Property to become The Potter?s House

A two-story house at 724 S. National is being turned into a coffeehouse and gathering place for nearby college students and others.

The Potter's House coffeehouse is located in property that the Joplin District Church of the Nazarene purchased in Novem-ber 2000.

Steve Proffitt, director of campus ministries for the Joplin district, which includes Spring-field, said a number of changes were made to the house to make it a commercial building and bring it up to code.

"We put in sprinklers, new wiring, new heat and air conditioning, and new plumbing, and made it handicapped-accessible," he said. "We put in parking spaces to the front and the back of the building, but we maintained the character of this house that was built in the late 1920s."

Proffitt added, "The house is 2,400 square feet. We added a 300-square-foot back deck made of wood, and a 300-square-foot front porch with a roof and chairs. The house, which was gray with white trim, is now tan with white trim."

The Potter's House will serve coffee, cappuccino, fruit smoo-thies, sodas and snacks. Proffitt hopes to eventually offer lunch several times a week.

"We have a place for people to have coffee, read or study," he said.

"Anyone can play video games in the basement. We'll have live music on the weekends."

Bible studies, support groups for substance abuse recovery, premarital counseling and discipleship groups will be available for students who attend a college or university in Springfield.

Bema, Proffitt's wife, will oversee the coffeehouse kitchen and assist her husband with office work.

"Our goal in running The Potter's House is providing a comfortable place for people to gather," Steve Proffitt said. "It's designed to be like a home, not an institution. The name The Potter's House,' signifies shaping and molding. We want the students to leave college with a strong faith in God and have them be equipped to change the world."

Proffitt said the coffeehouse isn't just for Nazarene students.

The Church of the Nazarene appointed Proffitt to run The Potter's House.

Prior to starting the coffeehouse, he was pastor of the Dayspring Church of the Naz-arene in Springfield.