Christian coffee houses, a staple of the Jesus movement and subsequent evangelical outreach in the 1970s, are making a comeback, reports the Washington Times (Jan. 14).
Coffee houses were mainly for evangelism mixed in with entertainment and fellowship for evangelical young people in the late 1960s and 70s. But as the patrons got older and had families by the 1980s, the establishments had faded away. Today, new coffee houses are being established as Christians seek new ways of engaging in innovative evangelism.
They are sponsored by groups ranging from charismatic Catholics (who run a Website listing coffeehouses in most states: http://www.garg.com/coffee) to inner-citiy ministries.
Other coffeehouses are free-standing establishments with full-service ministries, offering programs on bereavement, divorce and the singles life, as well as inviting guest speakers. In inner-city St., Louis, Missouri, Don Sharp, pastor of the Church of God Independent Holiness People, uses the coffee house to dispel misconceptions about the area, welcoming visitors to the neighborhood, as well as ministering to residents.