Church incorporates culture
HAMILTON, ON—An emerging church community of the Salvation Army opened its new building in downtown Hamilton on October 30. But it is not your average church space.
FRWY.ca (pronounced "freeway") Café is a 7,000-square-foot converted bank building. The non-profit café is designed to offer coffee, culture and community.
"When we planted a church, the original idea was to start by building a community and then develop a café," explains Pernell Goodyear, pastor and ethos-shaper. "We wanted to create a place that is neutral ground, public space. We asked what it would take to create a place that is normal, that would reach people in our culture."
The café serves organic fair trade coffee and contributes to the revitalization of the downtown core. Rather than attracting people to church, it aims to live out its values and incarnate Jesus in the community. "We ask ourselves, 'What does it mean to be good neighbours in this city?'" says Goodyear.
The café also aims to provide a place for people to develop friendships, discuss issues and interact with others.
FRWY.ca does not hide the fact that it is a church community. Goodyear says many people are surprised when they discover the café is also a church. "A lot of people are floored when they find out," says Goodyear. "If they have been here already, they are generally pleasantly surprised."
As part of its commitment to fostering the arts, the café features a live DJ on Thursday nights and live music Friday nights. "We value the arts because God is a God of beauty. If we have a direct line to the Creator, we should be the most creative. We should be the movers and shakers in culture," explains Goodyear.
The focus on arts is especially important considering the café's neighbourhood. "We live in an area full of artists," says Goodyear. "In a postmodern, visually-driven culture, it is important for us to value the arts."
On Sunday nights, the church community meets at the café. The idea is to use public space for worship, rather than separating worship space from public space.
Even though the church has existed for three years, its leaders are starting to see new relationships formed through the café. "There have been quite a few people who've opened up and shared their story at the café," says Goodyear.
The fire inspector who came to check out the building before the café opened is a case in point. When he discovered the purpose of the café, he opened up to Goodyear about his life and his search for God, whom he said he could never find in church. At the end of the meeting, Goodyear and the inspector were in tears.
Before he left, the man told Goodyear the regular inspector was sick and he doesn't usually do these inspections, but that "he was meant to come here today."
"We are not a Christian café, so much as a high quality, non-religious café," says Goodyear. "We are simply a group of people trying to help out the city, and to incarnate the message of Jesus in the neighbourhood."
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