Lake County >> Coffee houses are a kind of meeting ground, a place to share both caffeine and conversation with an etiquette and cordiality required in public spaces. It was with this idea in mind that Rev. Dave Thompson, recently relocated to Lake County from Washington state, created the Over Coffee show, a weekly online interview series. He sits down with people of all faiths, sets up a GoPro camera and discusses not only spirituality, but life in general.
Rev. Thompson, a licensed Reverend with the American Fellowship Church, has spoken with a number of people of varying backgrounds and beliefs: a former nun, a Rabbi, an atheist.
“One of the biggest hurdles for us as humans moving forward together in peace is learning to live together with our fundamental differences in faith,” he said.
The show is also a fundraising avenue. All episodes are online at www.overcoffee.tv and each has a donation link below the video. Rev. Thompson has his guest each week choose a specific nonprofit organization and 50 percent of the donations go to that organization. Allowing his guests to choose gives them another means to express their beliefs and what they consider to be an “important humanitarian effort.”
Over Coffee is an extension of a book Rev. Thompson wrote a couple years ago by the same title. The book seeks to spark a conversation with conservative churches, urging them to make room on the pew for gay couples.
The show similarly looks at not only creating a dialogue about topics some find difficult, but presenting new ways to look at them. “I think I wanted to take a different approach to considering faith rather than only listen to the national leaders say what our faith is supposed to be,” Rev. Thompson said. “So that others could feel the commonality of our shared human experience, even across spiritual differences.”
Two recent episodes addressed a topic weighing heavily on everyone’s mind: the Valley Fire. First, Rev. Thompson interviewed Fire Chaplain Nick Arnett. Then, he and fire victim Karl Parker set up camp on a truck bed in Parker’s burnt lot, where the two talked for a half an hour about Parker’s destroyed home and his spiritual journey. The video has surpassed 1,000 views and continues to grow.
Rev. Thompson’s goal is that these conversations help those suffering through the aftermath of the fire. “My hope is that they are able to see another person’s experience and how they cope with these things from a spiritual perspective,” he said.
Of course, he has similar wishes for every episode of the show. His idea is that viewers will walk away from the 30-minute video with a new perspective on faith and life. “In a broader aspect, my hope is that people will be able to see a shared human experience that lies behind the doctrines and teachings behind their specific faith.”
And it’s not just about locals. Though every other week or so he wants to interview someone from the area, he’s also thinking on a larger, national scale. He already as an interview set up with a former Christian music artist. His most recent video featured a woman who grew up dealing with issues of race in the south.
For these interviews, Rev. Thompson opted for video over any other media because of the connectivity it allows. In order to identify with an interviewee, he felt it was important to actually witness facial expressions, gestures and emotions play out. Rev. Thompson also feels this helps donation participation. “There’s so much we miss in just audio,” he said. “In the video experience we can see so much more of what is communicated.”
But videos aren’t just for the benefit of the audience. Rev. Thompson also enjoys the experience of sitting down with guests in front of a camera. “When they share the stories on my show, it can be emotional for them and it’s a tremendous honor for me to be a part of the experience and I really just enjoy the connection on that level,” he explained.
Although the interviews can address difficult topics, Rev. Thompson seems to have a way of encouraging people to open up to him, only part of with involves imbuing the conversation with humor. First, he doesn’t use any large camera equipment, instead setting up a GoPro, which are no bigger than the palm of a hand and far less intimidating than a traditional camera.
“The other part is really learning the skill set of helping people feel comfortable,” Rev. Thompson said. “I hope that I can continue to refine that.”
Through his book, Rev. Thompson also has experience chatting with people about personal subjects. He spent seven years talking to conservative congregations about welcoming LGBT people into their churches. He’s well-equipped for the Over Coffee show.
But he never presses his guests. “If they’re not comfortable sharing something, I’m not the kind of person who wants to put them on the spot,” Rev. Thompson said. “I definitely welcome whatever expression of emotion that they feel is part of their story.”
Right now, Rev. Thompson does every aspect of the video production, from recording the video to exporting it. Coming from the business start-up world, it’s a completely new experience, one he calls “a whole lot of geekish fun.” In the future as the show grows, he hopes to bring in someone else to help with the process, but until then he’s enjoying the ride.
“I just am naturally fascinated by people’s spiritual stories, just as an expression of my own personality,” Rev. Thompson said.
Catch a new episode of Over Coffee every week at www.overcoffee.tv.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
