What began as a small, intimate Bible study in a student’s live-out house has swelled in its scope, growing into a coffee shop and united community of Christians, made up of both DePauw University students and Greencastle residents.
Grounded, formerly known as Bagos, is a non-profit, volunteer-run coffee shop located in the Greencastle square. Hope Jordan, a former DePauw student, originally began the organization in 2013 when she felt called by God to start a Christian community on campus. Quickly, the group grew to be too big to fit in her house, so when a space in the square became available, the group made the decision to turn the organization into something much bigger.
According to the Grounded’s website, the organization’s vision statement describes the coffee shop as more than your average Starbucks: it is “a center for artistic/creative expression and a place for DePauw students to grow spiritually.” Grounded is located at 11 N. Indiana Street across from the courthouse. It is open as a study space to all students Monday-Thursday and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
An integral part of Grounded is its Coffee and Christ program. Coffee and Christ is “the combination of a youth group, Bible study, and student hangout,” according to senior and president of the organization Aleksa Szunko. Each meeting is slightly different, but typical events include a speaker or a video. The group uses this time as an opportunity to discuss not only their shared faith, but also issues on campus that they are affected by or struggling with.
Although the organization is a Christian group, students of any Christian denomination or non-Christian religion are welcomed to attend. Junior Emma Duncan, the marketing director of Coffee and Christ, said that, while she is a non-denominational Christian, she has seen people of countless faiths at the meeting, and “even people who don’t have faith” are welcome to attend. The group’s goal is to serve as a “judgement-free space” for all students to feel supported in their pursuit of faith, said Szunko.
For Duncan, the club has become more than a place to connect with her faith; it is a place and community that fosters her growth as an individual. Duncan willingly admits that “it’s really hard being a Christian in college,” and faith is something that as a college student, “you obviously question.” That is why she sees Coffee and Christ as an outlet, a place and group of people that she can turn to for support to keep her faith intact. Freshman Alyssa Fisher echoed this sentiment, saying: “Coming to Coffee and Christ every week just renews what I believe and what my faith is.”
Grounded is unique in that, unlike the average coffee shop, all of the coffee and pastries served are free. However, donations are still appreciated, and help to keep Grounded open. As a board member, Duncan said that seeing donations come in was the biggest surprise for her, and this is where she most sees God’s work at play. “Sometimes we’ll have like $200 in the bank account, and then a check will come in,” Duncan said.
Coffee with Christ and Grounded are always looking for new faces to join their community and invite all DePauw students to stop by on Tuesday evenings to enjoy coffee, faith, and great company. The meetings are hosted every Tuesday from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.