“Let’s go for coffee!”

Most of the time, meeting for coffee has very little to do with the actual coffee and everything to do with the relationship. After all, no one just sits there staring at each other, sipping their preferred hot beverage, then leaves after an hour.

It’s about the conversation, the catching up on life, retelling great stories, or even sharing personal struggles. In our digital age, coffee meetings remained unchanged, other than maybe checking a calendar app or Googling a fact in a healthy debate over a certain topic.

Face-to-face meetings have always been essential.

In John’s second letter, he begins with a few key truths about faith and loving one another. Following these thoughts, he ends the letter with a remark that he would rather talk in person. Check this out.

“I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.” (2 John 1:12)

An interesting statement isn’t it? John’s writing reminds us that he didn’t want to explain all the details in a letter. But instead, desired to speak with them in person.

This is why coffee meetings remain!

Today, with the vast amounts of information passed back and forth via text, email, or social media, there is still something lost. Don’t get me wrong, I am ALL for technology! And yet, there is a marked difference within meaningful face-to-face communication.

Moreover, it’s one thing to consider the coffee meetings within the Christian community. Let’s take it one step further on the power of going for coffee within the context of evangelism.

Christ gives us an excellent example of relationships, specifically related to His culture. He shows us that we can be contemporary, relevant, and casual within our culture. Of course, with the ultimate goal of reaching people with the Gospel.

This is where coffee comes in!

Being culturally ‘relevant’ today is to ask someone, “Want to get a coffee sometime?” Again, this has nothing to do with the actual act of obtaining coffee, but everything to do with an intentional, face-to-face relational moment.

Going for coffee is a contemporary, relevant and casual way to connect with our culture. So go ahead, drop someone a text right now, and invite them for coffee. (By the way, I’m writing this as I sit in a coffee shop, waiting for a friend to arrive, but our meeting has nothing to do with the coffee.)

Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts

• What’s your favourite place to meet people for coffee?
• Is it just about the quality of the product or the environment?
• Why do you love meeting people there? What makes it special?