Church Visits- Holy Grounds Cafe, Allendale, NJ

February 26, 2006- Holy Grounds Cafe, Allendale, NJ
http://www.touchtheworld.org/holygrounds
This may be hard to explain, but it is worth it. Holy Grounds Cafe is a part of "Touch the World" ministries (led by my friend, Jeff Boucher). Touch the World's primary ministry is sending youth and young adults on mission trips in the USA and around the world. But, they also have a "Cafe" in Allendale, NJ (near my home town of Wyckoff!). This is like a Christian version of "Starbucks" or "Panera Bread", right in the middle of town. It is a quality place! They have coffees and lattes and espressos and pastries- a place where people can meet and talk and sip coffee. Then, on weekends, they had various Christian musical groups come in for concerts and entertainment. My brother and sister in law and I (all in our 40's & 50's) have visited there a number of times, as well my daughters and my nephews (all in their 20's), and they loved it. It is a place especially where young adults can come and meet other in a positive and uplifting environment (an alternative to the "bar scene"). They have been operating for about 5 or 6 years now.
In 2005, they decided to "launch" a new Church from this ministry- Powerhouse Christian Church. They meet now for two services on a Sunday morning (9:00 & 10:30). It was a bit crowded (with about 75 people in attendance), but all in all, it was a pleasant worship experience. The worship was very contemporary- perhaps loud for some (although I loved it), but very spirited, reverent, and well presented. They had a quality "High-tech" presentation. They also served coffee at the counter (free that morning). People could come and go at their leisure, sip coffee in between "transitions" in the service, or meet with one another in another part of the building. The message that day was given by one of the lay leaders in that congregation, a truck driver. He was a straight shooting, plain-talking man who knew his Bible, and knew how to tell a great story. His message was memorable- about being always ready to share the message of Christ when occasions and events call for it, sharing the message even when you don't feel like it (based on the story of Philip in Acts 8).
The worship was uplifting, the setting informal, the message relevant and helpful. I thought the seamless transition from the ministry of Holy Grounds Cafe to Powerhouse Christian Church was a great idea for reaching younger people in the "Post-modern" generation.