23 Lessons Coffee Taught Me About Reaching the Unchurched

by Brian Dodd

Many people with no church
background likely process their 
church experience they way 
I did with my first coffee.

I am an anomaly in America culture. At 47 years old, I had never had a cup of coffee until I attended a coffee cupping last week.

Coffee cupping is similar to wine tasting in that you smell the aromas, identify flavors, test texture and then drink different types of coffee.

It is not because of religious reasons that I have not had a cup of coffee. I simply do not enjoy hot drinks. Like many people who have no religious background, I have no coffee background. I was truly an outsider in this group of about 15 people at the event.

Within moments, I began to realize that many people with no church background likely process their church experience in the same fashion I, with no coffee background, was experiencing the coffee cupping.

Joel Osteen Puts His Popularity Down to 'Reaching the Unchurched'

Joel Osteen delivers a message to tens of thousands of people at the Nationals Park baseball stadium for the Night of Hope event on April, 29, 2012, in Washington, D.C.

By Stoyan Zaimov , Christian Post Reporter

July 9, 2012

Lakewood Church Pastor and best-selling author Joel Osteen has tried to explain his popularity in a recent interview by suggesting that it is due to his ability to reach those who have no experience with church, among other factors.

The Texas megachurch pastor, who has the largest congregation of any church in America at 40,000 weekly worshippers, shared his views in a recent interview with Cleveland.com in preparation of his next "Night of Hope" event scheduled for July 13 in Cleveland.