News Clips— Needle Exchange
IS THAT THE TIP JAR or the collection plate?
That's what churchgoers at Munster, Indiana's Family Christian Center must be wondering since their house of worship installed a Starbucks coffee outlet in the lobby. The Seattle coffee giant even sent a trainer to demonstrate the godly art of Frappuccino making.
While a recent article by The Wall Street Journal's Elizabeth Bernstein focuses on all manner of church spin-offs and add-ons, the Starbucks idea seems the most successful. After Family Christian Center opened northwest Indiana's only Starbucks outlet, attendance rose at its various concerts, plays, and other functions. "I went to a lot of events in the beginning," says Jane Resetear, "mainly because I like the coffee." The swell java aside, Resetear still buys her religion down the street—from the Roman Catholics.
Either she's a devout Catholic or she's waiting until Family Christian adds those Krispy Kreme donuts.
James Bush
jbush@seattleweekly.com
