All around the world, people gather together to sit, drink, eat and laugh together. It’s what human beings do. Beloved starts by offering a space where our needs for belonging, nourishment, relaxation and purpose are fulfilled, supporting thriving local and regional communities in building the world we dream about. This is a world where everyone is beloved, where everyone is valued, and everyone contributes to the peace and sustainability of the planet. Yes, we dream big. And together, we can make it happen.

Beloved Café is a spiritual exploration center and venue for multicultural community life. It is physically centered around a coffee shop. Beloved Cafe offers a place where values meet practice and practice brings people together. Founded on the idea that people need a “third space” – a space between work and home – to connect with others, deepen in the experience of living, a place to rest, to connect, reflect, renew and energize, Beloved offers  an urban “retreat”. Yet Beloved is not about escaping from life, it is a place to experience life more fully.

Beloved is both a site and a model for a “3rd space” gathering place for spiritual community and activism. The cafe aims to open in 2013 in the SF Bay Area. Beloved Cafe hopes to offer a calendar which includes meditation, lectures, workshops, music, open mics, a resident community organizer and on-site resource library…along with great coffee and food!

Beloved Café is different than many other types of coffee shops or nonprofits, and different from most houses of worship. Just like we aren’t just one thing, we aren’t just about one thing.

We are grounded in a progressive religious tradition, Unitarian Universalism, and have an intentionally multi-religious mission. In the 21st century, we are living in a multi world. We are multi-cultural, multi-faceted, multi-tasking people. Multi-religious means that we affirm, accept and honor the many faith traditions and spiritual experiences present in the world.

We don’t try to convert people or collapse groups into “one” but rather, celebrate and learn from the rich diversity of religious practices and beliefs.

Unitarian Universalism is a central foundation for Beloved Café. Unitarian Universalism is the religious background of several of the founding members, as well as an early partner in our visioning and first steps. You can find out more about Unitarian Universalism here.