Finding friendship through faith

Inside Unify Coffee, the rich aroma of espresso fills the air, while eclectic decor creates an atmosphere of positivity. The walls are decked out with cereal boxes and racks of vintage clothing, giving the café a memorable charm. 

Throughout the year, Unify hosts a multitude of events, one of which being the Dwelling Place. The owner of Unify, Trevor Rapp, started construction around the same time as the establishment of the Dwelling Place. Rapp is friends with the Dwelling Place founders, Hannah Thomas and Keevin Sakai, and volunteered up Unify as a free hosting space. On Monday nights, dozens of people come together to form a community built off of worship and relationships. 

“I chose to host the Dwelling Place both because of my friendship and relation to the founders, but also because I felt like their mission aligned with my heart for the space of Unify,” Rapp said. “I am a Christian myself and while Unify isn’t a ‘Christian Coffee Shop,’ I'm operating the business as a believer and I want to be involved in initiatives and movements that I believe in.”

The Dwelling Place is a Christian community that strives to share love and the message of their faith. Founded by a group of friends looking for faith-based relationships, Sakai has been a major part of Dwelling Place operations since its beginning.

“Our emphasis is that we don’t want to be a church, we don’t want to replace a church,” Sakai said. “We of course think people should go to church, but the Dwelling Place is like a church-adjacent thing, not a replacement.”

The Dwelling Place strives to build community in a world where division is on the forefront. When the Dwelling Place started out, the founders knew their goal was to bring people closer together and to God. 

Thomas, one of the Dwelling Place founders, grew up in the Christian church. 

“I got baptized when I was really young, but didn’t really have a real relationship with Jesus. I served in church, but I didn’t really have my own faith,” Thomas said.

In the Bible, Psalms 90:1 says, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place for generations.” This verse inspired Thomas to come up with the title of ‘The Dwelling Place.’ 

“When I heard the verse, it kind of hit me at that moment, we want to dwell together with Jesus,”  Thomas said.

Looking back on her spiritual journey, Thomas reflects on the moments that have affirmed her path to faith.

“I was walking out to this guy’s car when I was 19, and I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, ‘I didn’t bring you out of the grave all those years ago for you to walk back in and lie down in it again,’” Thomas said. “That shook me to my core.”

The Dwelling Place community encourages attendees to share vulnerable moments with their peers and God. Evangelina Juroff, a Dwelling Place attendee, found a connection to Christianity in one of the hardest times of her life. 

“It’s a new kind of strong and transformational feeling to be around people that are begging for God’s presence to be there. Nobody is judging you for sobbing in the corner because you’re going through something,” Juroff said. “Someone is always ready to lay hands on you and pray over you.”

Allison Wells, a University of Kentucky student, started attending the Dwelling Place during its early days.

“It is a really welcoming environment. You don’t have to be a member of any church, they take you as you are,” Wells said.

The average Dwelling Place meeting is filled with chatter; dozens of people conversing and making friends. When not worshiping, attendees spend their time hugging, writing and praying with each other. 

“We want to know the people who are coming to these worship nights and these events. We want to enter into friendship with the people around us,” Thomas said.

The Dwelling Place builds unity through different formats from thrift nights and game nights to cookouts. Their aim is to interest college-aged adults looking to grow relationships with other Christians in Lexington.

“With events, we thought about what would be cool ideas to bring people together in a way… And so we thought, what if we invite community members that already sell vintage, to bring them in. This helps local businesses as well as bringing people together to buy from local businesses. Our original concept was to try to help people in more ways than one,” Sakai said.

The excitement and buzz among Dwelling Place attendees is palpable; the focus, connecting with your peers and faith, is clear. The Dwelling Place has been a place for many Christians to meet other people with similar interests and values.

“It is people whose parents didn't just tell them to go, they are here because they want to experience Christ more than just on a Sunday,” Juroff said.

To watch this story's video, click below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx6KcABmQlQ