Rail//Line Coffee Spotlight by Levi Szymanowski
It’s not uncommon for our staff at Rail//Line to hear comments about the restoration of an old, blighted gas station to what is now a beautiful building that serves as a neighborhood refuge for those in our community.
One of our baristas recently told me about a woman in her seventies who was stopping by on her way home to Wyoming. She was brought to tears because of the fond memories she shared with her grandfather growing up and working in that very gas station he owned. She expressed how thankful she was that it was still impacting the community to this day. Not long ago, this building was rundown and outdated—the gas station that once thrived has come and gone, and now it has been restored to something beautiful again.
The physical transformation of this abandoned building into a charming gathering place is merely a visual reminder of the brokenness of every single person that walks this earth, the gospel response to it on this side of heaven, and the restoration that is to come. In the same way that we believe there is a community response to this brokenness— restoring neighborhoods and stewarding the resources God has given us—we also believe there is a relational response.
One way we engage in this response is through Rail//Line’s Apprenticeship program. We believe that we are all made for a relationship with God and those around us; that is our heart as we engage with our apprentices. It’s important to highlight that Rail//Line is more than just a coffee shop and that those who stop in realize they are making a long-term impact on the individuals that work there.
The Apprenticeship focuses on building relationships, developing job skills and mindsets, and understanding personal identity. The heart behind everything we do is discipleship. The ultimate prayer is that each of our apprentices would know and love Jesus and embrace the reality that their identity is in Him.
