The first Christian coffee house I remember singing at was called "The Light House" in Denver, CO. That's me on the left. My hair was still black without any gray, I barely had a mustache and there was no cable T.V. let alone Internet. In 1980 "The Light House" coffee shop was run out of a small church and the second you stepped through the door you smelled popcorn but it had that Christian Coffee house feel.
Along the way there were many more Christian Coffee Houses like "Daniel's Den" (Denver), "Noah's Ark" (Denver), "Noah's Ark" (Colorado Springs) and list goes on. My favorite was "Club Cristo" in Seattle and it had that Christian Coffee house feel too. It seems like ever since Club Cristo closed there just hasn't been anymore Christian Coffee houses, at least coffee houses with a mission like The Light House and Club Cristo had.
Then Jammer's Jammin' Java came along in 2009 and I was elated. Here was a place with an idea similar to Veritas Coffee House in (Olympia). Run the coffee house during the day as a business run by Christians and then on Fridays and Saturdays have Christian music in the evenings with that Club Cristo feel. Jammer's, owned by Jammer and Amy Pond, also had Bible studies, comedy nights and Christian karaoke. But perhaps because of the economy or just the shear fact regarding starting up a business Jammer and Amy had to close the doors. You may recall my "I'm Not Dead Yet" CD party was their last event.
Then we got the news that Jammer's was reopening with a new owner. However, just like a few years ago when someone tried starting a Christian coffee house up using the name Club Cristo it too failed. I remember that re-start very well because I was the first artist on the first night it reopened at a different church. There was no denying the fact that it was not Club Cristo. The same was true for the new opening of Jammer's.
After talking it over with fellow Christian artists in the Tacoma area we came to the realization that once a Christian coffee house is named it takes on its own life. Jammer's Jammin' Java and Gourmet Sandwich Shop owned by Mike and Amy Pond was "Jammer's", but Jammer's Java and Gourmet Sandwich Shop was not. David, the new owner and sincere Christian brother, made it something different. Now it's not that different was bad, or the reason for Jammer's closing again, it's just that it was different.
For me, you can't start up a new coffee house with the name Club Cristo, Veritas, The Light House, Daniel's Den and now Jammer's, and think it's going to be the same. So what's in a name,.. the people. The people who start up a Christian Coffee house are its name. I can't think of Club Cristo without thinking about Walt Mead. I can't think of Jammer's without think of Mike (Jammer) and Amy Pond.
I don't mean to beat a dead horse but the fact is we must support Christian Coffee houses with missions and ministries like Club Cristo and Jammer's Jammin Java. How many hundreds of people walked into Jammer's during the day to buy a sandwich and some coffee who were not Christians. Once inside they were ministered to in ways they didn't even notice. Non-Christians will set foot in a Christian coffee shop, even go to gigs on Friday and Saturday nights but they won't just walk into a church unless they've had a tragedy in their life. Christian coffee houses are non-threatening to so many people because they don't feel pressured.
We don't know what's to happen to the space which once occupied a place called Jammer's Jammin Java and Gourmet Sandwich Shop but at least two things need to happen if someone decides to open another Christian coffee house in its place. First, don't call it Jammer's. It can't be Jammer's and never will be. Second, the Christian community needs to support it. Support Christian coffee houses like Jammer's by going there and eating or getting coffee when you're in the area. There are coffee house in the Tacoma area that I know of that are supported by the church that the coffee house is located in but those coffee house are so much different than independent ones like Jammer's.
Coffee house today, in churches, seem to be exclusive to that church. They don't bring in local artists, only artists from their church. They support only that churches agenda and aren't interested in supporting coffee houses like Jammer's. They truly are not on the mission field like Mike and Amy's Jammer's. They could be but from what I've seen they're not. Club Cristo was in the basement of a Methodist Church and it never had that exclusive feel that many, or most, coffee houses located inside churches have today. I think that's why Club Cristo was so well liked.
My brother Ed used to run The Lighthouse; he had re-opened it in 1980. It had originally been opened sometime around 1970...I think. For some reason is was closed but Ed wanted to bring the music back and serve his community. I helped my brother when I could; we had a lot of bands perform there. Were you with the band Voyager? I know we've met but it's been such a long time. I'm Rick Coddington. Nice to see you again!
ReplyDeleteHi Rick,
ReplyDeleteThe band I was with back then was "Omega III". I probably did meet you. The picture of us, Omega III, at the Lighthouse had to have been taken in 80 or 81.
I don't recall the name Omega III but you look familiar. It's neat that you mentioned Daniel's Den; I used to hang out there a lot before my brother re-opened The Lighthouse. That's also where my brother met his wife (1980) and 23 years I married her sister. The church where the Lighthouse was is still there; they're congregation (Harvey Park Baptist) is sparse but still exists and the Lighthouse section is an Asian Christian church; they knocked out the back wall for more room. My parents have been going there since I was a kid. I live in Wellington Colorado and have found a church home in Fort Collins. Great memories!
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