No office, no problem
July 17, 2008
This post is part of Creative Chaos.
I was thinking about my relationships the other day. Before we begin, you must know that I am not a relationship guy. I know this sounds weird coming from a youth pastor, but its true. I like to have a handful of close friends who know me 80% of the way, my family who knows me 85%, my wife who knows me 93.7% and I keep the other 6.3% to myself. I do not do this intentionally, I have just learned over years of moving, changing, and growing up that this best suits me. I am working on being more open to those who need me to be.
In my relationship catalog, there are several people who fall into the category of “acquaintance who I pray for.” Most of them work at local coffee shops. I only know them because all of the pastors on staff at my church have been deprived of office space. Our church is growing at a rate that requires the children’s ministry to swallow up every inch of carpeted property leaving my colleagues and I to use WiFi hit spots in the area as our offices. We had to think creatively about where to work and even converted a projector room into a WiFi lounge at one point. But now, I spend on average about 20 hours a week at my local Starbucks.
I know the employees. I am involved in what is happening in their lives. Some have come to my church. They might know me because they have to, but I know them because I want to. It is uncharted territory for me.
I used to gripe about not having an office, but I would not have it any other way if I could. I like being in the community I have been called to serve. I recommend it for anyone.
How connected are you to the community outside your church?
iChat: nickasolas@mac.com
I am very like — the whole percentage breakdown.
I have an office, but try to be there as little as possible. I guess you could say that my mac is my office.
Had to laugh. You sound a lot like me. I realized some time ago that God calls me to be with his children that are tattooed, pierced and disenfranchised…
It started out as unintentional for me (not Him). I just would go and sit at Starbucks and they seemed to gather around me. Not just the baristas, but the guests also… Now I work at Starbucks part-time.
It thrills me to no end that there are others out there that “get it”.
I see a couple other pastors that hang out also. Good people. Building real relationships, not spouting judgmental garbage.
I must say though, I keep an eye out for the “other” Christians that are not so loving… they hang out at Starbucks also. Ready to throw an “irrelevant track” in the tip jar (sorry, that may led people to believe there are relevant ones, there are not)…why do those people think that works. Ugh! Trust me it just makes them not like you all the more…
I’m seriously contemplating starting (yet another) blog on Starbucks evangelism…
I have already posted a couple of items already on one of my other blogs…
http://designingforphilistines.blogspot.com/search/label/starbucks%20evangelism
Nice to meet you Nick – Dorothy (vicar of vibe)
@dorothy - nice to meet you! thanks for stopping by, I will check out this Starbucks Evangelism that you speak of!
dude, if you handed me my milk carafes I’d hand you an application…
My Starbucks…
Welcome to the best Starbucks east of the Mississippi…
http://www.starbucks.com/retail/find/storedetails.aspx?sid=577&coords=20170|38.9862545955961|-77.377869|12&fs=1
dude - I love this. I love the fact that you are spending time OUTSIDE of the church, serving those in the community. I worry that we, as a body of believers spend so much time focusing on those within the 4 walls of the church, that we forget the who “GO” mentality that is behind bringing people to Christ. Thanks for sharing this. I’m sure your community is better because of it!