Walk in and you hear a band playing the blues, and as the cymbal crash signs off the end of the song you hear a crowd of youngsters clap, hoot and whistle.
YWAM has been running the Coffee House in Chennai since 1984. It was started to reach students from the colleges in and around St. Thomas Mount.
Coffee House ministry works on a simple formula. We use Coffee House as a "hand-out" on Saturdays for young people. We present music interdispersed with skits, make friends with the visitors, get their addresses, visit them through the week and share the Gospel with them.
The Coffee House ministry has seen drug addicts have their lives changed and go into rehabilitation. We've also had some who were contemplating suicide walk into the Coffee House and find hope in Christ.
Coffee House seeks to build the local church by encouraging young Christians to be involved in the local church, and by ministering to the church in the areas of the Coffee House ministry's giftings and callings.
The coffeehouse ministry also runs tuition music schools to reach out and disciple young people in the communicty, as well as discipleship schools for the staff. (See next page)
The foundational values of Coffee House
1. Building friendships with young people in the community.
2. Discipling new converts and struggling Christians.
3. Attracting young people to Christ through music and performing arts.
4. Innovation.
5. Building bridges with young people through relationships, through programs and by identifying with them.
6. Excellence and flexibility.
7. Development of staff in their talents, spiritual life and intellectual pursuits.
8. Priority on unity and transparency for effective ministry.
9. Working alongside the local church.
10. All modes of functioning must fall within Biblical principles.
Links
Coffeehouse Ministry Music School
