Aug 31 2008
Starbucks church?
The Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Sugar Land is opening a new Starbucks with a unique twist.
The coffee shop, part of the church’s new Family Center, will be located inside — next to the worship area and adjacent to a large, two-story play center. Patrons can sip lattes and surf the web with free Wi-Fi while their children shoot down slides and tumble through the padded obstacle course. A bookstore will provide Christian reading materials, gifts, apparel, movies and music.
With a grand opening scheduled for Sept. 7, this may be Fort Bend County’s first not-for-profit Starbucks. I guess when the Lord sees fit to close one Starbucks another is opened.
Bobby Chandler, director of communications, said the idea for the center came in 2006 when the church saw it would need to expand the child center.
“We wanted a family center not just for children but for adults and gatherings as well,” he said.
Read more here.
[From me]
Interesting concept. Man, some of the comments on the Chronicle article weren’t very approving. It doesn’t sound like they are trying to make a profit, just to reach people for Christ. But people will find anything to complain about.
What do you think?
12 responses so far
Abudant Life in La Marque has a Starbucks as well. It is also near their children’s educational area. i don’t know about Wi-fi, but then it wasn’t till two years ago they I could do wireless in my apartment. I didn’t read the Chronicle article, but I hope that they didn’t forget about that.
It think it is a great thing for churches to do. How marvelous to have church be a place where people want to hang out!
Those who oppose this kind of thing often reference Jesus’ turning over the tables of the money changers in the Temple. From you perspective, do you see that this Starbucks church / bookstore stuff is the same kind of thing Jesus got mad at? Why or why not? I would be interested in your perspective on how this passage applies (or does not apply).
Joe Miller’s last blog post..Elders Lead A Healthy Family: Missional Structure
I think hanging out in a church sipping an espresso sounds like a great idea… buy why a Starbucks? Given the company’s poor reputation in its dealings with the developing world, it might have been better to open their own, independent café. I wonder if an on-site Starbucks will be effective in reaching Houston’s large Central American community.
Janna,
Cool, wish I could visit.
Joe,
No. I think the reason Sugar Creek and others are not doing this to make $$ but to reach people for Christ.
Hal,
Being on the mission field I guess you know more about that than me.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Starbucks church?
This reminds me of an article I read a while back about a church in Houston that opened a McDonalds on its campus. I found the article here on the NY Times site:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802E3D81230F93AA35756C0A9649C8B63
Quinn Hooks’s last blog post..What Bill Stafford has to say about Ron Lynch
While you are in the mode, I like this template better than the previous one.
Marty Duren’s last blog post..Finally Done
I think they ought to sell doves and change money, too. That way there’d be no doubt what Jesus would do if He drops in some Sunday morning.
Unless they’re giving the stuff away, that it.
Bob Cleveland’s last blog post..They’ve ALL Already Been Born….
I don’t know anyone who’s not a believer who would choose to go inside a church for a Starbucks fix. So to me, this just seems like another way for Christians to isolate themselves from the rest of the community.
Hal also makes a great point about the importance working with local communities in the developing world in using fair trade practices that help the poor. It makes me nervous that a church is working with a multinational corporation, but if one is going to do so, they should be very scrupulous about these kinds of things.
Texas in Africa’s last blog post..the story of hurricane
How much did they have to pay to be able to use the *$ name, coffee and set up.
Do they have free coffee anywhere for those who can’t or don’t want to pay the $3 for the coffee?
Tom Bryant’s last blog post..Monday: The Labor Day Edition
I think you all are missing the really important question here:
What Would Jesus Drink?(grin)
jimmy paravane’s last blog post..the end.
Fair enough Kevin.
Joe Miller’s last blog post..Logos for Mac in Beta
What a cheesy looking Jesus. Holding a cup of coffee with a grin and a thumb in the air. And fortunately for me I don’t drink coffee at all.
Bill(cycleguy)’s last blog post..Pressing Prayers