Orchard Alliance partners with a Minnesota church to extend gospel presence. 

In the spring of 2021, Rob and Kelsey Bergfalk planted Compassion Church in Anoka, Minnesota, with the desire to serve the local community. As Minnesota natives, the Bergfalks started to become aware of the growing homeless population in the area. As they began engaging with the community, God placed a burden on their hearts to start Compassion Church. The vision of the church is to make Jesus visible in Anoka, and they believe they can best do that by showing compassion to those in need.

 

Kelsey and Rob Bergfalk

In order to carry out their vision, Compassion Church wanted to engage with their community on a regular basis.  To do this, they started Compassion Coffee in 2022. Set up as a nonprofit wholly owned by Compassion Church, they first operated as a travel coffee cart. Their dream, however, was to open a brick-and-mortar storefront that could employ and serve those who were affected by homelessness.

 

Junior, Compassion Coffee employee

Justin, Compassion Coffee employee

After a long search, they found the perfect location. However, the church needed funding to sign the lease, and the building would need quite a bit of renovations to get it up and running, as the space would also serve as their new church home. Pastor Rob contacted Orchard Alliance to see if they could help.

 

Lilly, Operations Director for Compassion Coffee

“Lilly has been instrumental in getting Compassion Coffee up and running. We are so grateful she is serving as our Operations Director!”

 

“I talked with Sandy Grant at Orchard Alliance many times and we ended up applying for, and receiving, a line of credit. Sandy was so great to work with. She went over all of our options, she prayed with us, and really made the whole process easy. We wouldn’t have been able to sign the lease if it wasn’t for Orchard. We are incredibly grateful.”

 

Sandy Grant, Orchard Alliance staff

The North Central District helped lead the way in getting the coffeehouse, and assisted Compassion Church by signing a lease that began May 1, 2024. The line of credit from Orchard Alliance is being used to purchase equipment and pay for renovations. The new building will enable them to engage with the community and show the love of Christ on a daily basis. It also provides a practical way for them to care for those in need in Anoka as they’ll be providing employment, skills training, and resources for people affected by homelessness.

 

 

Compassion Church is also planning to open their building to the community for evening classes, meeting space, and events. “We want it to be a safe and welcoming place in the community where people can come to fellowship, grow in their faith, read scripture, and attend Bible studies,” said Rob. “We chose the coffee shop setting intentionally so it’s comfortable and inviting. We’ll have a variety of tables, chairs, and couches to make our services an informal, authentic time of worship.”

 

 

Compassion Coffee serves more than just a cup of coffee—it’s serving the community’s physical and spiritual needs. To learn more about the unique ministry Compassion Church is doing through Compassion Coffee, visit compassionanoka.com.