Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Ministry of the Cup


One of the great resources in the new Paul Royal Recreation and Outreach Center is First Cup, our own First Baptist café. As the vision for the ROC came together, we dreamed of a gathering space where church and community would come together, a Wi-Fi hot spot for internet access and a social and spiritual hot spot for building relationships and conversing about life and faith.

First Cup will have a new look as we upgrade our product and our opportunity by partnering with a new supplier. Beginning Sunday, October 5, we will introduce The Drowsy Poet at First Cup. As a respected mission-oriented coffee shop on Brent Lane, The Drowsy Poet purchases coffee beans directly from mission partners in Central America, roasts the beans in Pensacola, and reinvests a portion of the proceeds of all coffee products back to the mission field. This new partnership will enable us to provide a fresher product, develop a creative missions connection, and broaden our visibility in the community.

Recently, I read Three Cups of Tea, the best-selling, soul-stirring book about the humanitarian work of Greg Mortenson. The title of the book is based on the hospitality customs related to business transactions in some parts of the Middle East. Haji Ali, a village chief in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan says that, “We drink three cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything—even die.”

What can I do to get involved in the ministry of the cup?
*Meet a friend or neighbor at First Cup.
*Tell your colleagues and classmates about First Cup.
*Purchase a gift card from First Cup.
*Share a cup of coffee or a bottle of water from First Cup with “the least of these” in our community.
*Plan a meeting of your small group or business at First Cup.
*Commit to bring a new acquaintance for three cups at First Cup as you prepare them to join our family.

All ages can participate in the ministry of the cup. As we claim First Cup as a space for making new connections and re-affirming old ones, who will you meet for three cups…of coffee, tea, juice, latte, cappuccino, or smoothie?

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study.