Scripture: Hebrews 10:24-25, Colossians 4:6.
Refreshments
Coffee, tea and coffee cake.
Favor
Purchase inexpensive mugs (99 cent Store) and fill them with single serve coffee packets, creamer, sugar and a wooden stirrer stick. Wrap the mug in cellophane and tie with a bow.
Ice Breaker : What’s Brewing With You Conversation Starters
As the women enjoy their coffee or tea and coffee cake, have the them discuss the following questions.
- Do you drink coffee? How many cups do you drink per day?
- When do you drink coffee? Is it the same time every day?
- How do you feel if you want a cup but can’t have one?
- How do you like your coffee (black/creamer/sugar)?
- Do you like plain or flavored coffee?
- What food goes well with coffee?
- Do you have a favorite coffee mug? Describe it.
- Where do you like to drink your coffee?
- Do you have a favorite brand of coffee (Folgers/Green Mountain/Dunkin Donut/Starbucks)?
- Where is the nearest place to get a cup of coffee? How is the coffee there?
Craft
Make coffee filter angels, coasters or mug warmers. Check Pinterest for patterns.
Word Search
Using the website below print the word search, which uses words associated with coffee. https://puzzlestoplay.com/coffee-shop-word-search-puzzle/
Trivia
Do You Know Coffee?
What percentage of the population drink espresso, cappuccino, latte or iced/cold coffees?
- 25%
- 75%
- 64%
The global coffee industry is worth how much?
- Over $50 million
- Over $100 million
- Over $100 billion
How many cups of coffee are consumed daily all over the globe?
- Over 1 million
- Under 1 million
- Over 2.25 billion
How many coffee shops are there in the United States?
- Fewer than 24,000
- More than 24,000
- More than 50,000
How many cups of coffee does the average American drink every day?
- 1
- 3
- 5
How does coffee rate globally as a traded commodity?
- First
- Second
- Third
How much does an average cup of coffee weigh?
- 6 oz.
- 8 oz.
- 9 oz.
True or False?
- True – 400 million cups of coffee are consumed daily in the US.
True or False?
- True – 52% of avid coffee drinkers would pick it over a shower.
True or False?
- True – 1% of coffee drinkers in the US order their coffee through a mobile app.
Coffee History
Legend has it that coffee was discovered in the Ethiopian highlands by Kaldi the goat herder. It is said that he discovered it when he noticed that after eating berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they didn’t sleep at night.
Kaldi told the abbot of the local monastery what he was noticing, and the abbot then made a drink with the berries and realized it also kept him alert during his lengthy evening prayers. The abbot shared this news with the other monks at the monastery, and from there the word about the energizing effects of the berries began to spread.
As word spread east and reached the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabic people began to cultivate and trade coffee. They also began the tradition of public coffee consumption at “coffee houses” in cities across the Near East. The popularity of the coffee houses boomed, and people began to frequent them for all kinds of social activities from engaging in conversations to listening to music, watching performances and keeping current on the day’s news. The coffee houses became such an important meeting place that they were often referred to as “Schools of the Wise.”
From there, coffee spread across Europe and then to the United States, becoming the wildly popular drink that it is today.
Marking the long and unique history of the drink is National Coffee Day on September 29. The day was first celebrated in Japan in 1983 and is now celebrated globally as a way to promote fair trade coffee and raise awareness for the plight of the coffee farmers. In celebration of the day, here are some of our favorite fun facts about the most popular drink in the world:
- A French doctor in the 1600’s prescribed café au lait to his patients, inspiring people to add milk to coffee.
- Coffee beans are actually the pit of a berry, making them a fruit seed.
- The first webcam was introduced at the University of Cambridge to let students and staff know when the coffee pot was full.
- The coffee houses in England were referred to as “penny universities” because for the price of a penny someone could purchase a cup of coffee and engage in informative conversation.
So, you see, coffee is more than just a beverage. It is a conduit to conversation—staying connected.
Coffee and Conversation
I love coffee and I could drink it and talk about it all day. Did you know there is a book in the Bible that could indicate that God is a coffee drinker? “He-Brews.” But seriously, I would like to focus on the other part of this theme—conversation. Something else I like to do is to talk to people.
Coffee shops across the Nation, even the world, are known for more than just their product. They have become a place of community where people gather for many different reasons. Students come to use the internet, completing assignments and doing research. Businessmen and women hold meetings there. Moms meet to “get away” from the everyday routine and spend some time in fellowship with others. It is a place of conversation, to ask and answer the question, “What’s brewing with you?” These conversations might vary according to the purpose of the visit, but they all create moments in which we can connect one with another. They are important to our state of mind and our innate need for social interaction.
During the pandemic, we saw a drastic change in our world. Socialization was not encouraged, and isolation was the rule. Tables and chairs were removed from the inside of the coffee shops and social gatherings were not permitted. Conversations were few and far between and people felt disconnected and alone.
God created us to be social, to live in community. Hebrews 10:24, 25 reads, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
As we meet, we are to encourage one another. Colossians 4:6 reads, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Do you know someone in your sphere of influence who is experiencing loneliness or isolation? Give them a call, invite them for a cup of coffee or tea and some encouraging conversation. And “Let your conversation be always full of grace” and “seasoned with salt.”
