I have an idea...
A lot has been on my mind recently about jobs and what I'd like to do. So, I thought of an idea and I'd love to just write it down before I forget about it. :-) So here I go...
A Christian coffee house. It's a bold idea and has probably been done before but I think it would be really great, especially in the heart of Portland, OR. Opening a home-feel type coffee house with locally roasted beans, baked doughnuts right there in the store and having tons of interesting flavors of lattes for people to try. Having fresh fruit and a healthy coffee/doughnut menu for everyone to choose from. Thursday night worship for the house, morning prayer when we open up, Tuesday night and Sunday night group sessions for everyone to read their bibles and share, grab a cup of coffee and just be together as a community. Every one of the baristas is there to talk to if you need someone to pray for you or give you some advice. Christian music will be playing softly through the speakers all day long. A separate room will be available for a half hour if you need to be alone with God, or while you are talking to one of the baristas.
It's a work in progress, but I would love for this to be part of Portland one day.
Everyone needs encouragement, hope and love. Sometimes I don't have time to go to church because I'm working and so I'd love for this to be a place where someone could go to be welcomed in and feel a part of something. A place where we can love everyone and everyone can feel like they aren't being pressured into anything. Christians, to a lot of people, come across as pushy and judgmental, so I'd love it if this could be a place where people who don't know Jesus could get to know Christians on a different level. As people who are just like them... who sin just like they do, who are not perfect just as they think we are, but people who just love on everyone and who don't judge but care and weep over how broken our country/world is.
Pretty much anyone can bond over a cup of coffee or tea and a doughnut. I would love to see people feeling peaceful at this coffee house and just feeling so filled with love, and to start their day out talking to a friendly face. I want everyone to feel like family.. I don't feel like people feel that way enough in their cities.
I would love to start programs and taking hot chocolates and doughnuts to people out on the streets when the cold weather arrives. We'd accept donations from people to help the homeless... Blankets, jackets, clothing, shoes, socks.... Money to feed them. Just being able to help them little by little, and to show them that people love them.
Well, if I have any more ideas for this, I might keep editing this post :) Thanks for reading!!! Let me know any feedback you have or any ideas you might have for this too, that'd be great!!
