Grace Cafe Church

CAFÉ SETTING| CASUAL DRESS| COMMUNITY OUTREACH| WORLD VISION

As you enter Grace Café Church, you know immediately that this is not your traditional church, as you are greeted by a gourmet coffee and breakfast bar and bookstore. Casually dressed people take their coffee and breakfast snacks into the meeting room of the church where they sit, not in pews, but at tables with chairs in a café setting. You will also notice the large aquarium and waterfall next to the stage and are told it is their baptismal pool. The service begins with about 10 minutes of contemporary music. Next, Pastor Carlton Rivers delivers an approximately 30 minute message. He then hands out discussion questions and asks each table of small groups to discuss the message for the next 20 minutes or so. After a few more closing thoughts, the service ends. Nope, not your traditional service!

“I’ve served as pastor in traditional churches since 1998, but was called to lead a different type of church, one that might attract those who don’t go to church for a variety of reasons,” Carlton begins. “There are a number of ways the good news of Jesus can be shared. Ours simply starts with a cup of coffee and a muffin.” Carlton based this concept on a verse from the Bible, which says, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (I Corinthians 9:22b).

“Many of us live defeated lives by allowing life’s situations to reign over us,” says Grace Café Church's Pastor Carlton Rivers. “We’ve failed to understand that Grace not only saves us, but empowers us to reign in life! The Bible says in Romans 5:17b, ‘….those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.’ Therefore, an abundance of grace is on the menu and served at each grace gathering. Right living flows out of right believing. We believe the church is known for what it is for, not what it is against.”

One of the first questions people ask about Grace Café Church is what denomination they are, and the answer is non-denominational. Pastor Rivers stated, "We are grace focused. In addition, we are community and world outreach focused.”

Returning to the Sunday morning grace gathering, at the back of the café-style meeting room are 3 alcoves where the high school age youth meet in one, while the middle school and 4th – 5th graders meet in the other two. Before the service begins, they have a chance to hang out and play video games on the big screen TV’s.

Next to the meeting room are 3 separate classrooms for the younger children. The same message that the adults hear is re-written on the children’s level so they too can hold a discussion. Carlton said that he wanted the whole family to hear the same message so it can be discussed as a family the following week.

Concerning the vision for the church, Carlton stated, “As the church grows, we will add an additional grace gathering on a weekday night, a second Sunday morning gathering, new building, and café-type satellite churches in other communities.”

The doors to the café open Sunday morning at 9:30am, and the meeting starts at 10:00am.The service ends between 11:15 to 11:30am, depending on how long the small groups’ discussions last.”

For more information, visit www.gracecafechurch.com and follow them on Facebook. The church is located at 1111 Bankhead Highway next to Big Lots in Carrollton. The email of the church is info@gracecafechurch.com.

Come enjoy an abundance of grace this Sunday…and a cup of coffee. Nope, not your traditional service--Grace Café Church!