Vision Casting

When I picture opening a coffee shop with my friends, I don't see a business. The building could contain anything- it doesn't need to be a cafe, it could be a restaurant, a vacuum store, a verizon outlet, a bike repair shop- we just happen to really love coffee. I see a place that starts with three people who are passionately in love with Jesus. We have oriented ourselves toward him and as Darrell said "Jesus has oriented himself toward the father... His passion is to reveal His Father. His joy is in HIM. He loves Him. Getting to know Jesus is getting to know this passion." Entering into this relationship has caused us to also enter into his passionate love for the world and for communities- to be compelled by his desire to practically serve and reach out to all who come into contact with him through us. This upwelling of passion is what drives us to open a coffee shop.

First we individually seek God and enter into the co-lover relationship established within the trinity. Next we minister to each other by building each other up in love and by pushing each other toward Christ. A lot of what this would practically look like stems from the stuff in the supes-ult. It's similar to what we've become familiar with within Sonshine. It's the ways we seek balanced lives, and the ways we discipline ourselves in the word as a group, regularly affirm each other, rely and trust on the ways each other are being guided by Christ, and keep each other accountable through truth and love. THEN we invite others into this relationship. We invite our friends and staff to experience and understand what's at the heart of our ministry. By practicing this lifestyle and modeling staff conduct after it, our coffee shop will be founded on something greater than ourselves.

If we are admin, staff are drivers, and customers are campers, then our surrounding business community is the Paradise Point staff. We will seek to be aware of the knowledge that not everyone will be able to personally experience the atmosphere we are seeking to develop behind the counter of the coffee shop- just as the Paradise staff do not experience the magic of going out on the water for a week, those in the business community will not directly experience or understand how our day-to-day business is run. Therefore we are very intentional in how our business is run and how we interact with our ‘neighbors’.

In the same way, what our business stands for is no secret. I don’t have much to say about this right now that hasn’t already been said, but yeah. We live our lives openly… we make public our failures, our struggles, and most of all the hope that we have.

This last point is open to be contested, but I want us to get really, really good at making coffee. I want us to become systematic and professional- to be a flourishing business, not a life-sucking enterprise. This will not happen overnight and we will always be relying on the help of others. It’s not a pride thing and I’m struggling expressing it in words, so as much as I shouldn’t, I’m going to utilize another Sonshine reference. I want to tap into the same desires that Reid has for us to be really good drivers. I’ve seen the desire in each of us, and I know we have each individually experienced the ministry that can blossom under a well oiled, well timed houseboat schedule or well executed ski-run. Our coffee should be tasty and enjoyed just as campers should have a good banana boat run.

That’s all I’ve got for now. I'm working on not feeling constrained by what I write here. Our vision for this coffee shop is adaptive. I have weird insecurities about putting into words something that will change over time and insecurities about realizing that I cannot fully describe the vision we have for what this coffee shop would be and stand for. I feel weird reiterating what you two have already so beautifully written- about restating things that are familiar, or that people already know. I KNOW these are the same insecurities I have about preaching or speaking. I recognize how ridiculous that is and the understanding of my ridiculousness hasn't caused the insecurities to disappear, but saying it aloud releases a lot of the power they have over me.

I just want to finish by saying I truly love you both. I’m so overwhelmed by love right now and I don’t know what’s going to come of this enterprise, but to some extent- whatever. THIS is what this is about- the process, the risk, the growth, the journey. Anything that comes of this is His fruit, but the fruit that is already growing is enough to satisfy for a lifetime. I have so much respect and love for you both and selfishly I think I’m the luckiest person to have such devoted, and also gifted friends. You are constantly teaching me new things and showing me new sides of our Father. Praise be to God. Praise YHWH. Hallelujah.

Mission/Vision

I envision God reaching three (kinda four) distinct people groups through His coffee shop, the surrounding community, the patrons/customers, and the staff (and business/church partners).

I envision touching the community first by being a quality business that has outstanding business practices. I also see opportunities for outreach through a bike ministry, opening up our retail space for functions such as small groups/bible studies and worship/open-mic nights, and generally providing open doors and arms for people in need. I also, having had huge heart growth for the homeless over the last several years, see real opportunities to reach out to the homeless in practical ways such as providing hot chocolate/coffee, meals, and other essentials.

I envision touching the patrons/customers by being a constant part of their lives. I envision a warm and inviting location where customers can come and enjoy quality coffee and conversation. I don't at all see customers as dollar signs, but as God's beautiful creation. I would want customers to leave thinking that our staff was "so stinking relational" (Pearl)

I envision a staff community that is about training Christian leaders and stirring up a passion for God's Holy Name. (After asking for Sonshine's permission, of course,) I envision a staff that is about befriending, encouraging, modeling, and challenging one another, the customers, and the community. I even envision something that resembles a Super Ultra Packet that teaches/instructs/hones things such as staff characteristics/special topics/living a balanced life/situational leadership as well as logistical/safety training. I envision potential outreach in staffing to include (but not be limited by) graduated foster youth, students studying abroad, and summer project workers.

I also see opportunities for outreach as we relate to the business world (i.e. growers & wholesalers) as a Christian business. I also see opportunities to partner with local/global churches in a symbiotic relationship (potentially sending out staff on missions?)



Most of all I envision this venture as an opportunity to put it at the foot of the Cross, acknowledging that ultimately this is not our business and that we are part of God's greater economy. I see it as a living, breathing, thing that exists outside of our involvement. It is bigger than us because it is not of us.

At the same time I recognize that unmet expectations lead to anger and frustration and that God cares more about and people are more affected by character and maturity than skill or ability. I expect God to glorify his Holy Name, bring His Kingdom, and have His perfect Will be done. And gosh darn it, I believe in a big God who can do Big things when people present themselves as living sacrifices for Him, not of their own doing so that no one may boast.

Vision

So I thought maybe we could all post up a written, more thought-through version of the vision we talked about during the business meeting. Just to have it all down to remember (and partly because I'm kind of bored). And THEN, maybe we could combine them all together and try to make something like a concise mission statement? What do you think?

So here's what I've got.

On the most basic level, I envision a place of community that can be a positive environment for members of the greater Davis community to come and spend time. On the next most basic level, it's a business, deeply rooted in Christianity and in integrity. Fair business practices, upfront about everything, fair trade, the works.

On a deeper level, it's a church. It's a church committed to ministry to both customers and staff. In the way that Sonshine is partly about short-term ministry to campers, but also deeply committed to long-term ministry to staff, I want to be all about ministry to staff. And in another form of long-term ministry, I want to put down roots in whatever community we're a part of - both the town and the church. I want to support the church and partner in their ministry, as well as allow them to support us.

It's a business that's rooted and grounded in the Word and in genuine pursuit of the person of Christ and in bringing His kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.

No big deal, right? :]

I feel like that's about it for me. Hope you both are doing well. Talk to you soon.