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Coffee Shop Church Sets Grand Opening by Larry Mitchell ( Enterprise Record)

Posted by Ed Miller

A church in a coffee shop plans its grand opening next week in Chico with early rock ‘n’ roll and dollar mochas.

Worship goes a little differently at Matthew’s Caf, said Pastor Terry Walling.

There are no pulpit and pews. People sit at small round tables, just like the patrons of the several nightclubs that used to occupy the spot behind the fountain in the Almond Orchard Shopping Center on Pillsbury Road.

The setup is ideal for the relaxed, interactive services Walling leads.

Times have changed and so have people’s needs and expectations, he said in an interview Thursday.

The message he teaches is the same that churches offered 50 years ago, but the way he delivers it is quite different, he said.

During his talk from the stage, he might pause and show a short segment from a movie to illustrate the point he’s making about the Bible. Later, he’ll ask people at the tables to discuss the topic among themselves.

This is much better than having the congregation just sit and listen, he said. “Whatever you can talk about, you have a better chance of applying to your life.”

We’re trying to create a place the community will flow through and use as opposed to a church that’s off by itself,” he said.

Too often, church done in the traditional way “ends up being great for the preacher and the real fanatics,” while most people leave puzzled about how what they’ve experienced is supposed to affect their lives from Monday through Saturday, he said.

A major goal at Matthew’s Caf is reaching people with the Christian message in ways they can apply to their lives. Walling was asked how he’d know if that goal was being achieved.

“You can’t see inward change very well,” he said. But there are signs. People start making different choices, setting different priorities for themselves.

Ideally, he said, he’d hope the congregation would see the needs of people outside the church and, together, carry out projects to help them.

On the Internet: http://www.matthewscafe.com
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