Creating Change... One Coffeshop at a time

 

This past week I met up with a Young Adults Pastor from Vancouver Island. His name is Rick, and I wish there were a hundred more Rick's out there. Listening to Rick tell his story about how he was getting involved in his community really blew me away. Doing something as simple as meeting with young guys and girls in coffee shops has produced much change in personal lives and is impacting the community where he lives.

There was nothing that was obviously special about Rick. But I recognized something that set him apart. Rick's heart for people to know the Gospel was so evident—to Know the transforming LOVE and GRACE of Jesus.

Over the years I've met many people who share this same passion. But Rick's passion was different. His passion seemed to have a really humble edge to it. Telling me his story and what he was a part of almost brought tears to his eyes. It came across that Rick was doing what he was doing because that's what God had asked him to do. It was something deeply personal. Being on Gods' team, serving in that community was a real PRIVILEGE for him. It was like he was a kid being asked to step up and play for his favourite sports team. As if God had personally asked him to PUT ON THE JERSEY. It was this attitude that impacted me profoundly. He was simply being what he was called to be.

Rick came over to the Island from a small town in Alberta. His Dad is the pastor of a really great church in Alberta, so he kinda "gets" the whole pastor thing. He was a youth pastor for awhile, leading a successful youth ministry. Taking some time out as a result of burnout, Rick decided to go into landscaping, which he really enjoyed.

During his time at his landscaping company, Rick felt that God began calling him back to pastoring. He received a job opportunity to become a Young Adults Pastor in Victoria on Vancouver Island.  After praying through the opportunity with his wife, they decided that they would accept the offer and move to Victoria. It was a step of faith. They had no idea what God had in store for them.

As he got involved with the community, Rick began just hanging out with the young people from his church. He did this by meeting up with them frequently in coffee shops. Each week he would meet with a number of them to chat with them, journey together with them and work on things like how to read the bible and praying, etc. Often he would study a book of the bible with the guys and girls and teach them how to journal and how to listen to God speaking to them through His word.

It was not long before these groups started to grow… one became two, and then five, etc. Soon other people who frequented the coffee shops noticed these groups meeting at the same time every week, and started to ask why. One such person was a girl named Carolyn, who worked in the coffee shop. She asked them one day what they were talking about. After Rick explained that they were learning how to read the bible and learning to follow Jesus, she said she had wondered about that stuff and thought it was cool that they were talking about it.  The next week Carolyn asked if she could join in the conversation.

This is just one of the many stories that Rick told me. 

My reason for meeting with Rick was to discuss the possibility of taking each of these groups through Alpha in the very same coffee shops, because he has felt they needed help and wanted a resource that could help young people explore the meaning of life together in a way that would encourage conversation about Jesus in an inclusive and relaxed environment. He is excited about the idea.

One side note… The manager of one of the Starbucks where Rick meets attends his church. She was at a recent managerial meeting where the person in charge mentioned he had heard of these groups meeting in various coffee shops. He asked whether they were causing problems and maybe should be asked to leave. “Oh no,” said one of the other managers who was not a believer “They are actually great customers, duper friendly and good for business. We actually like having them there.”

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."  2 Cor 2:14-15