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TechnoratiIt used to be an easy decision. You go to church on Sunday mornings and save the coffee shop for Tuesday night small group. But things are not so clear anymore. Indeed, over the last several years the church and Starbucks have increasingly moved into each other’s territory. And this leads to the question: will the church go the way of the UK’s Coffee Republic and other bankrupted chains, or will it win out against the titan from Seattle?
Starbucks’ move into the church’s territory began in the mid-nineties when the decision was made to market Starbucks as the so-called “third place” between home and work: the place to be yourself and reassert your identity in community. Unfortunately this brought it into inevitable conflict with the church which had long been vying for the coveted status of third place.
As Starbucks moved into direct competition with the church, it intentionally began to market its products as part of a total experience which could imbue meaning and purpose into the dismal lives of the weary suburbanite. This is how Howard Schultz (Starbucks CEO) put it: “In the ethical vacuum of this era, people long to be inspired. […] When five million people a week seek out a Starbucks store and wait in line for an espresso drink, when customers return several times each week, they’re not just coming for the coffee. They’re coming for the feeling they get when they’re there.”
Coffee as a way to fill an “ethical vacuum”? Clearly this spelt danger for the church which was also in the business of filling ethical vacuums, but had nothing more interesting than tepid coffee and bland pasta dinners (the latter only on the condition that you agree to watch an Alpha course video).
To make matters worse, there is the indefatigable Starbucks welcome that makes everyone feel like they belong. Where did those baristas learn to do that? I got my answer when I opened Starbucks’ “Barista 101 Training Manual”. There I read instructions that any church greeter would do well to follow. They include this gem: “be welcoming”, meaning that you should “offer everyone a sense of belonging.” The manual goes on to explain how this looks: “Spend a minute or two walking around the store and specifically practice this behavior by making eye contact with those who are receptive and by saying a warm ‘hello!’ If they respond, start a conversation.”
Make eye contact? Saying hello? Even starting a conversation? I know people who have gone to the same church for several years and have yet to make meaningful eye contact with their weekly pew-mates.
Starbucks may be in the lead on a number of points, but in recent years the church has initiated a brilliant countermove: bring coffee into the foyer, and even into the sanctuary. Indeed, I was in a church recently that got rid of the pews altogether and replaced them with round tables so people could lounge and sip their favorite espresso drinks throughout the service.
So things appear a bit more hopeful for the moment. But will tables, overstuffed chairs and espresso be enough to beat Starbucks? Perhaps, so long as two other changes are made. First, reduce the sermon to the length of time you would banter with the barista making your latte. And second, replace the tithing plate with a tip jar at the door.
