Soul Café strives for shared sacred space, online

By the Rev. Melanie Wallschlaeger, director for evangelical mission

Soul Café, at www.soulcafe.org, a new Region 1 online community, provides sacred space for pastors and lay leaders to share resources and conversation about ministry and mission in the Pacific Northwest. The idea for a community commons grew out of a series of listening events in the Oregon Synod. As congregational leaders shared their need to learn from colleagues and congregations facing similar challenges, the idea for Soul Café emerged. Soul Café currently is in the beta phase of development, which means it is now ready to serve all the congregations and lay leaders of Region 1 who will benefit from this transformational resource tool. While Soul Café currently serves Region 1, the community commons has the capacity to expand for use by the larger church body of the ELCA should it become a useful and valuable tool.

Soul Café is not an “online church.” It is not designed to replace communities or face-to-face ministry. Much in the same way that Facebook is “me-focused,” a community commons is “us-focused” in that it is a tool to bring people together who share similar interests, values and passions, such as the ELCA congregations in the Pacific Northwest. Soul Café is a new collaboration tool designed to lift up our passions, help us coordinate efforts, shape best practices and mutually empower ministry.

Soul Café enables geographically separated Lutheran congregations, church-affiliated organizations, and individuals to meet, interact and get to know each other through idea-sharing and communication for solutions to the shared problems, issues and challenges facing the church today.

Edwin Rourk serves as community director of Soul Café. As a PK (pastor’s kid), Edwin has been shaped by faith and life in the church. Through his day-to-day vocation, Edwin has worked with large companies that have been strengthened by relationships and ideas that were brought together through online communities used in a corporate context. Edwin’s hope for the online community commons is that the church will be strengthened as congregational leaders share similar concerns and solutions about living out the mission as disciples in a changing context.

How can you experience Soul Café yourself or invite others in your congregation to get involved?


- Sign on to Soul Café and fill out a profile.

- Join at least one group and maybe even start one.

- Share Soul Café with others outside of your congregation or church organization.

- Help a friend sign up with Soul Café.

Thank you for your support and prayers as we seek to build community for the sake of God’s mission in our Church and the world.