I accepted a job at a place called Bread Coffeehouse. But I’m not a barista. I don’t like coffee all that much. But that’s what makes it all that more unique. Bread Coffeehouse is located at Emory (both in Atlanta and Oxford), and at Kennesaw State University.
I’ll be at Emory in Atlanta.
I’m a Campus Minister.
But there was a lot leading up to it. Before I had heard of this free coffeehouse and college ministry, I had just spent the weekend applying to every teaching job I was qualified for (and some I wasn’t), looking for and applying for jobs teaching, pastoring, speaking, marketing, purchasing, writing, journalism, and any of the other areas I could justify being in. I had recently updated my resume to v6 with modifications based on the latest feedback, evaluations, and ways to get past the AI screeners.
When I came across Bread, I was very confused. Why would a Coffeehouse need a minister? I checked out their about page and I saw something that resonated deeply with my heart because it reminded me of a conversation I had with my mom. Back in 2020, I was starting my first full-time pastorship, and I had been given free rein to re-make the non-existent youth group; however, I felt God was leading.
“I want them to feel at home. I want them to feel safe to talk and have tough conversations but comfortable enough to want to be there when they aren’t. I want to have a fridge with drinks, and for them to consider the space like a home, even if their home is terrible… I don’t care if they’re Christian or not; I want them to feel like they have a place to belong, someone to talk to, and people that love them no matter what.”
Me to my Mom about what I wanted the Youth Group to be like.
It was something that worked so well. I can’t tell you the number of times I received phone calls asking about a homework question because my adult students were studying in our youth room, etc.
Bread is a place… “[Where] staff know your name, where you will be treated with love no matter what you believe, a place that never pushes Jesus on you but a place where the staff believes in serving Jesus by serving you and loving you. We have live bands, great dinners, quiet study times, deep conversations, great storytellers, and people who will listen to you…”
www.breadcoffeehouse.org/about-bread
When I read this, I applied immediately. I was trying our LinkedIn Premium, and it had a place to write a note, and I was like, ‘I know I don’t meet all the requirements, but what you all are is what I believe ministry needs to be. Let’s chat and see what God says to us…”
Or something like that.
I was so excited about Bread because I had, maybe, a week before, had a conversation with my mom and dad about needing a lot of money so we could just start a L’Abri like what Francis Schaeffer did, because through a ministry like that we could serve people like Jesus did—without expectation of anything in return, without concern about whether or not they were going to become members, tithe, or ‘grow’ the ministry.
So, when I got a message from Chris (the overall director) the next day asking to set up a phone interview, I was stoked. The interview process included phone and video interviews, filling out additional applications, theological questions, and at least three days on the various campuses, serving alongside them in a mutual on-the-job interview, culminating in a final interview and day on campus.
It was a lot.
It was encouraging.
It was exhausting.
But I got to observe a lot of things throughout that intensive week. I saw that people from all over the world, with all different faith backgrounds and in all walks of life, were able to find a cup of coffee, a comfy chair, and people who love Jesus ready to love them.
I witnessed a group of likeminded individuals working to share the gospel through hospitality, including the outcasts, seeking out the neglected, and having authentic conversations with the saved, the seeking, and those who aren’t, about life, love, happiness, and the Holy Ghost.
On top of that, Chris and the rest of the team at Bread not only acknowledge my calling but want to set me loose to live it out!
And these are things I’m incredibly thankful for.
You can check out the website for Bread Coffeehouse if you’re curious about more.
However, there’s a single catch that prevents me from going on campus, and it’s caused by the beautiful aspect of their model. Since Bread doesn’t charge students for the weekly dinner, the coffee, or baked goods, we rely solely on the gifts of ministry partners to pay for this, as well as our salaries.
I need to raise my monthly salary. My goal is 4.3k a month; this will pay my salary plus 12.5% which Bread uses to pay the federal taxes, payment processing fees, and other various things. The good news is that it’s a 501c3 so any donations (whether monthly or one-time) are tax deductible, and the majority of it is going directly to help me make a difference in the lives of students.
You can donate directly on my Bread page or, if you’d like, I’d love to have a Zoom chat, meet you for coffee/food, or a phone call.
Most importantly, I’d love the opportunity to send you a prayer card, so message me on one of my socials (mostly mrfunkhouser) and I’ll get your address and send you out one!
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