Nancy Bartels

Why I Called You Here Today

Welcome to The Coffee Hour. Like its reality-based version that happens every other Sunday after church, this virtual coffee hour is just a meeting place to chat, share and build community. I post regularly (although usually not every day) with interesting items I’ve found on the Internet or other places and with items I think are important to the Bethel community.

Why do I do this and not someone else from Bethel? Because I decided to. I got interested in blogging technology a few years back and decided to see where it would take me, and one of the first things I learned about it is what a great community–building tool it can be. So I thought I’d try the model out at Bethel.

Community-building is hard today, and it’s getting harder. We often see one another only on Sunday. We are all busy. Not all of us are as mobile as we once were, so we don’t see our church friends as often. Some of us are more mobile than ever–gone to warmer climates for several months of the year. Bethel has two services, and often the Saturday night and Sunday morning crowds don’t meet. Yet we need to support one another and take advantage of what Martin Luther called the “mutual conversation and consolation” to be found in the Christian community. We also need a way to meet and greet our visitors—many of whom come to us first via the website. My hope would be that “The Coffee Hour” is a way to introduce visitors to Bethel in a slightly different way and to reinforce our Bethel community.

But for The Coffee Hour to work, it needs your input too. Tell us about articles you’ve read, movies you’ve seen, places you’ve been. Respond to what I’ve posted. It’s easy. Just hit the “comments” button at the end of each post. A window will open. Type in your comment and hit “save.” That’s it.

Now to the question of what to post. I want to place as few restrictions as possible on this. Part of the fun of a blog is to let it grow organically and give readers space to take the conversation where they want to take it. The only thing I ask you to remember is that comments once posted are out there in cyber space for anyone to read. The Coffee Hour becomes an online ambassador for Bethel. Don’t say anything online you wouldn’t say over coffee at the back of the church on any given Sunday. That doesn’t mean you can’t disagree or express strongly felt convictions. Just remember that we’re all friends here, even when we agree to disagree.

Maybe the best way to start is to use the blog as a model. I’ve posted some books I’m reading, CDs I’m listening to, other interesting links I’ve found. I’m also going to be posing some “conversation starters” to get the ball rolling. All you have to do is follow suit. But I’ve talked enough now. Come on over. The coffee’s hot. It’s your turn.

Nancy Bartels