I love coffee, especially those iced coffee drinks that punch you in the face when you drink them.  It’s more than the caffeine I go for, it’s the experience of the local coffee shop environment that attracts me.  I travel quiet frequently with business and use my free time to search out local coffee houses.   Recently, I was in Lebanon, Tennessee (about 35 miles East of Nashville) and walked into an eye opening experience, and that was well before the iced mocha with 4 shots of espresso.  I found a church.

About a week ago, I was handed a packet of material from a mainline denomination that was encouraging leaders to “Rethink Church”.  I admire the effort and certainly applaud the foresight of the corporate church to begin looking at culture to find ways to be “in the world” without being “of the world.”  As with anything, there’s talking and then there’s doing.  While this was fresh on my mind, I stumbled upon a church that had been re-imagined. Outside of the arms of glitzy campaigns and nestled right where the people live.

Meet Michael Carpenter, a product of Williams Baptist College and continuing student at Fuller theological Seminary, and owner of Java Joe’s in Lebanon, Tennessee.  It’s what he calls a Third Place.  Live|Bold entered into the conversation with Michael.

LB: So we’re in a coffee shop, but it’s a church.  Where’s the organ, the steeple, the pews, choir loft?  How does this work?

Michael: I want to say upfront, that I am in no way against “traditional” church. God uses all kinds of churches and we are not simply a reaction to “traditional.” This is a “form” issue.  Form refers to how we choose to organize and structure our ministry in order to be obedient to a particular function.  Form is culturally sensitive and open to different styles and creativity.  Form should be relevant and negotiable.  For example, if a New Testament church determines that it must pray (a biblical function), then it might organize a Wednesday prayer service (a form) . . . or it might not.  What is necessary is praying, not the form or structure we use to organize the praying.

LB: So what you are saying is it’s not necessarily about the building “form” or about the style of worship “form”, but it’s about the gospel.

Michael: The obvious sometimes alludes us. It’s about the Gospel, not buildings, forms, structures, or even Sundays. Furthermore, by only worshiping God in our Sunday “worship” services we have turned our eyes away from what God is doing in the everyday all around us. Therefore, it is important that we do not reduce the message of the Gospel to an abstract concept. The good news of Jesus’ message was for the whole of creation and the redemption of the entirety of human life.

When church is a third place, the services take place in a public environment among the sofas and tables – which is a challenge to what usually happens in worship. And if worship is adapted to this environment, could it happen elsewhere, in any place?

LB: So this is where we come to the “Third Place”.  What does that mean?

Michael: Church as a third place is not about a cafe attached to a church, it’s about the transformation of whatever place is available. No longer is a private, “sacred” place used only for services but is itself offered as a service to the whole community. Nor is a public place off-limits in the exploration of faith, worship and life.

Our church, Matthew’s Table, is re-imagining our church life in a third place context by owning and operating Java Joe’s as a unique place that is the hub for the life of our community of faith. Third places are characterized by the modern coffee shop.They are neither home nor work, but somewhere in between.

LB: How has the “traditional” community accepted your approach?

Michael: When we first came to Lebanon, [TN], I decided that we should introduce ourselves to local pastors and other church leaders in order to find out how we could pray for them, what ministries they were doing, and how we could connect people to these ministries. The idea was that we did not want to reproduce what others were already doing well. For example if a church has a recovery ministry, then it would not be necessary for us to start one. But we could pray for the ministry and connect people to it.

However, you would of thought we were soliciting top secret information from the CIA. No one seemed to be interested in our praying, our connections, or our friendship.

LB: So the traditionalist churches in your area were skeptical of this “breaking out” of the mold?

Michael: I really do not see ourselves as “breaking out.” We are just trying to build genuine relationships with people in order to share the Gospel with them. Owning a coffee shop is a very natural way to do that. We see Java Joe’s as a missional space. A missional space involves the creation of a place and/or events where Christians and not-yet Christians can interact meaningfully with each other.  Java Joe’s is a natural space for people to organically engage in discussions of meaning, the essence of art, spirituality, etc.  Our ultimate goal at Matthew’s Table is keep creating space in which communities of faith centered in Jesus Christ can be planted.

LB: I’m sitting in a coffee shop –  I love coffee, and I’m sitting in a church – I love the Church.  The fit seems natural and not quite so intimidating as a big building.  I guess this is what the early church of Acts would have felt like? or looked like?

Michael: The Bible is a book that addresses all of life.  It is not just a set of ungrounded ideas regarding spirituality; rather it deals with every facet of being human.  It speaks about farming, food, love, sex, war, holiness, greed, salvation, and politics.  The list is endless.  Yet the Bible never divides these topics into those that are “spiritual” and those that are “everyday.” Unfortunately, much of Christianity today divides life into the two areas of spiritual and every day. For example, this way of thinking sees going to church or reading the Bible as good spiritual activities, while a great meal with friends or playing sports are considered as every day activities that God has no part in.

If we are going to be engaged seriously with the Gospel, we need to return to a more biblical view of life and the Gospel as transforming the whole of life into a act of worship towards God.  Our whole of lives then become a living testament to God as his believers worship him by turning their hearts to him as the work, play sports, make love, create art, eat, build, dream, etc.

LB: Michael, you inspire us at Live|Bold.  It takes courage to step out of the “form” and offer the Good news in ways that relate to your community and culture around you.  We wish you absolute success in spreading the love and hope of Christ!  You certainly have shown me what “rethink church” means in practice.

Michael: Very Cool.

Michael’s church is called, Matthews Table and it’s located within the same footprint of Java Joe’s coffee house at 1029 West Main Street in Lebanon, TN.  Services are Sunday evenings at 6pm.

Learn more about Michael and Matthews Table at their website, www.diningwithsinners.org
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