By Rick Wolcott*
The last few months of the calendar year signal the start of a new church year. As the leaves begin to fall and the trees prepare for a long winter, new life is sprouting in the life of East Ohio Conference United Methodist congregations.
Gageville UMC (Western Reserve District) has stepped out in faith and opened All Things Coffee House as an outreach ministry of the church.
“The coffee shop was envisioned during a planning session by the church, which determined that too many of our activities faced inward, and not enough faced outward,” said Ida Mae Olin, church board chairperson and founder of All Things Coffee House.
“Think of Jesus’ travels through Galilee – where did he stop? At the town well where the people gathered. Today’s town well is the coffee shop, where people can gather, relax, and meet old and new friends,” Olin said.
“The church is excited about reaching out to the community with our new adventure,” said pastor Theresa Simpson. “Since starting this project last November, God has been strongly moving us forward, opening many doors that could easily have been closed.”
The full-service coffee house opened this summer at the corner of Route 193 and Creek Road in Kingsville. Fall hours are Tuesday-Friday 7am to 4pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm. Customers can choose from hot or cold beverages, sandwiches, pastries and snacks. The coffee house offers free WI-FI and a relaxing environment perfect for reading, catching up with friends, or hosting a Bible study or small group meeting.
“We look forward to what lies ahead, and all the new people we will meet,” Simpson said. “We never know in what special way we will touch someone’s life.”
If you would like to highlight a ministry of your church, please send a brief 100- to 150-word write-up and a photo to the East Ohio Conference Communications office.
*Rick Wolcott is director of Communications for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.
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