The weekly rhythm of gathering for coffee and conversation has fundamentally reshaped how our community connects. As a pastor, I find immense joy in attending church each Sunday, not out of obligation, but for the profound fellowship that occurs among believers and seekers alike. When you walk through the lobby, you immediately experience an atmosphere of warmth, characterized by friendly hellos and genuine smiles. These moments provide the perfect opportunity for sharing how Jesus has empowered us to reach others with the gospel throughout the week.
While many head into traditional Sunday school classes, we noticed a significant number of people prefer to linger in the lobby. This observation led us to rethink the time between services. We began to ask ourselves: Could Jesus be present during these informal moments over coffee and conversation? Could the gospel be shared just as effectively in the lobby as in a classroom? The answer is a resounding yes. While formal study is vital, nothing prevents God from challenging and growing us through intentional, casual dialogue.
Our children’s pastor envisioned a way to transform these unstructured moments in the coffee area into a purposeful space for sharing Jesus. By gently steering discussions toward how Christ has impacted our lives over the past seven days, we have created a unique environment. This fluid approach allows people to engage in spiritual growth and community building naturally, often participating in a transformative conversation without the pressure of a traditional classroom setting.
Hosting a class that is not a class has reminded me that Jesus works in different ways, and as a leader in the church, you should be open to the move of God wherever and whenever he chooses. I have learned three lessons. from observing how sharing Jesus in unstructured ways has impacted the church:
Lesson 1: Create a space for open conversation.
When the coffee area was created, it started as a connectional space that brought people together. Over time, the relationship aspect did not happen the way the leadership thought, and we took a hard look eight months ago to remake the space with the resources we had at the time. That meant taking the coffee area from grab-and-go to adding an assortment of breakfast items to create a space that encouraged people to slow down. With a set of hodge-podge furniture, the space began to feel different. No longer were people taking their coffee and running, but they began to sit down and have conversations that would begin to bring people together.
After several weeks of observing what was happening, several saw this as a real success: people enjoying their morning pastry at a table or lingering longer in the area. In the next few weeks, we will be remaking this area with new flooring, and we plan to highlight the relational aspect of connecting over coffee with new furniture that draws people together. In a world that is so fast paced, slowing that pace down and enjoying the presence of the Lord and fellowship with believers can be a rewarding part of Sunday mornings. As people become more accustomed to sitting down, not pulling out their smartphones, and enjoying real conversation, the conversation can lead to life changes and new friendships.
Lesson 2: Create a space for discussion.
Polarization has not only affected the world but also seeped into the church. The church should be a haven for ideas and thoughts brought forth with a design to ask: What does scripture say about this? In these safe places where no lead teacher or pastor is directing the conversation, someone with strong faith can help direct and steer toward a God-honoring response to the question over a morning assortment of items in the coffee area. In these safe places, the conversation can open itself up to opportunities to share about one’s faith, work concerns, and how God is and can help them through the season they are facing.
The coffee area has become a great mentoring tool for spiritual mature and growing spiritually individuals to learn from one another. The informal coffee class has brought ideas and ways to celebrate God through even the most challenging conversations. With this type of mentoring, we have seen less gossiping and cliquish behavior in the lobby, which has helped us grow more unified as a church. While it is not one large group but multiple smaller groups connecting in conversation, it still provides a sense of larger gathering in smaller spaces. As the leadership observed the area and overheard conversations, it was clear people had begun to develop more trust with one another, and a connective spirit had developed in the process.
Lesson 3: Create a space for all.
If you serve in the average church, you will notice an imbalance of one age group. The mark of a healthy church is an intergenerational fellowship where people of all ages, from the cradle to the grave, serve together to expand the kingdom.
Most churches already struggling with providing intergenerational connections have unintentionally created silos by collecting people together in age groups, which hinders creating a family atmosphere inside the church. The coffee area was designed to bring people together through conversation. I have witnessed that all age groups have slowed down to enjoy the space.
We intentionally added children’s snacks and juice boxes that are low enough that children can get the items themselves. For adults, we have provided expanded offerings outside of just traditional coffee and tea. These selections of fresh fruit, donuts, and other items have made the coffee area a must-go and a place to stop when a person enters the church.
As we expanded our breakfast selection, we encouraged children, families, and older members to sit, talk, and enjoy each other’s company. Observing, you can hear the little conversations about Jesus and life change during the week. To us pastors, this is a win for intergenerational ministry and for ministry that is unstructured and guided by God.
Let me encourage you to develop a space that welcomes all generations to share and watch how the church begins to flourish by obeying Jesus.