“The idea of coffee being free tends to intrigue people. There has to be a catch or else the question, ‘How do you make money?’ is usually raised within a few minutes,” Tolo said. “This gives us an opportunity to briefly share our faith in a non-confrontational way. People are coming in out of the cold or blistering heat without feeling the pressure to purchase something.”

In addition to free coffee, The Hot Spot offers free WiFi and live music nights Thursday through Saturday. The shop also features a 24/7-prayer room and serves as a meeting place for an Alpha group, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and other fellowship groups.

Tolo has been teaching Alpha courses, which he gears toward young adults, for the past few years.

“We began as a nomadic Alpha to young adults course moving among various marketplace locations. We were looking for a space that we could use for a few weeks to do our Alpha course and God placed us here full time,” Tolo said. “Our storefront is in a high traffic strip that includes at least seven bars, two head shops (drug paraphernalia store), a tattoo shop, an occult bookstore, and we are [located] under a pro-life crisis pregnancy center.”

Workers and volunteers at The Hot Spot also discovered the shop is only a few blocks away from a 12-step charter high school for young people battling addictions. Tolo said many of the students hang out at The Hot Spot every day and many are seeking to discover their “higher power.”

“Dinkytown is a very diverse community. There are people from all over the world, literally, located within just a few blocks. With the college students and many other residents, there is an opportunity to reach peoples from all nations as well as all walks of life,” Tolo said. “There are rich and poor, educated and uneducated, and there are churched and unchurched, all in a small community.”

If The Hot Spot can reach the people of Dinkytown in the heart of the University of Minneapolis campus, Tolo believes the impact could be widespread.

Tolo said The Hot Spot has an interdenominational appeal. Volunteers and visitors are Catholic, Lutheran, Pentecostal, evangelical, and sometimes “outspoken unchurched folk.”

“We are not a church, but rather an outpost for the kingdom of God,” Tolo said. “This gives us the freedom and blessing not to be tied to one theological point of view.”

Calling Dinkytown a “serious party neighborhood,” Tolo said The Hot Spot offers a much-needed safe and sober environment amidst the chaos. He said the crowd at The Hot Spot is a mixed bag of Christians, non-believers, and those who have drifted away from the body of Christ.

“It seems like all the non-believers who come in are supposed to be there and are getting ministered to, either by us or by God without our help,” Tolo said. “Personally, I firmly believe God has given us angels as ushers and doormen.”

Relationship building has also been key to the ministry’s success. The ministry has reached teenage addicts, the homeless, those in broken family relationships, and many others.

“Without relationships we can’t share the Gospel without being just another angry Christian,” Tolo said. “Being in relationship with someone allows you to have more in-depth conversations and allows people to open up more.”

Funding for The Hot Spot comes from donations made through Renewal International. Ongoing needs include money for rent, coffee and support for two full-time staff who have been serving for months without asking for pay. The café also needs volunteers who can work shifts and “intercessors” who would like to serve in the 24/7-prayer room.

“Mostly we need people who can feel uncomfortable, get out of the Church and lead folks to Jesus by being friends with them,” Tolo said. “Jesus is just plain workin’ it in Dinkytown. He has declared that Dinkytown belongs to the Lord and the lost will be found, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will rise, and Dinkytown and the U of M will know that Jesus Christ is Lord.”


ACTION POINT
The Hot Spot is located at 1315 4th St. S.E., Suite 100, in Dinkytown. The coffee shop is open from 8 a.m. to midnight. To learn more about the ministry, visit www.yak-tc.com or contact John Tolo by phone at 651-231-6021, or by e-mail at johntolo@comcast.net.

To donate to The Hot Spot, gifts should be designated to the ministry and made out to Renewal International, 3450 Harriet Ave., Shoreview, MN 55126, and to the attention of John Tolo.