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In the summer of 2023, the conference room in the old building of CDH-Stephanus was converted into a café. Numerous members of the Speyer and Schwegenheim congregations independently undertook the renovation work and the creative design of the space. Shortly thereafter, the non-profit association "Café Manna eV" moved into the newly furnished premises and welcomed its first guests.
Confirmation from above
During a thanksgiving service to give glory to God, God showed the following vision: People with open hands looked up to heaven and asked what would come next. The Lord himself answered them that he would give them the manna. Just one hour before this vision, the leadership of CDH-Stephanus had given permission to convert the former conference room into a café. Thus, through this vision, God showed that he himself stands behind this project and will give his blessing and success to it.
The name “Café Manna” – inspired by Jesus
The café's name was derived from Jesus' words in the sixth chapter of the Epistle of John, when Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life. Anyone who eats of it will never go hungry, and anyone who believes in it will never be thirsty.
The vision of this organization and all its associated volunteer work is supported by the three pillars of evangelism, mission, and church ministry. The focus is on true discipleship of Christ. The Lord does not expect us to develop new methods to reach people; nevertheless, He uses His children through this kind of service to spread the gospel and shine as a light in this world.
Organization and purpose of Café Manna
Café Manna is open Fridays and Saturdays from 6 pm to 11 pm and treats its guests to delicious main courses, hot drinks, cakes, and regularly changing special offers. In addition, they offer interesting informational events about various projects by missionaries and their project leaders approximately every month.
During the week, numerous preparations are already underway for the upcoming weekend. Rotating teams clean, shop, bake, and decorate to ensure guests feel just as welcome on their next visit as they always have. All these volunteer activities involved in running the café would be impossible without the tremendous dedication of the community members and, even more so, without God's blessing.
There isn't a fixed price list for the menu, as each guest can decide how much to donate. The primary goal is to cover the café's operating costs, but anything beyond that goes entirely to the mission. The café's financial benefit, therefore, lies in the fact that the "manna" can be shared with the poor through the donations received.
First fruits
The work at Café Manna has already begun to bear fruit in all three pillars of the institution's vision: "Evangelism, Mission, and Community Work." Firstly, it fosters cohesion among church members across generations, which was clearly evident during the renovation phase and continues to be reflected in daily planning and operations. Church members from neighboring congregations and the brotherhood have also developed a taste for the café and enjoy visiting, thus forging new connections and renewing existing ones.
It offers a good opportunity to invite people from your own circle—colleagues, neighbors, or acquaintances—over a cup of coffee to talk about the gospel. Through such encounters, the first signs of fruit can already be seen.
The guests' generosity has been so remarkable that several leaders of mission projects are grateful for the financial support they have received from Café Manna. Furthermore, the café has sponsored four children in India and four children and teenagers in Uganda. This financial assistance enables the children to access education and improves their quality of life.
Focus: Evangelization
In the future, the café will place a greater emphasis on evangelism. Preparations are currently underway for an evangelistic and informational evening where people can share their experiences with God. Furthermore, priority will be given to inviting guests who are not members of the congregation through flyers and personal conversations.
Another challenge is retaining and growing the number of volunteers. Changing life circumstances also affect the service, so it is important that willing volunteers can always be found.
Feeling hungry?
Then why not visit Café Manna?
Boschstr. 26, 67346 Speyer
Opening hours: Fri. + Sat.: 6 pm – 11 pm
WhatsApp/Telegram: 01575 4260456
Telegram info channel: t.me/cafemanna
cdh-stephanus.org/kaffee-manna
Sergej Dachtler, Municipality of Speyer
