If I were to attend Cafe church for the first time what would I find happening?
Relationship - Cafe Church is all about experiencing relationship, with those around us and, often through those interactions, with our Father God.

The first way that we would hope you would experience something of the presence of God is through our people that you will meet when you first walk in the door. We endeavour to be a caring and welcoming group of fellow travellers and work to provide a warm and safe place to rest.

When you do get as far as actually doing 'Church', it's a little different to the mainstream.
We do sit down, but not in rows facing the platform. We group around coffee tables (which have nice cakes and biscuits on them). We have coffee percolating over in the corner, and people are up and down for refills through the service.

We do worship, but not normally through the congregational singing of songs. People share their talents in music through presenting items. We have CD's (or often DVD's these days, pictures and all) to help us in reflective times, we are starting to explore the possibility of other forms of worship such as drama.

We do communion, and thats actually not that different to 'normal'.

We don't really have a sermon, but we do have teaching and this can take different forms. Generally input of some sorts will be provided by someone. We then have lots of discussion, both in the large group and around our tables. We have been known to watch a video or three. There's lots of different ways to learn.

The style is relaxed, the format is flexible, but the core is still all about encountering our God and travelling the journey together.

Why would I want to come back a second time?
Because Cafe Church 'sits right' with you. The format is comfortable for you. The people are comfortable for you. Through what you have seen and heard, you will have encountered God and grown in your faith and as a person.

What do you think people gain from attending Cafe Church?
You gain that which is the same as why you come back the second time - its what connects for you.

• an experience of God
• in a relaxed and safe atmosphere
• with people who care and relate to you

What are your (Greg Lawrie's) dreams for Cafe Church?
My (Greg Lawrie's) dreams are for:

• a place where people are free and safe to explore their relationship with God. Cafe Church provides each individual, and as a body corporate, the opportunity to encounter God in new and meaningful ways.
• a place where people find caring and nurture, and are able to be healed and refreshed of that baggage that they carry, whether from a busy week at work or the most traumatic experience of their lives.
• a place where those who have not previously met God are able to first sense His mighty presence and then grow as they explore and learn about the meaning of a faith with a Saving God.
• a place that doesn't only exist on Sunday morning between 10 and 11. Cafe Church happens in our small groups (more than 1 now!!). Cafe Church happens when families meet for a meal and fun and fellowship. Cafe Church happens when we call another to see how they are going.

Why is Cafe Church important to Magill Church of Christ?
Cafe Church is an opportunity to contextualise. We have no rules about the form of Cafe Church and thus we have a freedom to find something that connects with where we are journeying at this time. We would hope that whatever that form may take, it would also connect with those from our local communities that we interact with in our day to day lives, and to which it is safe to invite those people to. If it isn't connecting, we have the freedom to change the form.

Cafe Church is exciting because of the potential that is found in that freedom. There is huge potential to be carrying out Jesus' mission to us in real and practical ways and to be effective in helping people encounter God. For those who are disenchanted by, or disenfranchised from, the mainstream, it is an option to remain within the family. For those who have never experienced 'Church' it is an opportunity to explore without having to take the scary and risky step into something completely foreign and unknown.