Partnerships

So I’m sitting in a new coffee shop in west Ames. Café Milo (Mee low). Great space. Lot’s of windows. Fireplace in the center. Clusters of seating. Provides a welcoming feeling that is too often missing in the church.

What I can’t help thinking is: why don’t we develop some joint ventures with coffee shops? What we hear most often is the church can’t afford to do something new. What if a partnership with a coffee shop were to occur? They provide the machines & know-how, the church provides the space and some volunteers. Fair-trade coffee could be used or a local roaster used and the churches own label be developed. Profits that go to the church could be used for new missions, new ministry development, homeless/food ministries… “etc. etc. etc.” (quote from Yul Brenner, The King and I).

At First UMC in Ames we are in discussions with a local coffee roaster to develop our own label. The owner has a direct relationship with some coffee growers in South America and is paying them similar to Fair Trade Coffee. The working name for our coffee shop is: Grounds for Faith. It is in our Spiritual Development Center, an old Fareway building just south of the church. Here is what we have in the “SDC”:

Coffee Shop

Drop-in Center for homeless, as well as anyone else.

Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance

Free Medical Clinic

Contemplative Prayer Room

Computer Lab

Handicap Accessible bathrooms

Rooms for small group development

Space for a member of the church who owns a web development company

Youth Center.

Stop by sometime and check the Spiritual Development Center out. Maybe it will trigger some ministry outreach possibilities for you.