Coffee and community on the menu at Eastlakes
Coffee and community on the menu at Eastlakes
31 August 2022
(Left) Eastlakes Corps Officer Auxiliary-Lieutenant Bernie Muendel promoting Café 360. (Right) A Café 360 volunteer barista making a coffee.
A 21-year plan came to fruition for Eastlakes Corps earlier this year when it established a thriving community cafe ministry.
When the corps moved into its current building in the Newcastle southern suburb of Belmont more than two decades ago, plans included a community cafe. Several attempts were made over the years to get a cafe up and running, but nothing eventuated – until this year.
In mid-January, the corps prayer group gathered in a space they called ‘The War Room’ to specifically pray about the cafe concept.
‘Mainly music’ families catch up at the cafe in the playground.
A group member mentioned a local woman who might be interested in helping and invited her to be part of their plans.
The next day, the local woman, Rani, rocked up to the corps to discuss how she might assist. Rani had experience running a cafe and was keen to bring her skills to support the corps mission. Café 360 was born and now provides a welcoming place for the community to gather, as well as good coffee and food.
“Rani was very much about bringing people together,” said Auxiliary-Lieutenant Terri Muendel, Eastlakes Corps Officer. “She loves Jesus, justice and our community.”
Rani even brought a whole team of volunteers with her, and now some of them attend Sunday meetings.
Café 360 operates three days a week, catering to various groups – parents and children who come to the corps for ‘mainly music’, community members who access SalvoConnect and the community pantry, and people with disabilities.
Terri spoke with two women recently who said they had never felt anything like the atmosphere at Café 360. They were surprised it was a church, but Terri explained that church is people, not stained-glass windows. They assured Terri they would come back and bring their friends.
“360 is our street number. It also represents a holistic mission,” Terri said. “We want to be champions of justice and hospitality, just as William and Catherine Booth were known. God is going to do good stuff here.”
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