Took me about 20 seconds to log in to the WiFi at a Starbucks this morning, as it should be. For the back story on this, see here, and here, and here, and here.
I am at a different Starbucks, not the one I normally frequent. So, I think I’ve isolated the problem.
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There is an attitude at Starbucks that I appreciate. The manager of my regular shop and I agree: Starbucks is not selling coffee. They are selling ‘space’. She calls it, ‘the third space’, joining home and work. It is a place to gather, to hang out, to be that is neutral. It is, I think, what the pub must be in England. An unless you want to use the internet, they don’t expect that you will buy something (though I have a hard time being here and not doing just that).
Starbucks, then, fills a niche, serves a need, and people seek it out. To many, the church fills no niche and serves no need. It is seen as so peripheral to most people. How do we change that?
Anonymous
Free WiFi at church on sundays. 🙂
Anonymous
Personally, there are 3 reasons why I go to church. First, I go because I fear God’s judgment. I know we’re saved by grace apart from works, but there is also this sneaky suspicion that if we didn’t go, it would mean we’re not saved. Second, I go because it helps fill a social need. I like to be around people who have similar interests and pay attention to me. And third, I really do love God and want to grow. And I believe that outside of the church, there really is no ordinary possibility of salvation or santification.Tom