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fresh coffee, fresh starts

I love Twitter.  I love coffee.  And I love meeting folks who are using their skills and experiences to make a practical difference in people’s lives.

A few weeks back, I met the executive director of Belay Enterprises (Jim Reiner) via Twitter.  Belay is the parent organization of Bud’s Warehouse, a non-profit home improvement thrift store that uses employment to help transform people’s lives.  Jim lives right around the corner from where I work and we were able to meet for coffee.  Three things I enjoy: Twitter, coffee, and spiritual entrepreneurs.

Well, just this morning I get a Tweet from a fellow in Chicago who had met Jim a month or so ago.  The URL of his site intrigued me: www.ihaveabean.com.  Here’s the opening paragraph when you visit their site:

“We believe in fresh coffee and fresh starts. Our Specialty Grade coffee is roasted fresh daily in small batches so you can enjoy the natural flavors and aromas of each bean. And we help ex-offenders get a fresh start by providing gainful employment, job training and a nurturing community of acceptance. Passion + purpose. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Fresh coffee and fresh starts.  I’m not sure if this next paragraph is their mission statement, but it well could be:

“Second Chance Coffee Company operates under the premise that we can use every part of our business to “love our neighbor as ourselves” to positively impact the spiritual, social and economic condition of our employees, their families and the communities in which they live.”

I believe within the body of Christ there are thousands, if not millions, of believers who have the skills, training, and experience to unleash a movement that lifts people out of poverty, gives ex-felons a second chance, and brings hope to people who have lost hope.  We have within our ranks men and women who have started and grown successful businesses.  We have men and women who have spent the first part of their career gaining invaluable experience — experience that could easily be translated into a social/spiritual force of eternal proportions.  We have MBA’s, entrepreneurs, vice-presidents, principals, professors, CPA’s, lawyers, leaders … we have the human capital.  We even have the financial capital.

What we need is the passion to connect to the purpose.  Is that you?