Encounter Henley: Congregating around coffee.
“We are so thankful for UC Invest and by extension the foundation grants program who have enabled us to chase a vision for what God has for our church and our community.”
When Encounter Church planted a congregation near Henley Beach a little over two years ago, one of the first things they learnt about their new beachside neighbourhood was that “good coffee is pretty important”.
Charlie Evans joined the Encounter family with the opening of the Henley campus, and has taken a lead role in community outreach. As he and his team were considering ways to connect with their neighbours, they saw an opportunity in Uniting Foundation’s annual UC Invest-backed grant program.
“There was that moment of … well, what would we do if we weren’t constrained by a church plant fund base?” says Charlie. “What would be the ideal way to enter our community?”. The answer: a coffee van.
With funding secured, another team leader took on the building of the van before Charlie stepped in to help bring it to the wider community. “That’s probably where I’m more gifted than in the plumbing or electrical work,” he concedes.
The van has proved an effective way to meet people and build relationships. On a Sunday morning, “people will be walking on their way to the beach … and we’ll offer them a free coffee and then the conversation starts. We’ve had people who have come just for the coffee, and after two or three weeks, they’re like, ‘I’m gonna join them for the service’ and slowly they’ve become part of our church family”.
The Encounter baristas have also been welcomed at a local school, and their excellent coffee has proved popular at private events such as the state Synod meeting.
As well as being an invaluable tool for growth and outreach, they’ve found that the initiative has been a blessing to their own members: “Taking on a big project like this has brought our church together … with people bringing all the different strengths [needed] to actually make it happen”.
In the 18 months that the coffee van has been active, Encounter Henley’s weekly attendance has expanded – as has their vision for this ministry. They are eager to be able to give back to their community in practical ways. From talking with residents and local police officers over coffee, their team learned that domestic and family violence is a major local issue. They are now aiming to donate a significant portion of proceeds from the van to this cause and to connect with local organisations and support services.
“We hope to be able to have a broader impact than just what we can do in a church,” says Charlie.
His advice to other churches is to embrace this kind of hopeful goal setting. “I think genuinely you have to dream big,” he says. “Pray about it. What is the dream that you’re having about how you can reach your community? … Don’t discard it quickly because you can’t see how you’re going to do it!”.
The Uniting Foundation grant program allowed Encounter Henley to grow a ministry that is attuned to the rhythms, values and concerns of their community. They’ve seen how a simple cup of coffee can be an ‘entrance point’ to transformative conversations: “it’s what we congregate around”.
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