The coffeehouse is run by the New Hope Christian Center, a nonprofit organization of churches in Lambertville, West Amwell Township, New Hope and Solebury.
By: Linda Seida
LAMBERTVILLE Courtney, a local teenager, started to get into trouble when her parents divorced.
She found herself attracting attention, and it wasn’t the good kind.
"She made some choices that weren’t the best, in terms of friends," said the Rev. Stuart Spencer, pastor of Thompson Memorial Presbyterian Church in Solebury. "She got into trouble with the police."
Her downward spiral could have continued as it does every day for many teenagers. But for the high school student whom the Rev. Spencer chose to refer to as Courtney, to protect her true identity, the self-destructive path began to reverse when she found a safe place to land.
That place was the Deep End Cafe at 75 S. Union St.
"It’s a safe place in the community to meet and gather, especially for young people," said the Rev. Spencer. "That’s part of what makes it so special."
The Rev. Spencer is president of the New Hope Christian Center, which operates the coffeehouse. The center is a cooperative nonprofit organization of churches in Lambertville, West Amwell Township, New Hope and Solebury.
Not only do teens gather there, but college students and young adults do, too. It also has become an attractive after-dinner spot for patrons of local restaurants to catch a few sets of jazz or folk music. The younger crowd is welcome to play games, do their homework or simply hang out after school.
Despite the fact the Deep End is operated by a group of churches, there’s not a lot of scripture quoting going on. Nor is there a preponderance of God Rock on the nights when musical entertainment is scheduled, although everything is G-rated.
"We’ve been very intentional in not being heavy handed in our approach," the Rev. Spencer said. "No sermons, no Bible thumping."
He added, "If you’re not into religion, you’ll still find the Deep End a fun place and an inviting place to hang out. And we just hope kids will see it as such. I would hope they would give it a try."
Before finding the Deep End, Courtney was faced with many of the situations the Deep End was conceived to counteract.
"There are bad things out there, things that just aren’t healthy," the Rev. Spencer said. "There are people who want to take advantage of them in one way or another or who are interested in selling drugs to kids."
For teens, it’s not only a matter of facing down the bad guys. Sometimes it’s also a matter of feeling welcome.
"There are some stores and businesses that don’t want kids," the Rev. Spencer said.
At the Deep End Cafe, all ages are welcome.
"We get pretty much a mix of everybody. It really varies," said manager Maureen Antonini.
But why call it the Deep End?
"It’s inviting people to the deeper places in life," the Rev. Spencer said.
To the deeper well of their creativity, certainly, as the coffeehouse prepares to host a resident artists program, photography exhibits and other creative pursuits. According to the cafe’s newsletter, the resident artists program is looking for "writers, actors, computer artists, singers, musicians, computer musicians, photographers, videographers."
The newsletter states, "If you do anything artsy, we want to talk with you. If you’re not sure what you do is artsy, give us a call. It probably is."
Persons interested in participating may call the cafe at (609) 773-0380.
But more than creativity, the name Deep End refers to something less evident and maybe more mysterious.
"I think of it as moving into matters of faith, love, things in relationships," the Rev. Spencer said.
A visual cue to the name is painted in hues of blue across its interior. A mural of a pool of water splashes across several walls, meant to give the impression patrons are sitting in a calm pool of water.
The Deep End Cafe is open Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 10 p.m., Friday from 3 to 11 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is no cover charge. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase.
The cafe welcomes volunteers.
The newsletter states, "We can always use help. Anything you can do, we need. If you can’t do it, we teach you. If we can’t do it, you’ll teach us."