The Extraordinary Blessing of Coffee
Founder of Saint Frank Coffee & Bonaventure Coffee Project, Kevin Bohlin, is one of 3 panelists speaking on "Bridging the Sacred/Secular Divide" during Work as Globalocal Mission 2021. As a teacher and student of theology, Kevin shares how he discovered his passion and calling in the coffee business, and how he uses his role to be an extraordinary "blesser" to customers and suppliers, both locally and globally.
Discussion Questions
Kevin shared his journey moving from vocational ministry into being an entrepreneur in the coffee business. What has your journey been like in this season of your career? How have you seen God working through it?
Kevin shares how God opened his perspective on coffee from a secular, transactional commodity into an extraordinary opportunity to bless others and experience the kingdom of God. How has God invited you to experience His work and His kingdom through seemingly “secular” things, whether products, services, or even your job function?
Kevin shared that building relationships with people through St. Frank--from burned out local tech executives to coffee farmers across the world--showed him what it means to engage redemptively in a broken and suffering world. How have you connected with others at your workplace, and how do you see God working redemptively through these relationships? How have these connections shaped your understanding of how God is at work, both locally and globally?
Kevin shares the paradigm of “Blessers vs. Converters,” from “The Missional Entrepreneur” by Mark L. Russell. Kevin defines being a “blesser” as pursuing a relational, rather than a transactional mode of work, to believe that all work is “sacred” because it blesses others for the kingdom of God. To what extent do you relate to being a “blesser” at work? How has God used excellence in your work to be a blessing to those around you?
Kevin concluded his talk by saying that it’s only God who makes things grow (1 Corinthians 3:6-9): “Your job at work to engage in the kingdom is to recognize that everything and every person is a part of God’s creation. Your job is to bless, not be tied to the results. Leave the results up to God.” How have you experienced God “making things grow” through your experience at work? Where may God be inviting you today to release the job of making things happen at work to Him?