In campus ministry, one finds themselves trying anything possible to get people in the door. From free food to a couch to crash on late at night while studying to a TV with cable. When it comes down to it, students (and young adults as a whole) are going to gravitate to places that are centers of welcome and places that will accept them in the midst of the stage of discovery that they are in while in school and this stage of life. Students are looking for quiet places, not only to study, but to talk with friends, a place where they can feel comfortable and relax even when those exams and papers are staring them down, as well as places where they can bounce ideas off of peers without judgment, or just sit and play guitar with people who like the same music as them.
In all of the gospels, we hear about Jesus feeding and healing people before preaching to them. He is meeting the needs of the people before sharing the Good News of the coming Kingdom. So the question came up here at the Episcopal Student Center at Texas A&M University: What can we do as a campus ministry to meet the needs of EVERYONE attending Texas A&M who wants to show up in our student center?
The answer: Give ‘em free coffee, cookies, and wifi, with some comfy places to sit and study into the wee hours of the night with friendly people to serve them!
Café Canterbury has become a place of radical hospitality, great conversation, and welcoming to anyone who walks through our door. Completely student led, our baristas serve everyone free Bishop’s Blend fair trade coffee, frappaccinos, teas, and Italian sodas and operate on the philosophy that “All are welcome.”
In addition to welcoming everyone that walks in the door, the students have made it a priority to be environmentally friendly as well. Everything we use is recyclable and/or compostable (except the straws, but we’ve recently found compostable straws, so we’re making the change!!!) and all of the coffees and teas we brew are fair trade. The compost pile we have is decomposing nicely, and we hope to sell the compost soon to help fund mission work that the college students do during the year. We also have donation jars out for whatever amount people want to give, and all of the donations go to supporting the Millennium Development Goals. Even while trying to make an impact on people, we also make a conscious impact on the world around us.
As a result of all these things and word of mouth, we have had all kinds of students come through our doors. As well as Episcopal students that have received mailings and emails from us all through the school year, we get students from the local mega church, from all the different denominations, students who have no church or faith affiliation whatsoever who have never wanted to be a part of an institutional church and from all ends of the social and political spectrum. They have come because of the welcoming atmosphere and the knowledge that, while we are a Christian organization, we take Christ’s call to “Radical Hospitality” very seriously and we work hard to truly “respect the dignity of every human being.”
In the middle of the Café is a Spirituality Center that has been put together as a way for people to explore different ways of encountering God that the students may never have experienced before. Anglican rosaries, Tibetan singing bowls, icons, and more are right next to each other in a way that makes it easy for someone with no experience with them to learn quickly and gain an understanding of what it means in the context of growing closer in relationship with God.
Café Canterbury has become a wonderful place to come and hang out, but also a place where the Holy Spirit works in mind, body, and spirit for all who come through our doors. We hope to grow and to continue being a place of sanctuary, study, and fun for everyone in the Texas A&M University community!
-Max Williams, Texas A&M University, College Station
|
