GO EXPLORE!
Find new places to show kindness through serving great coffees and tea. You will find that there are many coffee lovers who are happy to engage in this ministry of making and serving coffees and teas, but also of making conversation and serving through care and attention!
With prior authorization, drive your stocked Salvation Army canteen café and park in business area parking lots, parks, etc., to give away great quality coffee and tea to businesspeople, moms, people spending the day on the street, like people experiencing homelessness, waiting for day labor, and police. Visit a place that would appreciate it—like a fire station or daytime senior center.
We suggest making an initial investment in a sidewalk chalkboard. This will not only advertise why you are there, but will invoke the café atmosphere and invite people to stick around a bit to chat.
This free gift is unexpected and comes from your hands to theirs with the love of Christ. While your community is being changed by your service, the lives of your team and you are being transformed as you work and serve together in deliberate community
Things to Consider
- Common Ground Ministry: What messages do you hope to convey?
- Where will you go and what does that mean?
- Will you use only Fair Trade or Direct Trade Coffees and Teas?
- Will you use Keurig-type machines to create a convenience gourmet coffee?
- If you use Keurig-type machines, what is your plan to reduce impact from K-cup waste?
- Whatever you do, how will you ensure that you are serving good quality coffee?
- What, if any, types of snacks will you serve with the coffee and teas?
- What does your investment of time and money say about your commitment to this ministry?
- When you start, how often do you want to do this? (Deciding what you are doing in the beginning doesn’t mean not being open to change.)
- Who are the people you can encourage to do this ministry? Is this a great opportunity for stay-at-home moms to serve during the day? Will your volunteer team include folks willing and capable of taking turns watching children and babies? Is this an opportunity to mix your young adults and seniors on a team?
- How can someone volunteer for this ministry? Scouting out new sites, shopping, printing, being on the canteen, baby-sitting, praying, following through on opportunities that arise?
