian "poetry slams", dramatic presentations, and more) should also be considered.
While I'm on the subject of music, let me say that there need to be some minimal standards in terms of the talent. If a place gets a reputation for featuring substandard acts, that can greatly dilute its effectiveness, especially in a large city where unbelievers have their choice of hundreds of professional music acts on any given night. This is not to negate the value a Christian coffeehouse can have in terms of giving stage experience to musicians who are just starting out. There is a time and place for such performances, and the time and place is "Open Mic Night". (Many secular nightclubs devote one night a week to such an event.) People who attend "open mic" events do so with the expectation that high quality is not guaranteed. "Open Mic Night" can also serve as an audition, for musicians and other performers who don't yet have good demo recordings and/or videos.
Sixth on my list (but first in terms of its importance), the underlying motive must be a passion and a deep love for lost souls. A coffeehouse which is not regularly bringing in "new blood" by means of evangelism will ultimately fail, regardless of whether or not it continues to exist as an entity. That passion for evangelism must be built on a solid rock consisting of scriptural teaching, fervent prayer, and intelligent planning.
---
Is the Christian coffeehouse a relic of the past? The answer, in my opinion, is a resounding NO! Yes, the implementation should be revised in order to keep up with the times, but Christian coffeehouses once met certain needs which, even today, are difficult to meet in any other way. In my opinion, it's a crying shame that many of those who started the original Christian coffeehouses lost the vision or just plain gave up.
I want to start a new Christian coffeehouse, preferably in a location (such as downtown Chicago) which is desperately in need of such a place. However, I would not want the ministry to be limited to the coffeehouse. Rather, that would be just one aspect of an extremely ambitious ministry which would have the larger goal of helping to reverse the moral decay so prevalent in modern popular culture.
Such a ministry would tentatively go by the name of the Christian Artists' Resource Center. The ministry would focus on all of the arts, not just one or two art forms. The ministry would include a coffeehouse, a bookstore, a multitrack recording studio, numerous soundproof music practice rooms and rehearsal spaces, a radio station (focusing primarily on satellite radio, "podcasts" and digital broadcasting), a record company, a concert hall, an art gallery, an art "colony" (with residential facilities for those wishing to access the numerous material and spiritual resources of the organization), an international web-based artists' community (including e-commerce capabilities for members), a graphic design studio, a book publishing company, a movie studio, a Christian botanical garden with sculpture and topiary (a/k/a God's Glorious Gospel Garden), and much, much more.
The objective of such an organization would be to eliminate the impediments which currently result in the relegation of faith-based art to a fringe subculture which has minimal impact on mainstream society. In short, I want to initiate what I like to call a "righteous renaissance". In addition to the very worthwhile goal of winning individual souls to Christ, I want to play a role in transforming society for the better. I am not naive. I know that there will always be an element of society (especially in the "last days") which will rebel against God. Nevertheless, using that as an excuse for a failure to do everything one can do to create a better world is unacceptable.
I plan to create additional blog posts in the near future in order to more fully communicate my vision, hopefully in such a way as to elicit participation and support from other Christians who recognize the validity of that vision. Such support will be essential (since my own personal resources are currently very limited) in order for any of these ideas to get off the ground.
Stay tuned! Good things are sure to follow.
People who belonged to and identified with the Jesus Movement were Christians who embraced certain cultural elements characteristic of the hippie movement (such as the rock music, the clothing and hair styles, and in a few cases, the communal lifestyles), while rejecting elements (such as the use of illegal drugs) which were deemed incompatible with their Christian beliefs. In a sense, they were more revolutionary than the hippies, since they took a radical stand which embraced neither progress nor tradition for their own sakes. Instead, they believed in a third way, based on the idea the people had a moral responsibility to exercise discernment. Different groups experimented with this idea with varying degrees of success. In a few cases (such as the well-known group The Children of God), unbiblical and cultish characteristics arose among certain groups, but that was the exception, not the rule. Often, the people who were at the center of the Jesus Movement went on to become spiritual leaders in their local churches.
The members of the Jesus Movement were sometimes known as "Jesus people" or "Jesus freaks". The latter term was sometimes used derisively by non-Christians (just as the term "Christian" was used derisively during the first century). It was embraced, nevertheless, by those who understood its potent appeal to the outcasts of conventional society.
The decor at Christian coffeehouses was often typical of what one might find in a hippie hangout, with blacklight posters, crudely constructed furniture (such as recycled telephone cable spools), drippy candles and so forth. Music (which was usually live) was usually in a folk-rock style, dominated by acoustic guitars, but Christian rock bands occasionally made an appearance as well. Sometimes, traditional gospel music groups would also perform, but they had limited appeal to the demographic group which dominated in such coffeehouses. Those who attended such coffeehouses were primarily students in high school and college. They were the generation which supported the first musical performers (such as Larry Norman, the Children of The Day, Love Song, Randy Stonehill, Barry McGuire, Nancy Honeytree and others) who were the pioneers in what eventually became known as contemporary Christian music.
Members of the Jesus Movement had to deal with resistance, both from ultraconservative Christians who regarded the music and attire as inherently un-Christian, and also from members of the secular counterculture, who felt justified in excluding Christian rock music on the grounds that it was "inauthentic", since they defined "authentic" rock music as music which thumbed its nose at traditional beliefs such as Christianity. To be a "Jesus freak" was to understand firsthand what it meant to be persecuted (or, at the very least, ridiculed) for one's beliefs.
Christian coffeehouses were sometimes the focal point of evangelistic activities which would spread out into the surrounding streets and neighborhoods, with Christians periodically coming and going throughout the night, in-between excursions during which they would approach strangers on the street, engage them in conversations about the Lord, and hand them gospel tracts (which were miniature printed sermons designed to appeal to the unsaved). Often, an encounter on the street would lead the Christian to invite the unsaved person back to the coffeehouse, and many people accepted Christ as Savior as a result of such personal attention.
When properly conceived and administered, Christian coffeehouses served other purposes, too. They served as meeting places for like-minded Christians throughout the cities and towns in which they were located. Baptists, Assemblies of God, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans and many other Christians found common ground, as well as opportunities to exchange ideas about their doctrinal and political differences in an environment of mutual respect, friendship and Agape love.
Socially, Christian coffeehouses met the needs of numerous Christians. Many friendships were forged, and more than a few marriages resulted from encounters which took place in Christian coffeehouses.
Today, there are still a few good Christian coffeehouses in the country, but there are also large regions of the country where there is a real void in terms of such ministries. In some cases, there are no Christian coffeehouses at all. In other cases, the people who run what they describe as Christian coffeehouses don't really understand what it takes to create a successful coffeehouse ministry. Instead of running ministries which are making a major impact on their communities, they limp along year after lonely year, eventually coming to believe that second-best is the most they can ever hope for. Often, such ministries are little more than an exercise in nostalgia.
---
What are my criteria for a successful Christian coffeehouse ministry?
First, in order to be really successful, a Christian coffeehouse should be supported by numerous churches, as well as other Christian institutions in the area, such as Christian colleges. A coffeehouse which is just an extension of a single local church (or which is just a church in disguise) fails to meet this standard, because other churches tend to see that coffeehouse as "the competition", when they ought to see it as a resource.
Second, a really successful Christian coffeehouse should be in a neutral location, such as a storefront, so as to attract non-Christians who might be averse to the idea of entering a traditional church. For the same reason, the name of the endeavor should be subtle in terms of its references to Christianity. By definition, a coffeehouse with a name which is blatantly Christian will attract very few non-Christians.
Third, a successful Christian coffeehouse must be built on a solid business model so that its continued existence will not be at the constant mercy of the benevolence of others. Even though it may be a non-profit endeavor which accepts donations, a successful coffeehouse ministry needs to have other substantial sources of legitimate income to supplement the money from donations, since the attendance at most Christian coffeehouses can ebb and flow with the seasons (especially in cases where large percentages of those in attendance are college students). Numerous non-profit groups and church groups sell products and/or services in order to supplement the money from donations. These days, there is an amazing variety of legitimate fundraising options from which to choose. For people willing to consider such options, and to clearly communicate their vision and their needs with Christians who are in a position to help, there is no reason to be hamstrung by financial limitations.
Fourth, a successful Christian coffeehouse must be in tune with the times. Things considered "hip" in the early 70's are not necessarily considered to be hip anymore. People's expectations have changed. This is not to say that every aspect of the old coffeehouses should be rejected by someone wishing to start a modern Christian coffeehouse ministry, but it is to say that the coffeehouse should be updated in such a way that it is appealing to people living in this century and this decade.
For example, a single drip coffeemaker might have sufficed in the early days, but people are now accustomed to fancy coffee from places such as Starbucks, Julius Meinl, Caribou Coffee and Seattles' Best Coffee. Expecting to draw huge crowds consisting of a healthy percentage on non-Christians, with little more than drip coffee, lemonade and a few storebought cookies, is irrational.
Fifth, the music at a modern coffeehouse should be eclectic. It should cater to people with a variety of stylistic preferences, including soft and hard rock, folk, jazz, new age, electronic music, country, bluegrass, Latin, R&B, soul music, blues, hip-hop and even classical. (NOTE: By "new age", I mean music, usually instrumental, which fits that description stylistically. The term "new age" can also refer to a set of specific religious beliefs which are contrary to the teachings of Christianity. Obviously, music promoting such beliefs would be inappropriate in the context of a Christian ministry!) Other types of performance art and related events (such as Christian "poetry slams", dramatic presentations, and more) should also be considered.
While I'm on the subject of music, let me say that there need to be some minimal standards in terms of the talent. If a place gets a reputation for featuring substandard acts, that can greatly dilute its effectiveness, especially in a large city where unbelievers have their choice of hundreds of professional music acts on any given night. This is not to negate the value a Christian coffeehouse can have in terms of giving stage experience to musicians who are just starting out. There is a time and place for such performances, and the time and place is "Open Mic Night". (Many secular nightclubs devote one night a week to such an event.) People who attend "open mic" events do so with the expectation that high quality is not guaranteed. "Open Mic Night" can also serve as an audition, for musicians and other performers who don't yet have good demo recordings and/or videos.
Sixth on my list (but first in terms of its importance), the underlying motive must be a passion and a deep love for lost souls. A coffeehouse which is not regularly bringing in "new blood" by means of evangelism will ultimately fail, regardless of whether or not it continues to exist as an entity. That passion for evangelism must be built on a solid rock consisting of scriptural teaching, fervent prayer, and intelligent planning.
---
Is the Christian coffeehouse a relic of the past? The answer, in my opinion, is a resounding NO! Yes, the implementation should be revised in order to keep up with the times, but Christian coffeehouses once met certain needs which, even today, are difficult to meet in any other way. In my opinion, it's a crying shame that many of those who started the original Christian coffeehouses lost the vision or just plain gave up.
I want to start a new Christian coffeehouse, preferably in a location (such as downtown Chicago) which is desperately in need of such a place. However, I would not want the ministry to be limited to the coffeehouse. Rather, that would be just one aspect of an extremely ambitious ministry which would have the larger goal of helping to reverse the moral decay so prevalent in modern popular culture.
Such a ministry would tentatively go by the name of the Christian Artists' Resource Center. The ministry would focus on all of the arts, not just one or two art forms. The ministry would include a coffeehouse, a bookstore, a multitrack recording studio, numerous soundproof music practice rooms and rehearsal spaces, a radio station (focusing primarily on satellite radio, "podcasts" and digital broadcasting), a record company, a concert hall, an art gallery, an art "colony" (with residential facilities for those wishing to access the numerous material and spiritual resources of the organization), an international web-based artists' community (including e-commerce capabilities for members), a graphic design studio, a book publishing company, a movie studio, a Christian botanical garden with sculpture and topiary (a/k/a God's Glorious Gospel Garden), and much, much more.
The objective of such an organization would be to eliminate the impediments which currently result in the relegation of faith-based art to a fringe subculture which has minimal impact on mainstream society. In short, I want to initiate what I like to call a "righteous renaissance". In addition to the very worthwhile goal of winning individual souls to Christ, I want to play a role in transforming society for the better. I am not naive. I know that there will always be an element of society (especially in the "last days") which will rebel against God. Nevertheless, using that as an excuse for a failure to do everything one can do to create a better world is unacceptable.
I plan to create additional blog posts in the near future in order to more fully communicate my vision, hopefully in such a way as to elicit participation and support from other Christians who recognize the validity of that vision. Such support will be essential (since my own personal resources are currently very limited) in order for any of these ideas to get off the ground.
Stay tuned! Good things are sure to follow.
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