As I mentioned in my last blog, I have been reading "UnChristian." One of the chapters, entitled "Sheltered," speaks of how Christians are viewed by the younger generation as being boring, unintelligent, old-fashioned, and out of touch with reality. Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in Washington D.C., comments about how his church is changing the perception of Christians being sheltered.
Batterson's church meets in movie theaters at Union Station. Approximately twenty-five million people pass through the Station every year. The station features 125 retail shops, a food court, a train station, a metro stop, and a movie theater. Batterson realized that they could not buy or build a church building, where their church would have more visibility than the Station.
As a part of their ministry, the church now owns and operates the largest coffeehouse in the nation's capital. Ebenezer's opened for business in March of 2006 and is rated as one of the best coffeehouses in the city. The business also doubles as a sanctuary for two Saturday night services.
Mark Batterson compares a coffeehouse as a ancient water well. Wells were natural gathering places in ancient culture. "Coffeehouses are postmodern wells," Batterson says. The coffeehouse also serves as place "where the church and community can cross paths."
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