I can relate. I know at least two Pastors that spend some study time and Starbucks and manage some outreach while they are at it.

Even though Starbucks has raised their prices, it is still a nice but cheap date for me and my bride of 20 years. Last night we planned to go to continue working of our church plant. Now after reading this blog, I will be on the look out for good ideas.
Why is it that Starbucks seems to create community naturally but the church struggles with it? Hopefully we can get it right.

One could take a slightly more critical view of such marketing language and strategies - and then question whether or not the church should bother adopting the latest trend. Not that her position is without problems, but Naomi Klein has some important considerations in this regard.

This is a good post and I especially agree that we need "to keep offering basic faith, the faith of the ages".

I do however, have some additional observations regarding the Starbucks analogies:

1. Large groups of people (more than 10) do not meet there. The locations are not set up to accomodate those numbers.

2. While somewhat diverse people go to Starbucks (rabbi; youth pastor; high school girls, etc.) these people all partake of the menu but do not interact with each other, a critical concern in many of today's churches.

3. Starbucks is all about marketing strategies and making LOTS of money, another concern in today's church.

4. There is a Starbucks on every corner but Starbucks does not promote "community". The "community" must already exist before Starbucks is going to risk their capital there.

5. When was the last time you made a serious new friendship all by yourself at Starbucks? Does the counter girl who knows your name and what blend you prefer really care about you personally or is she just trained in that form of marketing which makes you feel special so you will keep coming back to spend your money? How is this different than the greeter at Wal-Mart?

I love analogies and Starbucks could keep us talking a long time.

And, of course, don't forget to check out Len Sweet's The Gospel According to Starbucks.

Good post.

Click on my name and you'll see that I've read Sweet's book and wrote a piece about it that Next-Wave e-zine published.

I frequent Starbucks and I have to say that I do enjoy partaking of the "third space" that they (and other similar places like Panera Bread or Einstein's Bagels) has created. It's a space where you are neither at the office or at home that is conducive to conversation with others, or as I often do, with God -- i.e., I spend time journaling there, etc.

It's true what Melody pointed out that the majority of people pass in and out of Starbucks and never choose to "enter in", or take advantage of the environment they provide. They simply order their coffee and pastry and go out -- not much different than McDonalds or 7-11, except they pay 3 times as much!

So, yes, there is still an "intentional" choice someone must make to avail themselves of the "environment" that Starbucks offers. It would seem to me that the same would be true of our churches. We can offer many great possibilities, but at the end of the day, the individual must still choose to participate. We can't force people in; and it occurs to me neither did Jesus. OTOH, we can consider how we might make what we offer more "attractive" to people and what might make them more likely to choose to participate on a deeper level.

I race-walk around a very hilly development near my home every morning. Later in the day, I work out at the YMCA for an hour. Every Wednesday evening my wife and I go for wings at a local bar and restaurant because 500 bikers show up for Bike Night. I play weekly in bars and at local fairs and carnivals with 5 different bands.

What do these have in common? They are all great places to build friendships. Since much of my life centers around the mission I am a part of, it becomes a great way to get conversations into the spiritual realm.

People don't have to come to church to hear what I have to say; I have come to them, made myself a part of their communities.

My wife and I have seen many come to Jesus through the years because we were willing to go to them, build friendships and trust with them, be a part of who they are. Church-as-usual distracts most of us from these special opportunities for community building.

One observation I have made is that only rarely do we ever meet others from the local Christian community at any of these places. If we do, they aren't there for the purpose of building friendships or to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others. Many times I have made the invitation to other believers to join us at some of these events. Very few have ever taken us up on the offer. The few who have were like fish out of water because they had so stereotyped the "heathen" they were in the midst of that their judgmental attitudes wouldn't let them relax and converse with any of them.

I'm not generalizing here; this is the way it has been for us. It is a sad commentary that the church has created its own sub-culture where it can live, move and have its being apart from the world God has called them to go to.

It's not about becoming like St. Arbucks. It's about going out into you communities just like Jesus did. Isn't THAT revoltionary?

Yes, Alan, I agree. Another thought: When Jesus fed the 5,000 people, they immediately wanted to crown him their king. But as soon as He said, "take up your cross and follow me", all but a handful were splitzville. We can make Jesus attractive to the multitudes to get them in the door but when we let them know the first word that Jesus preached was "Repent..." and that he said things like, "Do not suppose that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword", we would be naive to expect that many of them will stay. Few wish to enter the "third space".

I'm finding that Starbucks is both a community and a sub-culture, just as Christian churches are a sub-culture. In my view, Starbucks is very intentional in becoming a third-place; but not ONLY for their benefit. They recognize that they need to be a third-place so that others can gather, belong, and be known. I haven't read Sweat's book but I should. I've considered it a place to belong for the last year, in a very intentional way.

The significant "course correction" for me in the last year is to realize how delighted I am to have the Starbucks staff in my life. They are normal, accepting, fun, hospitable and are spiritually interested.

Starbucks makes tasty coffee, employs excellent people and has a solid business plan. It also, I might add, has allowed the "little guy" to flourish with his or her coffee shops as many of us now dig around for the lesser known places. (Peaberry and Caribou here in Colorado have a loyal following, in part because they are "not Starbucks.")

BUT

Can someone help me understand why Starbucks is the model for community? I just don't see it. Model for customer service and consistent product yes, but community and diversity....are you kidding me?

Starbucks is a place where you meet people you are already in community with. Its decor and product is better than the local fast food, so we go there. The library is too quiet, so we go to Starbucks. But we don't go to meet new people and we don't interact on any authentic and ongoing level. We experience authentic community with the people we had planned to meet there because....its a good meeting space.

please help me see why the church is looking to Starbucks all of a sudden as the be all and end all of community.

What Starbucks offers is contextualization. It is a shared place that many people from many different walks of life have a similar experience. It is a great place for a people watcher such as myself.

The Church can be more like Starbucks in that it needs to draw in people from all walks of life. I love standing in line behind a "suit" and talking with the guy in the hardhat getting his morning jolt. If we can broaden our appeal to all different walks of life, we are on the right track.

Interesting post. I've been involved in a lot of ministry in my 50 plus years and still wrestle with issues such as those raised by this post. But ultimately I have to agree with Alan -- lets strive to create an atmosphere where people are more likely to choose to participate, but at the same time realize that some may choose not to enter in. Sometimes I think we spend a lot of time hand-wringing and beating ourselves up over methodology and relevance when we might be better off focusing on being faithful,sincere servants of Christ -- trusting that God is big enough to work through our flawed approach.

Diversity at Starbucks? A few weeks ago, Slate devoted one of its podcasts to analyzing the Starbucks aesthetic as expressed in its music--what's played and what's promoted for sale. Nothing edgy or risky there. It was all white--except for classic African American material that was at least 50 years old. But that lack of diversity actually plays into the "safety" of the "third zone."

My motivation for spending 4-5 mornings a week at Starbucks is to engage with people who may be far from God. In the last year of hanging out at Starbucks I have met countless people who are spiritually interested by think that institutional church is not for them.

It's a chance for me, a church Pastor, to connect with people I normally wouldn't connect with. It's a chance for me to engage in a sub-culture that seems to be relevant to much of the world. If I want to be relevant in reaching this secular world, I've got to do more than just read about it, I must engage with it.

It's also an opportunity for me to show care, love, and acts of kindness to the staff and others. It's a great opportunity for conversational, relational evangelism. It's a place where I can try to demonstrate that Christians can be normal and focused on others.

Coffee pretty good. Great blueberry scones. Atmosphere is pretty good. Interesting people, very diverse...great place to witness...etc. They fill a need. It is a consumerism need, though, not a spiritual need. But definitely one of the GO INTO ALL...places. But, it remains subculture. The church is called to be counter culture. Most of the regular customers - like anywhere else are without a true north compasss - conversations tend to be on the surface. Pastors, we don't transform the world with the gospel of Christ by becomming like the subculture. It okay to adopt best practices, but our power is not in the "double macchiato." It is in the dunamas of the the Holy Spirit. He should be our aim. Let Starbucks be Starbucks --- Let the church be the church, again!

Isn't it ironic that we, Christians, possess the greatest product that there is--the Creator Himself; yet we fall way short of knowing how/when/where and worst yet why to market Him to those that don't know Him (myself included). Satan is the great deceiver and will have us spending so much time looking for the answer elsewhere--Starbucks, Hip Hop, Nike, etc. because they've done such a great job of creating counterfeit products and happiness that won't last. (Remember the lie that the serpent put before Eve or the lies that satan tried to tempt Jesus with in the wilderness; both situations represented what appeared to be truth) We have to be mindful that our instructions and example is in Christ's life and in the Book that so adequately tells His story not in the latest marketing strategy--the latter will change, He won't!

I agree with Margaret. As someone in the communications field, I have been exposed to a lot of advertising and public relations methods and campaigns. I currently work at a direct mail company. I have often thought that the church has the greatest product available - and it is free! But, oh no! We can't use advertising or marketing to promote the gospel ... that would be secularizing the church.

So tell me this... if we can't use media to promote the gospel, if we don't go out into the highways and byways - how are the lost going to be reached? We have failed as a church because too often we have a country club mentality. We are happy with who we are. We are comfortable with the people who are already in our churches. We may welcome new people, but they don't feel welcome because it seems superficial. We expect the world to come to us and face it, in today's society that just isn't realistic. You can bring them in with promise of entertainment, with half-truths from the gospel but they will never know the reality of what it takes to prepare themselves for eternity.

We need to promote the full gospel! Yes, God is a God of love and forgiveness but He also expects repentance. We are offered the free gift of salvation through His Son - but like any gift, we have to accept it and receive Christ into our hearts and lives as Lord and Master. God is also a jealous God and a God of wrath. He doesn't want to condemn us or chasten us, but as a loving parent would, He has to discipline us. He loves us and wants none of us to perish, but we can't just acknowledge His presence and continue in sin. These are the truths the world needs. Why are we so ashamed of it? Why do we find it so hard to preach the entire truth - that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun, and we need God's help to avoid one and get into the other?

We need to realize the Word never changes, but our methods of delivery can. Preach in a coffeehouse? Maybe... but we need to make sure the right message is being received.

The message, the Gospel, I believe is timeless, but I think the problem is that the Church (in general) has not kept up with the times in terms of presenting the timeless message in a way that our postmodern culture connects with.

That's why I think we do have to learn from secular institutions that have "kept up with the times" or have come into existence and done well more recently -- e.g., Starbucks.

We do have to guard against a watered down version of the Gospel that compromises the truth just to be more attractive to people -- but that has been a struggle for all generations, hasn't it? Didn't Paul mention people preaching different forms of the Gospel? (We might also have to re-examine what the essence of our message really is before we presume to tell others??) I think our "theological task" remains to present a timeless message in a way that is timely (contemporary). Do I make sense?

Good post.

J.W. commented that some Christians seem like fish out of water when trying to connect with non-Christians at events and places, even Starbucks, beacause they had so stereotyped non-Christians. I wonder how this effects not only our relationship with non-Christians, but also our relationships with each other believers.

I'm a twenty-something, self-concious...I'm terrible. I sometimes feel as if it's easier to be a "good Christian" away from church, away from Bible Study...away from all the "God bless you's", the "Praise the Lord's"...

Without even meaning to, I find myself playing the Christian game with the best of them...I think most Christians I know would be shocked if they knew I've picked up hitch-hikers, eaten with homeless, been to a Mormon church, a Jewish synagogue, a Muslim worship center...

Several years ago I found, as a Christian pastor, I had no non-Christian friends. I intentionally began going to a local coffee house. There I met the staff, several who eventually came to the church.

One evening I was sitting, alone, reading the Bible and a young man came over and asked if I wanted to play chess. I'm no chess player but said I would. We played one game. His girlfriend tried to get him to leave, but he stayed. I don't remember much of the conversation. I was more amazed by the experience--a completely unknown teenager walks up to a mid-50s guy to play chess. I won that game and he went back to work.

A while later I was called to the mission field. Now I am returning to the States and looking forward to more of those experiences. We need to go and "live" amongst the people of the world.

St. Arbucks IS a sacred palce.

It's communion... of another kind
where caffeine seekers can unwind
to drink in the sweet ambiance
that St. Arbucks provides.

As congregants both young and old,
we're seated close and thus are bold
to talk of life (latte in hand)
and taste the mystery.

We lift the cup and share our lives
in honest words that aren't contrived.
And if inclined, we all confess
our failures and our dreams.

St. Arbucks is a sacred place
where those who run the human's race
can sip the nectar of the gods
awake to what is good.

It is quite sanctuary-like
where mothers and their little tykes
can find a refuge from routines
while seated near the fire.

There are no stained glass windows there
but those behind the "pulpit" care
about the thirst we long to quench
and "preach" through what they pour.

What Cheers was thirty years ago
is now St. Arbucks. Don't you know?
A church where we are known by name
and feel like family.

We need to remember what the purpose of the church is, which is for Christians to be trained and discipled to go into the world, not a place for the world to enter....

The church itself might be a place for those seeking, but it is not a place for great evangelism. WE are to GO INTO the world as lights for Christ. In order to know how to do that, we should be getting equipped in church.

If we expect our churches to draw in crowds because of some feature, or product, or entertainment, we have failed. The best we have to offer is Jesus. And He is truly the BEST! We don't need some gimmick. We don't need to cheapen what is already a free gift for those willing to accept His salvation.

What we need is to show the world that what they want and need is Jesus. We need to do that daily in our lives in the world. Not just while we are in our "church" buildings, or just on Sunday.

I've got a confession to make. Are you ready? I've never once been inside a Starbucks. I truly hate coffee. I can't believe I just shared that. Now you all think I'm the world's biggest weirdo.

But, I am interested in Starbucks for one reason... building relationships with people outside the church. That is something I place a high value on. I might even force myself to drink a big cup of $4 mud to build some relationships.

Here's my question. How exactly does the Starbucks "community" work? Is it the norm for people to walk around and strike up conversations with strangers at other tables? Is it like a bar where you won't be looked at like you're a lunatic barging in if you ask somebody if you can join them at their table? Or is it normal for people to invite strangers who walk in to come and join them at their own table?

As the uninitiated, I just need some specific pointers about how to utilize this sacred space.