Be You. Do Good. with Kurt Lange

Posted: 

Jul 15, 2016

Be You. Do Good. with Kurt Lange

 

Each month we have been featuring a friend from the Land of a Thousand Hills community who we believe is living out the Be You. Do Good. mission. This month, we sat down with Kurt Lange, a long time friend of our company and a more recent coffee social entrepreneur. We talk ministry, motorcycles, and Massachusetts.

Meet Kurt.

 

Tell us a little bit about what you do and where you are at in life right now. Who is Kurt?

I am the Pastor of my favorite Church, East Coast International Church, that we started 15 years ago in the Inner City of Lynn, MA. I am also the President of a non-profit called “The Haven Project”, which works with homeless, unaccompanied, and at risk youth and young adults ages 17 – 24.

We hear you ride a Harley, how does that speak to the way you approach life and ministry?

I ride it like I stole it…just kidding! I currently ride a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic. It is one of the last places on earth where no one can find me. I get on the motorcycle, head out of the city and onto some curvy coastal roads and mountain passes, it’s like the peace of God just shows up.

As a wonderful benefit that I did not expect, both my daughters and my wife love to go riding with me. This has created for some great moments with my girls.

Tell us about your experience at seminary and why you left.

After years of traditional western education, I found myself simply rejecting many of the western theological constructs and didn’t want to spend any more time there. Since that time, I have spent quite a bit of time learning in environments that are not dominated by western thought.

If we attended your church, who would we see there?

You would see a group of people that are desperate to be in the presence of God. 80% of our people are previously unchurched and have seen God bring radical transformation to their lives. People from every different ethnic background. Black, White, Spanish, Asian. And the majority of our church is under 40 years of age.

How did you bring church and coffee together, and why?

The Haven Project was in need of a Job Training Center, so we took the front of our building (the lobby) and converted it into a Land of a Thousand Hills Cafe. Monday through Saturday, 7:00 to 5:00, the cafe is our Cafe/Job Training Center, and then in the evening and on Sundays the space is used by our church.

(Interested in opening your own Land of a Thousand Hills?)

 

How is your ministry changing Lynn?

We are building bridges of hope and healing into the hearts and lives of the residents of Lynn. We are impacting the city in the areas of social justice, economic revitalization, and spiritual renewal.

How are you living out the Be You. Do Good. lifestyle?

Doing my best to love my neighbor as myself….all of them.

(Have you read our founder’s book yet?)

 

What is your favorite coffee/how do you make it/ how do you like your coffee?

I am currently drinking a cold brew made with our LTH Vooba Espresso adventure level 3, and I probably won’t sleep tonight since it is already after 4:00pm.

If you could sit down to have coffee with anyone, who would it be?

My first choice would be my amazing wife Jen and my two daughters. I have coffee with them all the time already, but they are still my favorite people.

If I was choosing someone from the past, it would be Martin Luther King Jr. His example of ministry, social change, and unwavering commitment in the face of opposition has inspired me through all of my life.

 

Kurt is a great example of what it looks like to Be You. Do Good. His dedication and joy that comes from his church, non-profit, and family are inspiring and we are proud to have him as a part of the Land of a Thousand Hills family . If you’re ever in Lynn, make sure to pay him a visit and share a cup off coffee.