No, this isn't a joke; it's a new scene for American Christianity: Young guys in their 20s and 30s forming Christian communities in pubs, concert halls, cafes and art galleries.

In West Town, that guy is Mark Bergin, 29, who leads prayer meetings wearing a cap embroidered with the Guinness logo. The self-described "hot-dog-eating, baseball-loving, tool-owning missionary" is part of the church planting movement in the United States -- an effort to start thousands of churches a year that reach people in more culturally relevant ways.

When he moved from Seattle a few months ago to start a church on Chicago's West Side, he met more than 50 potential churchgoers by visiting neighborhood coffee houses and bars, including the Chipp Inn across from his house.

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Filed under: * Christian Life / Church Life • Parish Ministry • Evangelism and Church Growth • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches • Evangelicals

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