Complicated Hope

A Taste of Home Away from Home

There are some places you just love to visit. Grandma and Grandpa’s house, where there’s usually something sweet in the cupboard, and they are so glad to see you. Your best friend’s house where the chaos of kids and chatter don’t matter because these are your people and the conversation on the comfy couch is worth the effort. Comfortable. Home.

That’s Farmhouse Coffee in Hobart, Indiana. Tucked away on a side street one block off Main sits an old red brick building home to this small family business built on faith and hope. They welcome you with genuine joy, and the smell of the current daily roast wraps its arms around you, making you instantly feel at Home.

Much like my Grandpa Roork, I love a good coffee shop. Not always for the coffee – my grandpa drank lots of bad coffee at questionable truck stops – but always for the community.

Returning from Asia in March, much of my writing occurred at Farmhouse Coffee. It was welcoming. Comfortable. Home. As I sat there many afternoons, I began picking up on bits of the owner’s story. I was intrigued by the community they were creating within the walls of this coffee shop. I knew there had to be a greater story here; I wanted to know these people more.

I was honored that owners Charlie and Kristol Gabbard have allowed me to share the story of their journey. One of my core beliefs is that the Great Commission, our challenge from God to “Go and Tell,” is for every believer in every country, city, economic level, and vocation.

It begins at home. It continues in your place of school, work, and business. It extends to the grocery store and the sports field. For some, it includes leaving their home country to go to faraway lands. But for most, the Great Commission requires us to share Jesus and make disciples right where we are today.

A belief in “People First” is at the heart of Farmhouse Coffee. Charlie and Kristol began Farmhouse Coffee just over one year ago, and already, it has grown to be a place where locals meet, students come to do class work, teenagers hang out, and writers go to find inspiration.

Some people are born suited for specific careers. Other business people seem to be born for the small boutique business they nurture and grow. I’ve met those who prayed and asked for guidance and, through specific messages and directions from God, knew immediately what they needed to do to support their families.

Then there’s the rest of us who seem to find their way by trial and error – trying new things and learning great truths from the mistakes we make along the way. It is not necessarily great passion that draws us to a calling, but great need. We need to provide for our family, pay bills, and create a life where we can breathe a little between paychecks. Only after we land in our calling can we look back and see how God had prepared us for this moment. Each step on the path gave us the skills and experience needed for this new moment.

As I listened to Kristol tell the story of Farmhouse Coffee, it was apparent her background in retail has honed her into a retail business owner. The skills Charlie gained in owning their own landscaping business have enabled them to walk in faith – every small business owner knows that money can be less than consistent – and has given him a work ethic and the people skills that endear him to this community of hardworking people in Northwest Indiana.

The Gabbards do their own marketing, with everything from trendy merchandise to fun-filled events like a petting zoo. Charlie’s second business is Farmhouse Furnishings, where he designs and builds custom furniture for not only their own business but for other businesses in Hobart as well as special orders pieces for clients.

Most remarkable is how Charlie and Kristol care for people. From Staff to Strangers, everyone is part of the Farmhouse Family the moment they walk in the door. They care about locally roasted and ethically sourced coffee beans. They care about the other businesses in town—when one succeeds, they all succeed. They sit and share stories with their neighbors. And they bear their neighbors’ burdens as well.

Perhaps it takes a person who has known lack and been dependent upon God for work and provision to truly create empathetic bonds with those who are also struggling. The Gabbards have learned that lesson well. As Kristol tells stories of God’s divine provision throughout the establishment of Farmhouse Coffee, tears often welled in her eyes, and she was unable to complete her sentences, not from grief but from thankfulness. She recognized the provision of God in their lives. From financial gifts to emotional support, their community has stood beside them.

Now, the Gabbards stand beside their Farmhouse Family Community. More than once, they have been able to help cover medical costs for cancer patients. They have held fundraisers for patients who need help with medical bills, and they are the point of sale for merchandise that supports families whose children have cancer.

Farmhouse Coffee is so much more than just a great cup of coffee. It is the essence of Community – neighbors caring for each other, businesses cheering for other businesses and people loving other people.

They are living Charlie’s motto: People First.

But it’s also a really good cup of coffee!

Visit Farmhouse Coffee online!