faith By Jeff Favre Every night for two weeks, ELCA discipleship
veteran and amateur beer maker Aaron Schmalzle had the same dream. He was in a sanctuary, but instead of pews there were long tables, and the organ pipes had been replaced by massive brewery stacks. The next time Schmalzle met for a monthly beer-
making session in Orlando, Fla., with ELCA pastor Jared Witt and a few friends, one non-churchgoing attendee said to him: “It’s not easy to ask this, but can you pray for me?” In many ways, that moment was the birth
of Castle Church Brewing Community, a non- traditional ELCA congregation that focuses less on weekly worship attendance and more on igniting a sense of faith in daily life. And, of course, there’s beer. After more than a year of planning, the
brewery’s projected opening is next year, but Castle Church is already an active congregation, led spiritually by Witt. Castle also has a weekly yoga session and monthly brew days, as well as house groups that include Bible studies.
22 OCTOBER 2016 Witt was happy at his previous call, but
he believes there is a growing dissatisfaction among millennials with the traditional congregational model. “Part of this came from a need to explore some
place where people would feel fully at ease,” Witt said. “There’s something about walking into a space like a taproom where people can let their hair down and get looser than if they are at a religious institution.” When Schmalzle and Witt began planning
how Castle Church would operate, their vision included a concept of concentric circles. On the inner circle are worshipers looking for weekly word and sacrament. The middle circle includes people who show up for special events, such as beer and hymns or speakers. The outer circle could include beer enthusiasts who aren’t even aware of the faith community at the brewery. Castle’s relaxed atmosphere is meant to let
people be their authentic selves without fear of judgment or expectation. “If someone just wants to come in and ask about
Aaron Schmalzle spent years helping churches and faith-based organizations become sustainable while also practicing his hobby of brewing beer in his garage-turned- brewery. His combined passions helped form the vision of Castle Church Brewing Community in Orlando, Fla.
Photo: Stephen Dowell
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