Since the decision has been made to import our own beans and work towards roasting our own I have totally immersed myself into the coffee bean world. The balance of culinary arts, connecting with new people groups, and entrepreneurial social work that is a natural to this side of the business has spiked all of my passions and flooded me with dreams of what could be. But there is much foundation to be built. The motto at the moment is to start small and dream big. Start with how much we can do with excellence and add on as we can- purposefully and strategically.
Within this new beginning I am educating myself on the history and generallities of the coffee bean business. It has been awesome as I learn where/how coffee originated and the affects it had on cultures as it was adopted into their daily routines. It is amazing how coffee seems to have naturally done many of the same things we hope to do through Nexus. I wanted to share a few of the quotes from one of the books I am reading:
"The coffee in your cup is an immediate, tangible connection with the rural poor in some of the most destitute parts of the planet. It is a physical link across space and cultures from one end of the human experience to the other". -Gregory Dicum and Nina Luttinger
I love this point because this tangible connection they speak of in the bean is the exact one we hope to build in Nexus- indeed that is even the meaning of Nexus- a point or means of connection. So to think that we are both connecting with Clevelanders, and through our beans are connecting (and working with to better the lives of) some people of the greatest need on the planet makes my soul sing! And to know that through that we get to the be the medium that connects these two points together is even more exciting! And to take it even further- to introduce all these to the Father that made and loves us all is truly spectacular! The picture of a diverse family all working together for the benefit of each other and all of mankind gives me goosebumps! And to read that others believe coffee has been doing this from the beginning, at least in part- spectacular!
"One of the most interesting facts in the history of the coffee drink is that wherever is has been introduced it has spelled revolution. It has been the world's most radical drink in that its function has always been to make people think. And when people begin to think, they become dangerous to tyrants and to foes of liberty of thought and action."- William H Uker
That to me says it all- I need add no more and can only hope that we can facilitate the same.
As I travel down this path of new beginnings (isn't each day that really?) I am humbly reminded of an older beginning. It amazes me how moments in one's life can drastically alter one's direction. It is a simple story, but cool one.
I had been caring for a little church in Middleburg Heights- loving the people, but knowing my time there was growing short as God was moving me towards a new journey. I had already shared the dream of planting a church out of a coffee shop- and was starting to share that vision with friends and really gaining momentum in my life for a new and authentic mode of community, worship, and service.
One Sunday I shared the pulpit with this dude that worked with our association of churches. Afterward we met for lunch and I shared with him my passions and what I saw in the future, but trying to figure out a path to make that happen. The next day another pastor had a meeting with him and one of the questions this dude posed to the pastor was "What's next for your church?" The pastor's response was basically "To open a coffee house, but we don't have anyone in our church that has that skillset". Within a day or so I received an e-mail from that pastor simply stating we needed to talk.
Now I had never met that pastor, I'm not even sure I knew his name, but that night we talked on the phone for about an hour and half to two hours. He told me about his church, his family, and just a bunch of miscellaneous stuff (all with a screaming baby in the background, I felt horrible for him). I remember thinking to myself- "What is the point of this call? What does this dude want? Man can this guy talk!" We had talked for an hour or more with these quesion going through my head- because to this point there was no lead to why he had contacted me. I loved to hear what was happening in the church he led, but I kept waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop.
Finally Alex told me he felt the next step for Gateway was to open a coffeehouse. I remember stating with both relief and excitement (you can only guess at the purposes my imagination had drummed up for that call in the previous hour +) "Oh, that's what this is all about!!!". We met within the week and the rest is history!
It's been a wild journey, and I love that Alex and I have been doing it together. We don't always agree, and we can be drastically different stylistically- but we are bound together by a greater purpose and Person- and truth be told our differences make us each stronger! I am constistantly amazed at how two visionaries can work together when their purpose trumps their agenda.
One of many cool stories- I promise to share more back stories and new developments as they happen!
As one final note- thanks to those who gave this past week in my first attempt to begin raising my salary. It means allot to me that I have friends and family that are prepared to invest into this!
Blessings to all!
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