From a Dream to a Latte: How a Local Coffee Shop Incorporates Redemptive Ideas

Every church across the world has their own clever take on the idea of outreaching to the lost within the community. These can range from a number of endeavors, but one of the most prominent ones has become running a church coffee shop. This dream was true for Light of Truth Mennonite Church in Wilmot, Ohio.

Founded in 2014 the church congregation and leadership always had a heart for outreach and wanting to show the local community the love of Jesus. After prayerfully meeting together and gathering ideas, their dream of having a local coffee shop to connect with the community turned into Cafe 8:32 in late 2019. At the core of the mission statement is the verse John 8:32 which reads “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (ESV). This pulls from their overarching idea of having a mission to connect with the community and show them the love of Jesus.

At the start of their launch, they opened on a volunteer only staff. This really solidified the idea that every single proceed that came back into the cafe would be used to benefit the local community and mission of Jesus. Their mission on their website uses the words “relationships” and “service” continuously as well, installing the idea that these are their core values in their business model.

Sometimes, choosing a biblical based business route is not the easiest and rarely has a clear ending. Avoiding secular business practices, however, can lead to a path of success when it is done faithfully and diligently.

https://www.cafe832.org/about-3