Back in the 1970s, dad started what was called a"coffee house". It was a popular movement across the nation in the 70s to provide a way for young people to escape a bad life... Mostly teen-ager s addicted to drugs.
It was an interesting building. Built into an old grocery store across the street from our family business. The outside was non descript. Couldn't even tell it was something.. except for the big plate glass windows painted on the inside.
Inside was quite a site. Filled with half a dozen"tables"for sitting. These were the big spools from wire of the electric company. Spools maybe 8 feet in diameter. Either painted or covered with cloth. The ceiling was parachutes hung.. to deaden the sounds. The appeared like big fluffy clouds above. The walls were painted with Patel background and glow in the dark paints depicting scriptures, storyboards, etc. Black light were hung all around so that at night the place was dimly lit and the walls glowed with bright colors of scriptures and scenes. Even the baseboard was nothing but individual blades of grass painted all the way around the room in glow in the dark green paint.
There were essentially 2 big open rooms connected, and on the right in sorry of a strip mall config was the church room. It was respectfully calm in appearance with an organ, lots of folding chairs, nothing of the atmosphere next door.
In the back was the prayer room. This is where the real battles took place. Prayers, interventions, counseling, one on one sharing... The depth of the battle.
The coffee house was open most nights, kids would congregate there and hang out, play music, talk, pray, read. The church met weekly next door. For a few years, this was dad's life. He spent more time there than at home.
I remember stories that arose from the nights at the coffee house, although at my age I want invited to partake in the events there, only church and daytime visits. As I recall things I will post here
This was a significant party of dads life. It was modeled after David Wilkerson's work in new York that had swept the nation. It was also the beginnings of dads traveling ministry. The success at the coffee house was what people wanted to duplicate. They were hungry for god to move in their town.
Fascinating days indeed...
It was an interesting building. Built into an old grocery store across the street from our family business. The outside was non descript. Couldn't even tell it was something.. except for the big plate glass windows painted on the inside.
Inside was quite a site. Filled with half a dozen"tables"for sitting. These were the big spools from wire of the electric company. Spools maybe 8 feet in diameter. Either painted or covered with cloth. The ceiling was parachutes hung.. to deaden the sounds. The appeared like big fluffy clouds above. The walls were painted with Patel background and glow in the dark paints depicting scriptures, storyboards, etc. Black light were hung all around so that at night the place was dimly lit and the walls glowed with bright colors of scriptures and scenes. Even the baseboard was nothing but individual blades of grass painted all the way around the room in glow in the dark green paint.
There were essentially 2 big open rooms connected, and on the right in sorry of a strip mall config was the church room. It was respectfully calm in appearance with an organ, lots of folding chairs, nothing of the atmosphere next door.
In the back was the prayer room. This is where the real battles took place. Prayers, interventions, counseling, one on one sharing... The depth of the battle.
The coffee house was open most nights, kids would congregate there and hang out, play music, talk, pray, read. The church met weekly next door. For a few years, this was dad's life. He spent more time there than at home.
I remember stories that arose from the nights at the coffee house, although at my age I want invited to partake in the events there, only church and daytime visits. As I recall things I will post here
This was a significant party of dads life. It was modeled after David Wilkerson's work in new York that had swept the nation. It was also the beginnings of dads traveling ministry. The success at the coffee house was what people wanted to duplicate. They were hungry for god to move in their town.
Fascinating days indeed...
