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F.A.Q.s

What is Pubchurch?

Well, on a Sunday evening upstairs at the Gower Pub in Gwynneth Street, Cathays,Cardiff a group of people gather to meet greet encourage challenge each other, with their focus being Christianity.

What can I expect from a typical Barnone evening?
 A live DJ mixing some vinyl.
A singer-sogwriter or band playing their stuff.
Bibles on the tables
Newspapers on the tables.
Someone to buy you a drink, the bar is open throughout the 'service' selling alcohol and softdrinks.
The Tab, our monthly information mag with articles,stories,scripture etc on the months theme.
A ten to fifteen minute chat from the bar from a guest, using personal story and bible input on the theme of the night.
A short prayer at the end of the night to wrap it all up.
A discussion / debate on a given topic.
Plenty of time to catch up with your mates, meet new people, discuss ideas.

But are Christians allowed to drink?
Christians vary in their answer to this but most of us at bar none would be of the opinion that it’s fine to have a bit of alcohol. Indeed Psalm104 v14-15 implies that alcohol is a gift from God:
“[God] makes grass grow for the cattle,
And plants for man to cultivate-
Bringing forth food from the earth:
Wine that gladdens the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread that sustains his heart.”

We believe that what is really important is a healthy attitude, not just to drinking but our whole lifestyle.

And didn’t Jesus improve a load of water, turning it into classy wine!

Will people try and convert me?

Not at all, sure we want you to be open to what we have to say but no one will force anything on you, and you wont offend anyone with your opinions, questions or doubts, no one can knock you for being honest! You wont be the only person who isn’t a Christian there at all, the more “non-churched” people present the better as far as we are concerned and certainly more interesting. So come and check us out with your mates.

 So is it really a church? Or just a new way of reaching out to non-Christians?

If your definition of a church is very formal, pews, hymns, fancy dress etc then no, we are certainly not a “church”. But if you look at the early church in the Bible then you will see simply a group of people meeting together often in someone’s house informally to share experiences and to encourage. We are just that, a group of people meeting, in what is to us a natural setting, to encourage and lookout for each other. Our primary aim is to be church, to be a community, rather than being an evangelistic tool, though we are well into sharing our faith with others. 

But where do you get your teaching?

If you are used to a 40-minute sermon every week then you may feel that we lack guidance or scriptural input. True on a Sunday evening there is never an exhaustive talk or a really deep theology exposition, this is mainly because we do not find these very attractive prospects to your average pub-goer. Howeve,r as Christians it is vital that we use our heads and grow and learn and get stuck into the Bible. So, to satisfy these needs we have a time before the main session on a Sunday,where we look at the core elements of Christain teaching, this is done in a kinda' Alpha course style. We also have a midweek group that meets in the home for more focussed time of prayer.

How can I get involved?

Well firstly by coming down to the Gower pub in Gwynneth Street, Cathays, Cardiff, on a Sunday evening from 8pm (last orders 10:30), we also have the midweek group and the course mentioned above, just talk to a team member for more info. Also if you have any singer/songwriter or DJ talents then we would love to give you a stage, just bring us a demo tape!