Is your churches' coffee shop honoring God?

Open the door to the contemporary decor at Pour cafe and guests are greeted with inviting leather couches, soft lighting and an overall welcoming atmosphere.

While this coffee venue may look like the typical aroma-filled retreat of other area coffee shops, it isn't. For starters, it's inside a church.

Pour actually doubles as the fellowship hall for Capstone Church on University Boulevard. Go through the double doors on the eastern wall and you're in the sanctuary. Go the other direction and you'll come up on the church offices.

And churches are using anything they can to draw more people, especially the younger crowd. And the coffee will keep them from clapping at the wrong time or sending each other inappropriate hand signals and gestures. Soon expect the ushers to bring coffee canisters with them while they are passing around the offering plates." Sorry - I don't have change for that twenty but I can top off your cup. So sorry we are only topping off regular - the decaf and creamer are up front by the alter. Do you mind grabbing some sweet and low for Sister Carol while she is stuck behind the piano."

Churches setting up their coffee shops have wanted them to become gathering places for their member to share - places to build fellowship. Since it usually takes 30 minutes to sip down a great cup of coffee it's a great place to share. And since you are sitting in God's house it's a natural place to build fellowship to honor God. As you sip the coffee remember this: "Deut 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Build your fellowship on this premise.

Unfortunately many of the coffee shops have upgraded their coffee by serving Starbucks Coffee, a decent coffee but a coffee that in no way honors God. Here is a sample quote from their cups - "Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? " Why use God when we can search inside ourselves for the power to overcome"? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure." So for the last few months Starbucks has stood behind their coffee cup saying - endorsed it fully.

People and companies have the right to say whatever they want - its also our decision to support or NOT what they say with our actions. Starbucks is free to say what they want. Even if it does not honor God. Churches are different. Churches must honor God in all they do - all the time. Serving Starbucks coffee is an endorsement of Starbucks and their cup sayings. How does it honor God? If you as a church say I am stretching the limits - then proudly serve your coffee in the quoted Starbucks cup. Then at least you have a good reason to keep the coffee out of the sanctuary. See how much fellowship is built as your congregation rallies against you.

So churches - I ask you to take the Starbuck challenge. If you are going to honor Starbucks by serving their coffee - serve it in these cups: "Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? " Why use God when we can search inside ourselves for the power to overcome"? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."

Sort of like which master are you serving and glorifying when you serve Starbucks? Instead your church sale a Fair Trade Coffee or one of the charities sponsored coffee. Turn your coffee into a mission funding avenue or service project outreach source of funds - have it honor God and your curch.