To be a good Jo

"Good jo" is slang for good coffee AND it is slang for good friend. That is Starbucks. Simple idea. Seattle and then the world. It is just a cup of coffee but it is more then that. It is a place and people. You go there and you can be known. And they figured out that there were people where they, (Starbucks) were not who would like to be known and get a cup of coffee. So they went. Adopting a global strategy, they became good Jo. London, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, maybe even Mogadishu.

They began to send leaders other places to open shops where people could come for a cup and to be known. They financed it and it worked. And it works. And it will work. As long as you and I are alive, there will be Starbucks. Think about that. I do not predict the demise of the church but I might ask, "When will there be more Starbucks then churches?" Maybe that has already happened and I missed the news report.

Now lets talk about us. It is not just a cup of jo. It is the gospel and it is wrapped in the fellowship of a community. It is a Person and people. The church. Come and be known. A long time ago we figured out that there were people where we were not, who would like to be known, and get more then a cup of coffee. So we began to send leaders other places to open shops. Church planting, wherever people need what we have. It is a global strategy.

So today I am praying for that we continue to send us to where we are not because they would like to be known and have more then a cup of coffee. That will take some continued financing, maybe soem creative financing to send new leaders and to rent facilities and to get the word out to the world that we know the Drink they need. I encourage us all, as we stop buy and get our next cup to ask ourselves what our part might be in sending a Jo to start a new shop somewhere. Blessings