Grand Opening
Our New StoneBridge Auditorium & The Commons Coffee Shop
We are thrilled to have celebrated the grand opening of our all-new auditorium at our StoneBridge Omaha campus! On July 11, 2021, we held our first service in the new space, and it was a blessing to celebrate with our church family. In addition to a larger-capacity auditorium, we now have an expanded space for SBKids! We’re looking forward to a rich future of worshiping together and serving the community in this all-new space.
The stone bridge facade of the new building was designed by Storyland Studios. It symbolizes our role as a bridge between the community and God, both as a church and as individuals. When you visit us, be sure to come see our Story Wall, also designed by Storyland, which shares the history of StoneBridge Church, from where we began to the present day.
The Commons Coffee Shop - A New Bridge to the Community
Inside our Commons building, which previously served as our first video venue, you’ll find a brand-new space: The Commons Coffee Shop. The new shop is a bridge in its own right, serving as a place for church and community members alike to enjoy coffee and conversation in an open, inviting space.
The coffee shop is a full espresso bar offering hot and cold beverages including coffee, lattes, and smoothies. A portion of every cup sold will go to a mission partner, whether locally or globally.
“We want to create a cause-oriented initiative for church where people can drink coffee and be part of something greater, whether that’s addressing justice issues, homelessness, or poverty in our city,” says Executive Pastor Mitch Chitwood.
While The Commons Coffee Shop launched with a limited drink menu, the leadership team is planning for the future. The menu and operating hours may continue to expand over time, for example.
“We’re dreaming of what it could be and what it could grow into,” Mitch says.
Over time, the shop will transition from being open exclusively during church services, to being open to the community throughout the week. It’s just one of the many changes we’re making to how we use our facilities during the week.
“We’ve never really had a community space open to the public during the week like our offices have been open,” says Mitch.
Just as StoneBridge itself serves as a multi-faceted bridge to the community, The Commons Coffee Shop serves a similar function. There are plenty of spaces to connect, including sitting areas, the espresso bar, and the silo playground. In addition to The Commons Coffee Shop and the silo playground, we’re also planning a large playground in our backyard. All these developments are meant to eventually open StoneBridge further to the community than ever before.
In addition to space for social interaction, we offer high-speed internet for free. With so many people working remotely since the pandemic, we also wanted to provide a space where they could feel free to bring their laptops, enjoy a cup of coffee, or even have a casual business meeting. A working parent with kids can even set up their laptop in the cafe while their kids play in the silo.
For now, the shop will be operated by a manager and a group of volunteers. Student workers, coffee enthusiasts, and baristas alike are invited to apply to volunteer in the shop.
“The hope is that on Wednesday nights when our students are here, that students would come volunteer and work in the shop--maybe they work in a coffee shop somewhere else, but they volunteer at our coffee shop on Wednesday night and serve their friends,” says Kristi Bebermeyer, Operations Pastor.
Serving the Community, One Cup at a Time
Ultimately, we’re looking forward to the community outreach we’ll be able to achieve through the shop and the community hub in the Commons. We are excited to provide a new space for coffee in Northwest Omaha, and the opportunity it will provide to invite people into a relationship with the church that they may not have experienced in the past.
“We hope that if a person doesn’t necessarily feel comfortable coming to church on a Sunday morning, that they would feel comfortable to come for a cup of coffee,” says Kristi. “We want to utilize the shop to build personal relationships and help people find the courage to not just step through the door of the coffee shop, but to come to the church building too.”
All coffee shop proceeds are considered donations and will go to support a number of local charitable organizations. We will continue to support Open Door Mission and Lighthouse, in addition to others. Doing so will help us to introduce our members and the surrounding community to some of the causes we support.
“People who come to our church on a regular basis will see the support that’s happening in the community and think, ‘I want to get involved with that’,” Kristi says. “We’re shedding light on causes that people otherwise wouldn’t know about, and supporting local organizations in that way.”
Be sure to stop by The Commons Coffee Shop soon! Follow The Commons Coffee Shop on Facebook to see our menu and stay up to date as we grow!
If you’re interested in volunteering in the shop, get in touch with us here.