In an article in the Chicago Tribune, Mathew Scmalz, associate professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, commented on the nature of the Grounds for Hope Café, an indoor playground and coffeehouse located in Lisle, Ill. Featuring climbing structures, a toddler playhouse and a treehouse slide, the café is owned and operated by the Trinity Lutheran church of Lisle.
Though some café-goers are surprised to find that the space is church-owned, Schmalz noted that Grounds for Hope is a prime example of an attempt by various churches to connect with the public. “All Christians in all denominations are feeling like they have to do something different,” he said. “Things like this, that respond to more of the kinds of things that people need in their daily lives are sort of the wave of the future,” he continued.
Since founding the Grounds for Hope Café in 2010, Trinity Lutheran has welcome 6,000 new families in an effort to bolster the local community.
This ‘Holy Cross in the News’ item by David Cotrone ’13.
