A whole new meaning to “He Brews”

DeKalb’s Maranatha Christian Center now serving coffee with a message

By Heather Russell Wilson
Staff Reporter

Citizens of DeKalb are thoroughly enjoying the town’s latest addition, the MCC Grinder Coffee Shop.  Located inside Maranatha Christian Center’s new Family Ministry Center building, the full-service coffee shop offers coffee of every taste and flavor, as well as cookies and scones, and is now open to the public.  
Hours are Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., and Wednesday 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.  MCC Grinder is closed Friday and Saturday.
The brainchild of Maranatha Pastor Steve McMichael and operators Jerry and Linda Underwood, the MCC Grinder is, according to Linda Underwood, “A blessing for all of us who are involved.  Steve wanted a coffee shop in our new building, and this gives us a convenient location to operate a branch of our business with very little overhead.”  
The Underwoods recently bought and began renovations on a long-time empty building in downtown DeKalb, next to Jody’s Flowers.  This building, upon completion, will be the site of the DeKalb Grinder, another full-service coffee bar that will also offer sandwiches, soups, and salads, and be a quiet place to enjoy a big-city coffee shop atmosphere.  The Underwoods, along with their son Trent(also a trained chef), are self-taught baristas.  All of their drinks are hand-crafted with coffee beans that are shipped weekly from The Book Club Cafe in Rockwall, Texas.
Maranatha Pastor Steve McMichael is realizing a dream with the completion of the twelve thousand square foot Maranatha Family Center.  
They broke ground on the building in August 2016, and now the center, with its clean architectural lines and modern-industrial interior, will house not only the MCC Grinder, but also an indoor children’s playground, a workout facility complete with showers, all the children’s and MERGE Youth Ministries educational space, and an upstairs media room.  
The massive building is both functional and impressive, and well meets the desire of Maranatha’s pastor to serve a cutting edge ministry.  
“We have always said we will do whatever it takes - short of sinning - to reach people,” said McMichael.  “If that means putting in a coffee bar or having a movie night so that people feel a sense of community and find a place where they feel like people love them - that’s been our goal since 1985 when my wife Mechele and I began this church in a little living room.”
“The message never changes,” he continued, “but the way to present the message changes.  You can’t do the same things you were doing forty years ago and expect the same results.  You have to do something to draw people in, and once you’ve drawn them in you preach the same message - that Jesus Christ was crucified and is the Savior of the world.  He loves you, and forgives your sins.  Whatever it takes to do that, that’s what we do.”
Maranatha Christian Center plans to hold a grand opening for the new Family Ministry Center in mid-July or early August.  For more information about Maranatha Christian Center, go to www.maranathadekalb.org or to their Facebook page Maranatha DeKalb.