Property to become The Potter?s House

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A two-story house at 724 S. National is being turned into a coffeehouse and gathering place for nearby college students and others.|ret||ret||tab|

The Potter's House coffeehouse is located in property that the Joplin District Church of the Nazarene purchased in Novem-ber 2000.|ret||ret||tab|

Steve Proffitt, director of campus ministries for the Joplin district, which includes Spring-field, said a number of changes were made to the house to make it a commercial building and bring it up to code.|ret||ret||tab|

"We put in sprinklers, new wiring, new heat and air conditioning, and new plumbing, and made it handicapped-accessible," he said. "We put in parking spaces to the front and the back of the building, but we maintained the character of this house that was built in the late 1920s."|ret||ret||tab|

Proffitt added, "The house is 2,400 square feet. We added a 300-square-foot back deck made of wood, and a 300-square-foot front porch with a roof and chairs. The house, which was gray with white trim, is now tan with white trim." |ret||ret||tab|

The Potter's House will serve coffee, cappuccino, fruit smoo-thies, sodas and snacks. Proffitt hopes to eventually offer lunch several times a week.|ret||ret||tab|

"We have a place for people to have coffee, read or study," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

"Anyone can play video games in the basement. We'll have live music on the weekends."|ret||ret||tab|

Bible studies, support groups for substance abuse recovery, premarital counseling and discipleship groups will be available for students who attend a college or university in Springfield.|ret||ret||tab|

Bema, Proffitt's wife, will oversee the coffeehouse kitchen and assist her husband with office work.|ret||ret||tab|

"Our goal in running The Potter's House is providing a comfortable place for people to gather," Steve Proffitt said. "It's designed to be like a home, not an institution. The name The Potter's House,' signifies shaping and molding. We want the students to leave college with a strong faith in God and have them be equipped to change the world."|ret||ret||tab|

Proffitt said the coffeehouse isn't just for Nazarene students.|ret||ret||tab|

The Church of the Nazarene appointed Proffitt to run The Potter's House. |ret||ret||tab|

Prior to starting the coffeehouse, he was pastor of the Dayspring Church of the Naz-arene in Springfield.[[In-content Ad]]