Alliance international workers in an urban setting have run a coffee roastery and café for several years, providing bi-vocational training for church planters. In line with a long-held Alliance value of establishing self-sustaining, self-governing, and self-propagating churches, staff members, after careful assessment of the roastery’s long-term viability, are selling the business to one of the trainees, Andrei, a Tolkien fan.
Andrei has been with us since we began our coffee business. I remember the first day of training when he said he couldn’t drink a cup without sugar. I told him, “If you can’t drink black coffee, then you can’t work here!”
Venti, Grande, or Bilbo?
Over time not only has he fallen in love with the unadulterated brew, but Andrei also has become one of the most well-known, sought after authorities on coffee in this city. His passion to see freedom come to those around him also has grown. Recently, he shared with me his unique vision for this business.
Against the backdrop of World War II, when most people thought—If we have larger-than-life heroes fighting for us, we can win!—J.R.R. Tolkien was dreaming, formulating, and writing The Lord of the Rings, published in three volumes between 1954 and 1955.
Who were Tolkien’s heroes in these books?—small, weak, insignificant Hobbits.
The people I interact with at the café are like the majority in our culture—“normal,” not larger-than-life people. When they come to faith in Christ, most young believers often think they can offer nothing to the King because they’re not pastor or church leader material—“heroes” of the faith.
I want these young people to understand that, like the lowly Hobbit, they are incredibly important to the King and His work—their presence is vital to the Body and mission of Christ.
God has called me to be a pastor, but nonbelievers here, as well as some believers, tend to think: I can’t relate to him because he doesn’t work a 9 to 5 job; he doesn’t have to work under a boss.
Part of my vision for this business is to be intentionally bi-vocational so I am more approachable. I also love roasting coffee, a job that enables me to enter into a subculture that has been historically difficult to connect to Christ. I can demonstrate that Jesus, ministry, life, family, and work can coexist beautifully—just as God desires.
I also can show those who feel like “hobbits” that God desires to use them and values them just as much as the church-leader heroes of our faith.
Grounds for Leadership
God has used our café and roastery in many ways, including the opportunity to intentionally mentor Andrei, who feels confident to open his own roasting business because of our investment in him. He will keep our business name, contracts, client list, and equipment.
We believe in this young man, who desires to continue training church planters to be bi-vocational faith leaders who know how to serve a great cup of coffee. We are excited to see how this business’s godly influence will increase under Andrei’s ownership.
—Based on a report by an Alliance worker serving in the North and Central Asia Region—one of the last missions frontiers
What you can do
Pray
- “Please be in prayer for Andrei to keep his eyes focused on Jesus as he trains leaders, works with investors, and expands into another major city here,” requests the author.
- Use the weekly Alliance Prayer Requests to join the Alliance family in interceding on behalf of our teams in north and central Asia as well as worldwide, who often serve in challenging circumstances requiring Holy Spirit–inspired wisdom to embody God’s love among those who don’t know Him.
Learn More
“I Don’t Live for Missions” was written by another Alliance worker who serves in the vast North and Central Asia Region.