Pints and Saints Part I
A guest post by Mark Steffey
This particular series of posts will be done by my friend Mark Steffey, a fellow metanoia cohort member in the MAGL program at Fuller Theological Seminary. Mark lives near Pittsburgh, PA and just started working with CCO at the University of Pittsburgh.
INTRODUCTION
“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. 

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. 


Wouldn’t you like to get away? 

Sometimes you want to go 


Where everybody knows your name, 
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see, 
our troubles are all the same 

You wanna be where everybody knows 
Your name. 


You wanna go where people know, 
people are all the same, 

You wanna go where everybody knows 
your name.”
- Opening Verse and Chorus from the theme song to the television series “Cheers”
What made the television show “Cheers” such a success during its run on NBC? Clearly, people tuned in to laugh. But there was more to it. Cheers was a place “where everybody knows your name.” It was the neighborhood bar. It was the place where your seat along the bar was saved – as you read this you can probably picture where Norm and Cliff sat. You can also recall the greeting received by Norm each time he entered the bar – “Norm!” In our disjointed, disconnected, insulated culture, Cheers was a home away from home.
Do you have a place like Cheers? No? Well, then you are probably in the minority of folks in the US. “But I am Christian,” you might explain, “and a bar is no place for a Christian to feel ’at home’.” You may be right. Or, you may be wrong.
It’s my conviction that Christians must learn to engage the “Pub and Bar” culture of the United States to bring the hope of the Gospel to people whose main social framework is such culture. Followers of Jesus must engage with people whose normative (no pun intended) “home away from home” is the neighborhood bar or pub.
I must state from the outset that I am working with a presupposition that the Biblical stance is that the consumption of alcohol is acceptable when practiced in moderation.
The next post is: What’s on Tap? Feel free to make comments and both Mark and I will try and interact.
JR,
Forefront was doing a service in a pub until recently and the plan is to start it up again once we find a better establishment to meet.
I could not agree with your friend more. Not only the pub/bar but also your neighborhood cookouts and having a nice cold brew with your neighbors on a hot summer day; or a dinner with a little wine served is good stuff for connecting and waiting for a time to share the Story of God when the opportunity arises.
IHL,
Richie
i agree that we all need to engage in our community, but as far as engaging the pub scene goes, it might depends on the culture and the region that you are in … it seemed to me that engaging the pub culture is more acceptable in the north and west, but less likely in the south. i’m not saying it’s right or wrong, just an observation.
Richie and Daniel
Thanks for reading along as we explore this topic further. As I researched information for this series, I found several churches who were attempting or had attempted “in the pub” worship gatherings. In my neck of the woods (Sewickley, PA), I have a friend who runs a men’s group through his local Episcopal Church called “Beer, Bourbon, and Bible”…they tackle tough passages of scripture, and each guy must offer up their insight/opinion, but only after they pause and take a swig or shot.
Richie,
I’m with you. It’s great to connect with people in the pub at cook outs and stuff with a nice glass of wine or a cold beer. There is this pub in Pasadena that has hundreds of types beer on tap. I find people open up and feel comfortable in these settings.
Daniel,
I hear you. Contextualization is always important. I think as you continue to read in this series, you will realize that Mark understands the deep problem that alcohol is for some and I think we always need to be aware of our context.
Mark,
I’m glad that you will be joining along in the conversation, you always have something cool to say.
Peace.
Hopefully, your reaching the people with the alcohol problems in those settings and you get an opportunity to share the Story of Jesus with them. Once you are able to get them even remotely interested is when you work on getting them out of that setting until they are able to get some real help with their issue.
Now folks who have left that lifestyle because of addiction, you obviously do not want to invite them into or offer them that setting. As a pastor and friend, your job is to help them stay on the straight and narrow.
So.., yes.., there is a fine line to walk with respect to this issue. However, it is where Jesus would be in my humble opinion.
IHL,
Richie
p.s. By the way Mark – that Beer, Bourbon, and Bible comment was a hoot!
That is where we are headed to plant a new church is the Lehigh Valley of Penna.
http://www.lehighvalleyproject.blogspot.com
Hi
Do you have a place like cheers?
Great subject.On a personal view:
I used to have a place where i came often to hang out for a copple of years.We all met at a concert first.The owners of the bar introduced it to me so it soon became a place to dwell and i found a great circle of friends.We celebrated birthdays,new year’s ave,introduction to a cocktail party,after hours,queensday etc.Sadly enough this place closed and we all felt ‘homeless’ for a while.Once in a while i still meet up with a few of them,but many of the crew left town.I look back on it as a golden pericle of my life,if you can look through the masks and appreciate extra ordinary artistic people you can learn a lot about others and yourselves i found.I made sure i kept certain principles ánd made a few rules to live out for myselve just to play it safe.
When you are with a few people leaving for a catch up time to a cafe i always make sure that there isn’t a person to attend who had a problem with addiction,for then i hold myself responsible.
Steiger international started their vision with ‘night club’ outreach teams in Amsterdam 20 years ago.They especially builded their art and rock theater around that public to reach out into.Just to let you know that i support your initiative.
Sonja
Richie,
Great thoughts. I’m with you all the way.
Sonja,
Thanks for sharing your story with us. I’m sorry to hear about the place closing down, and it is cool to heara bout what some people are doing in Amsterdam.