Have you heard that the East Oxford cluster are looking to start a café church? Such things are springing up all over the UK, after the appropriately named Rev. Latte(!) came to a national agreement with Costa that they would allow all of their cafés to be used for this. See www.cafechurch.net.
The East Oxford guys have been hoping to start something in the Costa on Cowley Road. I believe that this could be very cool. UK church attendance has reduced because people are less engaged with traditional church meetings. But surveys tell us that the majority of people in Britain pray and many are really interested in Jesus. We Christians don't need to stockpile tins of food and remain in spiritual shelters until Jesus returns! We just need to keep looking at how God's message and power can break outside the patterns that we have become used to. If we can just get Jesus-talk and prayers going on in places where non-churchy people feel relaxed, we have every reason to expect all sorts of people to come along and be glad for it. I don't think that a Christian community (i.e. a church) will ever be able to do everything they want to in public cafés, but I reckon we will also fail to do everything we want without them. Bring on church for the 21st century!
Having said that, it turns out that the devil often is in the detail, and it turns out that the Cowley Road Costa is not fully owned by Costa, which makes things a bit more complicated. So, please do pray that an arrangement can be reached that satisfies the café manager and our needs.
By the way... Did you hear that the Leys Community Church grew by about a third in March, as over 20 people became Christians? Our friends at Community Church Derby also saw 26 people born again on Easter Sunday, just a few months ago. I've recently been informed that 'lifers' in an Oxfordshire prison are experiencing healing in Jesus' name, ministering God's love to each other and enjoying God's presence as a daily reality.
Jesus is alive and well!