Wisdom from a Starbuck's Cup

Down the street from my home, there's a Starbuck's. Now that's not unusual, but what makes this Starbuck's unique is that young people pack the place every night and hang out there until late into the evening. Starbuck's has become the place of community for these young adults.

I've always thought that it would be wonderful if the Church could somehow "do ministry" where young adults naturally gather. Meet them where they're already at. Wouldn't it be great if we could talk about faith over a cup of coffee?

In college, I worked at the Newman Center with a priest who would "do ministry" at the campus gymnasium. He would work out and chat with the students there--mostly those who would rarely come to the church--just so they could see "Fr. Joe" in their own environment. It made it a lot easier for them to venture to the church if they already knew that "those holy people there" were just like them.

The other day, I noticed a quote on my Starbuck's cup:

I wonder…if young people were actively engaged in all aspects of society, and thought of themselves as community leaders, problem-solvers, role models, mentors and key ‘stakeholder’…how would the world change?
-- Jennifer Corriero, Co-founder of TakingITGlobal.org. She has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

Sometimes all young people need is an invitation from those who enjoy the same things in life as they do. Starbuck's gets it; so should we.

To learn more about "The Way I See It" project, click here.