Outside the Box: Placemaking & Gospel mission beyond the church walls
Scott Woller, North Loop Pastor of Corner Church
Episode 3 - third place and the church
In this episode, Eric and Sara Joy chat with Pastor Scott Woller about the model of building both a church and a coffee shop. While Pastor Scott does not say it directly, in essence, he aimed to develop a "third place." Third place is a term coined by Ray Oldenburg to describe those places that we find ourselves visiting on a fairly regular basis that are not our homes and not our places of work. With a mission to reach the urban dweller who may have little interest or experience with a church, Scott and his wife started Corner Coffee as a way to connect with neighbors and build relationships within walking distance of where they live and worship. He started Corner Church alongside Corner Coffee in order to reach regular customers in the neighborhood with the gospel.
Eric and Sara Joy also speak with Hazel Borys from PlaceMakers and Rich Heyman from the University of Texas, who serve as our field guides for this episode providing deeper insights to the history and collective benefits of third places.
Episode 3 Field Guide: Hazel Borys
Hazel Borys is the Managing Director at PlaceMakers. As Managing Principal, Hazel inspires the company to deliver an exceptional product to a developing marketplace. She guides governments through zoning reforms — allowing walkable, mixed-use, compact, resilient places to develop by-right — and helps developers get things built under the increasingly-prevalent form-based codes and character-based land use laws of the new economy.
Episode 3 Field Guide: Rich Heyman
Rich Heyman is a Lecturer in the Department of American Studies at University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include cultural geography, urban geography, critical theory and Marxism, history of geography, pedagogy, and public space. He recently contributed to an article in The Atlantic entitled Do Yourself a Favor and Go Find a ‘Third Place’.
Links to resources and terms from this episode:
Articles, Books, Media, & organizations
Do Yourself a Favor and Go Find a ‘Third Place’ - The Atlantic
The third place: What is it & how does it relate to coffee shops? - Perfect Daily Grind
The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg
Season 5: Episode 2 - Social Infrastructure and the church - The Embedded Church Podcast
Key Terms
Pedestrian Shed
Proximity
Third Place
Social Capital
Suburbanization
Zoning