Five years ago, Steve Youngblood believed God
was calling him to buy this property along the
Mississippi. It didn't make sense
to him. He'd been a church planter since 1983, and this building didn't seem to
be church material. But it was coffee house material.
Now, tourists often wander into the shop
for a cup of coffee. They might see a book on the shelf that interests them (a
collection that now includes a
Bill the Warthog kids' mystery). And they might
get into a conversation with one of the volunteers that work in the shop. Steve
said the place has been a great location for one-on-one evangelism, one-on-one
discipleship, and -- perhaps most importantly -- one-on-one friendship.
North Street Station has become a
resource for churches throughout Hannibal, providing a location for prayer
meetings, Bible studies, and worship meetings. On Saturday night people from a number of local churches gather
for worship. On Monday night, the motorcyclists
of
Iron Horse Church gather for worship. On Saturday mornings, musicians gather
for Selah, a jam session.
Steve says 400,000 tourists walk the streets of Hannibal during a typical year; some stop by North Street.
Tourist musicians are often attracted to Selah. Steve told me about a fellow
from Omaha who heard the music and went back to his motel for his guitar. The
guy played "
Proud Mary," which was cool, but they asked him if he
knew any gospel. He did. After playing a few songs, he broke down a bit. Years
ago he had quit the church because he was hurt. When he returned to Omaha he sent a
letter to the station saying that afternoon had brought him back to Jesus.
Steven, one of the baristas, visits a different Hannibal church every week and posts about it on Facebook. Then, he puts an ad for the church in
the shop. It was kind of nice to find such a kindred spirit in Mark Twain's
hometown.
