Welcome to the first blog post from Tea and Coffee Ministries (aka Julie Colwell and Cathy James)…

Why Tea and Coffee, you may ask?

We have been friends for many years and have many shared interests. One thing that we have never agreed on is our hot beverage choices. Julie is a coffee drinker all the way and Cathy is an avid tea connoisseur. Julie used to joke that is was Cathy’s one major flaw. When thinking about a name for our ministry together we thought it would be funny to make an inside joke out of it. As we thought more about this name, though, we realized that it captured many of the ideas that we want to communicate through our speaking and writing. Sitting down for tea and coffee is inherently restful, a brief break in our hectic lives. When we meet up with friends at a local coffee shop we are free to talk and share our lives with one another. Community is born out of these moments of reflection and sharing.

Likewise, we live in a divided and fractured world. We are all well aware of the new “Tea Party” movement in politics and other ideological divisions sprouting up across our country, our churches and our communities. We want to communicate the importance of coming together in community; that despite our differences, we are bound together through our common love of Jesus Christ, a relationship that transcends our different personalities, politics, parenting techniques or beverage choices. Community in Christ is where real transformation can take place and community can thrive. If we take time to continue meeting with one another and with Christ for a little tea and coffee break now and then, we will surely see his changes in our lives.