A Calling to Community

I had never planned to own a coffee shop. but the best parts of my life have been the result of altered plans, redirections, and always a willingness and faithfulness to follow god’s guidance.

Then came the vision. One afternoon, my husband and I were winding down after his busy day at work and my chaotic day as a stay-at-home mom of four. We were chatting about a variety of things when we (almost simultaneously) brought up the “OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE” sign we had noticed at a building in the village. for five years, we had lived in Foxfire Village. We had put down roots and had fallen in love with our new home. As residents, we had dreams and ideas about what could make our village better. As former business owners, we had the creativity and determination to make it happen.

so, what did Foxfire Village need? two words came to mind — coffee and community.

A few days later, we stood outside the little brown building that once served as the village’s town hall. We scheduled this showing as a “what if?”, as a “it may not even be a workable space.” As I stood in the room, I imagined it filled with the hum of conversation, soft golden light, mismatched wooden tables and plush sofas that seem to invite you to sink in and stay awhile, and the comforting aroma of freshly ground coffee beans. I imagined myself behind the counter, not just serving coffee, but creating a place where people could pause, breathe, and feel human again.

My chest tightened—not with fear, but with recognition. This wasn’t just a business idea. It was a calling.

It was absurd. We had no business plan, no savings worth mentioning, no experience beyond our own love of quaint coffee shops, eclectic decor and a good cup of coffee. But the pull was undeniable. It wasn’t ambition—it was something deeper, like the way a seed knows to push toward the light.

A few days later, we signed the lease purely on faith. trusting that God would provide the means, wisdom, and opportunities to sustain it.

It wasn’t easy. There were nights I lay awake wondering if I’d made a mistake, late nights learning the difference between a flat white and a cortado, and days when the numbers just didn’t add up. But slowly, the shop took shape. We named it The Fox Brew and designed our foxy logo to reflect our lovely village.

one morning, as I poured a latte for a regular who had lost a loved one and just needed to talk, I realized something: the dream hadn’t been about coffee at all. It had been about connection, about creating a space where strangers became friends and the world felt a little less hurried.

Now, every morning, I unlock the door and breathe in that first wave of coffee-scented air. I see the regulars who have become family, the newcomers who will soon be part of the story, and I remember that this shop isn’t just mine — it belongs to everyone who walks through the door.

Because here, a cup of coffee isn’t just a drink. It’s a beginning.

— denna, your hometown barista and friend :)

“For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”

- Romans 11:36