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Yes! God’s church is not a building, but a group of Jesus followers and seekers meeting together to worship God in spirit and in truth. The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which meant “an assembly.” It makes sense, then, for the church to gather where people are already assembling. Jesus didn’t sit in the temple and wait for people to come to him. He went to where everyone was hanging out and living life: the urban centers, the marketplace, the centers of culture. As a modern day parallel, we would have seen Jesus in bars, clubs, theaters, galleries, and coffee shops. Of course we don't drink beer or get drunk during worship services, as the apostle Paul commands Christians not to in 1 Corinthians 11 (see below, also). We are here to worship Jesus Christ, who is God, in the way Scripture commands us to.

Listen to how lead pastor Will Plitt preaches the good news of Jesus on our podcasts page.

Many American Christians consider the drinking of alcohol to be sinful. While we disagree with this view, we respect the faith of the many who believe this. The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Roman church about the issue of eating and drinking, "The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in the honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God." (see Romans 14:6 ESV)

Some may argue that drinking alcohol, or meeting in an establishment that serves alcohol may cause some to stumble. Yet we see many instances in Scripture where God himself provides alcohol to his people to enjoy (see Joel 2:19, Psalm 104:15, Ecclesiastes 9:7, and John 2:1-12 among many others) - and if this does not sinfully cause people to stumble (since God cannot by his nature sin), then meeting in a brewery is also not sinful.

The study of God's Word (the Bible) and church history by the elders (pastors) of 1.21 Church leads us to a position called moderationism, which says that alcohol itself is neutral and can be used in both good and bad ways. When used in a right and redeemed way, alcohol is a gift from God to be drunk with gladness. The Bible lists several occasions for the drinking of alcohol in moderation:

Celebration (see Genesis 14:17-20)
The Lord's Supper (see Matthew 26:29, Mark 14:25, and Luke 22:18)
Medicinal Purposes (see Proverbs 31:6 and 1 Timothy 5:23)
Worship (see Exodus 29:40, Numbers 28:14, Matthew 26:27, and 1 Corinthians 11:25-26)
Thanksgiving to God (see Proverbs 3:9-10)
Happiness (see Deuteronomy 14:26)

The bible also teaches that drunkness is a sin - this is a point on which all Christians agree. Additionally, all Christians are to obey their government in regard to alcohol consumption, which means that such things as underage drinking in America are sinful (see Romans 13:1-7). Scripture lists the following prohibitions against drunkenness:

Drunkenness is a sin (see Deuteronomy 21:20, Ecclesiastes 10:17, Luke 12:45 and 21:34, Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:11, Ephesians 5:18, and 1 Peter 4:3)
No priest was to drink alcohol while performing his duties (see Leviticus 10:9 and Ezekiel 44:21), though he could consume while not working (see Numbers 18:12, 18:27, and 18:30)
No king was to drink while judging the law (see Proverbs 31:4-5)
An elder or pastor cannot be a drunkard (see 1 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 1:7)

Have more questions? Feel free to ask us!


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