Groome Church to debut Anchor Coffee House Sept. 10

Groome United Methodist Church will launch The Anchor Coffee House, a Sussex County community center for cultural enrichment, Sunday, Sept. 10. The maiden voyage will be an energetic, family-friendly concert featuring The Delmarva Ramblers, a long-standing Delaware-based bluegrass/gospel group.

The Rev. Will Crossan said the coffee house idea came from Groome’s contemporary Saturday evening Anchor of Hope services, which were held last year but have since ended. He said members Mike and Lorraine Messick, local musicians, approached him with a new contemporary angle for the traditional church. “They started doing a lot of homework,” he said. “We’re going to be doing this once a month in a type of environment modeled after the 1950s beat generation type of coffee house.”

Anchor Coffee House’s regularly scheduled programs will vary month to month, including concerts, dramatic presentations, readings of poetry and drama from authors’ works, public forums and panels, lectures and workshops.

“We’re covering the whole spectrum,” Crossan said. “It’s not a religious event, but it might spawn some moral, ethical and spiritual questions.” 

Entrance at the door is $10, and $5 for seniors and preteens. The downstairs coffee house opens at 6 p.m., offering hot and cold beverages, light snacks and pastries for purchase. The performance begins at 7 p.m., in the 125-seat upstairs sanctuary.  

Future events planned for this fall and winter include singer-songwriters, musical instrument workshops, lectures and book signings by local, national and international talent.

“We’re excited about it,” Crossan said. “Nobody else is doing this.” 

Groome United Methodist Church is located at 601 Savannah Road, Lewes. 

For more information about this topic, contact Groome United Methodist Church at 302-645-6256 or email GUM1@hotmail.com.