Long ago and not so far away, people would spend time on their front porches in community. Billy Bob would sit there sipping his tea and his neighbor Jim Bob would come over and chat about the weather and the crop season. ;) Their darling wives Betty Sue and Rebecca would talk about their latest craft projects and their young children would push each other into the mud. It was a beautiful thing-- the front porch mentality. It created a way to form community and participate in each other's lives.
But today, this seems to be nothing more than an ancient practice, a distant memory. Look around the houses in your town. How many of them even have front porches? Gorgeous wood that wraps around the front of a home and the community service these porches provide are a thing of the past. And yet-- we still desire, need even, the opportunity for connection with our neighbors. We are social people who find life and purpose in our participation in life with the other.
The Church seeks every opportunity possible to recreate this front porch community. We throw in a potluck here and a meet and greet with coffee time there. All attempts to create community from within.
And then, there's the churches who are extremely creative and innovative while seeking to step outside the box; such as the crew at Wichita's First United Methodist Church. This collection of amazing people began brainstorming the idea of a fair trade coffee shop for the purpose of creating community.
From the very beginning days of the shop, this team of visionary church leaders looked for ways to create networking connections for people. Before the floorboards were ever laid, scripture verses were printed and placed on the ground. They remain under the tile to this day.
A Sunday evening service was created, with the goal of bringing together people who might not necessarily want to step foot in a traditional church but are still amazed with the man called Jesus. A coffee shop is a perfect place to do this- to incorporate a younger generation who loves Jesus but not the church (see Dan Kimball's text, "They Like Jesus But Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations").
A Monday evening TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) discussion was formed-- with the vision of bringing together people from the Wichita area to talk about hot button issues-- everything from compassion to consumerism.
Every other Thursday evening the stage is open for what is called "Espresso Theater." People are called to the stage to act, read, and perform in 15 minutes or less. Usually laughter and giggles fill the back room for this event.
All these intentional creations enable the formation of community for Meads Corner Fair Trade Coffee House-- making this particularly special coffee shop, the front porch of Wichita. If Billy Bob and Rebecca desire to chat with their neighbors in community-- no longer is the front porch the place to do this. Now, in this post-modern age, the coffee house is where one seeks such relation.
If you're intrigued by this special shop, check out www.meadscorner.com or stop by 430 E Douglas in Wichita Kansas. This place is especially close to my heart, since this is where I call home. That apartment I live in, is only where I sleep. :)
