Coffee Talk Does Church Better Than The Church [Free]
A Bible Study on the video game Coffee Talk
Not sure where to get started? Find our 101 Guide to using our curriculum here.
Opening Prayer
Begin with a prayer that sets the tone for the study, asking for openness and understanding as participants delve into the themes of light, darkness, and the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Sample Prayer:
God of every tribe and talent, gather us like the patrons of a warm café. Open our hearts to hear Your Word, see one another’s gifts, and brew genuine love among us. Amen.
Prep Questions
Vibe Check ☕🎧 – When you picture your ideal late-night café, what sound do you hear first: clinking cups, lo-fi beats, friendly chatter, or silence? Why?
Gift on the Table 🎁 – Think of a time a stranger’s small action made your day better. What gift (e.g., encouragement, service) were they using?
Fantasy Patron 🧝♀️👽 – If you could invite any fictional character for a midnight latte, who would it be, and what would you ask them?
Link to Video
Shortened Transcript
Pastor Nate remembers the late developer Mohammad Fahmi, creator of Coffee Talk, a story-driven game set in a fantasy Seattle café. Diverse characters—vampire model, werewolf nurse, fairy journalist, shy orc coder, even an awkward alien—share life over late-night lattes.
Nate connects this cozy “third space” to Romans 12 : 3-9. Paul tells early Christians they’re one body in Christ, each with different gifts but equal worth. Genuine love holds them together. The game’s patrons mirror that: strangers become a supportive family without ranking who’s “more important.”
Checkpoint Church aims to be a real-life Coffee Talk—an online third space where nerds worldwide discover they belong and their gifts matter to God.
Guided Questions
First Impressions
Which Coffee Talk character sounds most interesting to you? Why?
Scripture Focus (Romans 12 : 3-9)
Paul lists gifts like serving, teaching, encouraging. Which one do you relate to today?
How does thinking “with sober judgment” help a community stay healthy?
Pop-Culture Bridge
In the game, the barista never appears on screen. How might that invisible service reflect Jesus-like leadership?
Real-Life Application
Where is—or where could you create—a “third space” in your week (not work, not home) to practice community?
How can our group safeguard “genuine love” when disagreements pop up online or IRL?
Activity
Brew Your Gift
Supplies: index cards, pens, (optional) instant coffee packets or flavored tea bags.
Choose a Flavor: Invite each person to pick a packet/tea that best matches a gift in Romans 12 (e.g., bold espresso = leadership; calming chamomile = mercy).
Label the Cup/Card: On an index card, write the gift name and one practical way you’ll use it this week.
Share & Sip: Go around the circle, show your “drink,” explain the action step, then toast together.
After Questions
What surprised you about others’ chosen gifts?
How did tying a flavor to a talent make the verse stick in your mind?
Where might you “serve a cup” of your gift outside this group?
Spiritual Practice
Third-Space Prayer Walk
Sometime this week, sit for 10 minutes in a café, park bench, or game lobby chat—anywhere people naturally gather. Pray silently:
Observe: Notice the mix of people and roles.
Thank: Thank God for three visible gifts in strangers around you.
Offer: Ask God to show you one small way to contribute your gift there next time.
Closing Prayer
Conclude with a prayer that acknowledges the Holy Spirit's presence and asks for continued guidance and protection in the journey of faith.
Sample Prayer:
Lord, thank You for crafting each of us with unique notes and aromas. Blend us into one body that tastes like Your genuine love to the world. Send us out to hold fast to the good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Notes From The Nerd Pastor:
Coffee Talk brews up more than midnight lattes—it models the “Body of Christ” Paul pictures in Romans 12. Inside this pixel-art Seattle café, vampires, orcs, fairies, and even an awkward alien find common ground over steamed milk. No single patron is ranked above another; each voice matters, echoing Paul’s command to think of ourselves “with sober judgment” and to use our varied gifts for the good of all. Like the unseen barista, we’re invited to practice humble service: listening first, pouring encouragement freely, and blending our talents into one rich community. The challenge is to carry that café posture into our own churches, Discords, and friend groups—proving that genuine love can taste as warm as a late-night cinnamon latte.
Resource Notes:
Find basic information about the Coffee Talk on the wiki.
Helpful Nerd Terms:
Third Space – A place that is neither home nor work where organic community forms.
Lo-Fi Chillhop – Relaxed hip-hop beats that set Coffee Talk’s cozy mood.
Visual Novel – A text-heavy game driven by player dialogue choices, not reflexes.
Patron – A recurring in-game customer; each represents a different “gift” to the group.
Dialogue Brew – Mini-game of mixing drinks; choices subtly shape each story arc.
Found Family – Unrelated characters who choose to support one another like kin.
Theological Themes:
Body of Christ, Spiritual Gifts, Love, Unity, Diversity, Hospitality, Humble Service, Third Space, Romans 12:3, Romans 12:4, Romans 12:5, Romans 12:6, Romans 12:7, Romans 12:8, Romans 12:9
Other questions? Ask in the comments below!