The weather is nice as you stroll down Berry Street just off of the TCU campus. You and your friends are ready. You have been waiting all week, and your heart jumps a little bit as you see the line stretching out of the TCU student nightlife staple: The Aardvark. The line is long, but hey, there's no cover today. You converse with your fellow students about the past week before reaching the door. The bouncers are particularly friendly today. You walk past the band signs and step into the dimly lit bar, surrounded with low lit bar signs. You see your friends and gather with them as you prepare for the band. The first notes of the praise band ring out at 10:30 a.m. It's a sunny Sunday morning, and you're at the Aardvark church service.
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As you sit through the non-denominational Christian service put on by The Christ Chapel Bible Church, also known as CCBC, you can't help but let your eyes wander to the numerous alcohol signs and even take a glance back at the fully stocked bar. Gathering to praise Jesus in a place like a bar? It's an ordeal you have to see for yourself to believe it. It's unique, it's fresh, and it adds a great twist to the everyday church scene. I had the pleasure to sit down and talk with Ben Fuqua, the founder of this service and head of college ministries at CCBC, who says one of his favorite aspects of the Aardvark service is that their goal is to bring the church to the students instead of the students having to go to the church. The Aardvark is the perfect location, it's within walking distance for most TCU students on campus, and it makes it much more appealing to make your way to church each Sunday.
One thing that sticks with the students fortunate enough to attend is that the leaders of the service don't want it to just be a Sunday morning event, but a way that you live your life, and they strive to connect with every student they can to make an impact in their life each and every day. As we chatted over the different aspects of the 'Vark service, Ben pointed out that in scripture, Jesus was known to preach in the places that wouldn't be expected, such as in a bar, in modern terms. Hosting a service here would be something that Christ could have been seen doing, and that adds a sense of connection to scripture that can easily be overlooked.
The Aardvark service is in its fifth year of operation, and the idea started out just as a need for a location. Previous to this service, the Christ Chapel Bible Church used a large tent on the empty lot next to their "mother ship" location that the owner generously lent to them free of charge each Sunday morning, but once he needed the space for other engagements, Ben found himself without a location to host their college-aged service. As he was thinking of other locations to host the service, he thought of The Aardvark, based on its ability to host large crowds, the access to a large stage and sound equipment, and simply because of the location next to TCU. With a vision in mind, he went to the bar and simply asked the owner, Danny Weaver, if they could host a service within their bar on Sunday mornings. On the spot, he agreed entirely, and said he would be more than happy to host the service each week. With the service in it's fifth year of operation, each Sunday morning, the owner and manager of The Aardvark Bar still allows the church to come in and host the service, absolutely free of charge and out of the goodness of his heart. Both Danny Weaver and Josh Montgomery, who run the service and sound tech, welcome the college students and CCBC staff by helping out with all that is needed behind the scenes to make it happen.
The service is opened up by the killer worship band, headed by Brett Musslewhite, and it's easily one of the best around. Involving all the students with incredible melodies that brighten everyone's day and allow the students to truly worship The Lord through music, the Aardvark service is always started right with the first few notes belted through the mic. Usually Ben speaks at each service with his hilarious and relatable life stories, and then transitions into perfectly executed relations to the scripture being taught that day. At other times, Josh Storie heads the service with just as captivating sermons, which grab everyone's attention, without fail, throughout the whole bar. After each service, they host a lunch, in which you can buy the Aardvark's house cooked bar-style food (which, if you haven't had, I recommend, it's pretty great), and also a salad bar for those looking for something other than bar food.
If you haven't been able to attend a service, or even if you're just curious about the idea of The Lord, then the staff of CCBC is enthusiastic to get you plugged in each week and loves to welcome new people. As a regular attendee of the service, I highly recommend finding your way into the local TCU bar on Sunday mornings. I promise, you won't regret it.
Get Your Jesus Vibes On.
