“Best of the Springs”

I was raised Christian fundamentalist and waded into more evangelical circles by the end of high school and into my early college years.I attended an evangelical camp every summer near Agia Sophia and would come for coffee and a quiet place to read my “latest and greatest” author. Even then, there was something I found attractive about the coffee shop, though I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time.

Graduating from college, my wife and I moved to Colorado Springs and remembered to check out that “cool Agia Sophia place” again. We were very unsettled in our spiritual journey and were looking for a reason to stay in church as everything we experienced thus far felt incomplete.

Reacquainting ourselves with the coffee shop, my wife emailed Father Anthony to ask about Orthodoxy. He invited us in for discussion and “drinks on the house”. That evening I walked out with five books from the hundreds of Orthodox selections always in stock at Agia Sophia. In the weeks following, my wife and I found ourselves at the coffee shop regularly as we talked to parish members behind the counter, asked more questions, read more books, and experienced Orthodoxy first hand. Agia Sophia bridged the gap between my unsettled Evangelical faith and the rich and ancient Orthodox tradition. My wife and I hope to be received into the Church in the near future.

Agia Sophia, the Orthodox coffee house/bookstore in Colorado Springs, was recognized in the 2013 “Best of Colorado Springs” competition. Local residents and out of town guests voted Agia Sophia “Silver” for best coffee place and “Gold”, the top spot, for its chai.

For “Best Coffee Shop”, Agia Sophia took second place only to Starbucks, the worldwide coffee chain with immediate name recognition and the help of 41 locations in the vicinity. It beat out even Starbucks, however, for offering the number one “Chai” drink in all Colorado Springs.

Agia Sophia’s tag line is “fresh coffee / ancient wisdom”. After seven years of ministry and witness, Agia Sophia is known not only as a best place for superior coffee products, it is solidly identified as a place associated with the ancient and holy truths of Orthodox Christianity. The beautiful, old-world ambiance of the shop has broad appeal with all visitors.Customers find Agia Sophia a uniquely quiet and sacred space in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a secular life. As such, the coffee shop humbly witnesses to all who enter by rejuvenating body and soul alike. It is a popular hangout spot for writers, university professors, and young evangelicals.

Members of Holy Theophany parish work and volunteer regularly behind the counter, serving customers and engaging curious visitors. Father Anthony and others regularly field questions regarding the “odd looking pictures” (icons) as well as engage in dialogue on Orthodox Christianity — the first time many of customers hear directly and personally about the Church. Because of its purposeful mission and witness (several “customers of the shop” have gone on to become “members of the Church”!), Agia Sophia is more than a mere foamy chai latte or a slow french press. Agia Sophia is a holistic experience for those who have come in for a cup of coffee and walked away with a deeper appreciation of Christ and His Church.