How Soup is Sparking a Movement: A Fresh Expression of Church in Brookville, Maryland
In Brookville, Maryland, a Fresh Expression of church called Coop’s Soups is transforming the way people experience faith and community. Founder Cristin Cooper, Coop’s Soups doesn’t look like a traditional church. Instead, it’s an inviting space centered around soup-making and sharing—a ministry designed to bring neighbors together and embody God’s love in daily life.
With a mission to “fight loneliness, one bowl at a time,” Coop’s Soups reflects the heart of the Fresh Expressions movement, which holds that “church can happen anywhere.” Through soup, friendship, and hospitality, Coop’s Soups is offering more than food; it’s creating a place of belonging and hope for those who might never set foot in a church building.
“You belong because you’re human, not because you have right beliefs.” — Cristin Cooper, Founder of Coop’s Soups
The Vision: Love and Community Through Soup
The journey of Coop’s Soups began with a need Cristin herself felt. Despite working in a large, program-filled church, she struggled with loneliness and a sense of disconnection from the people she served. “I was feeling disconnected from my vocation and the people I was called to serve,” she recalls. After a season of prayer, Cristin left her role, sensing a call to a slower, relational ministry—one that would meet people right where they are.
As she engaged in small acts of kindness around her apartment complex, Cristin noticed that soup-making created a unique space for meaningful, unhurried connection. “God started to reveal to me that I was being called to build community with my neighbors,” she says. Coop’s Soups grew into a place where neighbors come together, share meals, and find connection and spiritual growth in a welcoming space.
Meeting a Real Need: Loneliness and Hunger
In Brookville, as in many places, loneliness and food insecurity are real issues. Studies show that over 60% of Americans report feeling lonely, and nearly 9% of Maryland households face food insecurity. Coop’s Soups addresses both by creating a space for people to gather, share meals, and find authentic connection.
Coop’s Soups embodies Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), practicing presence and genuine care. For some, it offers a way to find community and connection; for others, it’s a place to explore faith in action. Each month, Cristin and a group of volunteers prepare soup for the local food bank and then sit down to share the meal themselves. “If this soup is good enough for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity, it’s good enough for us,” Cristin explains, emphasizing mutual respect over a “charity mindset.”
Community Impact: Church Beyond Walls
At Coop’s Soups, church happens in simple but powerful ways. Cristin and her team set up at farmers’ markets and gather volunteers monthly to make and share soup with those experiencing food insecurity. Volunteers often find unexpected peace and healing in the act of making soup together. One participant, initially hesitant, felt warmly embraced by the community, saying, “This is out of my comfort zone, but I feel so welcomed here.” For others, like a local woman undergoing cancer treatment, Coop’s Soups has become a place of comfort and spiritual renewal. “Tell me more about your church,” she asked Cristin, finding a place where God’s love was shown through care and presence.
A Model for Ministry: Joining the Fresh Expressions Movement
Coop’s Soups embodies the heart of Fresh Expressions, following the steps of listening, loving, building community, and exploring discipleship. Through simple gatherings, meaningful conversation, and shared meals, Coop’s Soups echoes the spirit of Acts 2:46-47: “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.”
Prioritizing presence over programs and connection over agendas, Coop’s Soups follows the “Slow Church” model, cultivating relationships in real time and meeting people where they are. This approach encourages other churches to see that ministry doesn’t require perfect planning, just a willingness to follow God’s lead.
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” — Frederick Buechner
Start Your Own Fresh Expression: Taking the Next Step
Coop’s Soups is a powerful example that church can start anywhere. Every church, every individual, can reach out and build community in fresh ways. Fresh Expressions encourages us to reimagine church as a gathering of people meeting where life happens. Maybe for you, it’s a neighborhood meal, a shared service project, or an intentional time to listen to neighbors and explore what’s needed.
What might your next step look like? Consider joining a Fresh Expressions cohort, exploring community needs, or gathering friends to dream of new ways to serve. In the spirit of Coop’s Soups and St. Francis of Assisi’s call to “preach the Gospel at all times…when necessary, use words,” let’s bring love, presence, and hope to our neighborhoods, one simple act of kindness at a time.
Snapshot of a Fresh Expression of Church
What is the Fresh Expression called?
Coop’s Soups
Where is it?
Brookville, Maryland
Who is it for?
Coop’s Soups serves individuals in Brookville, Maryland, who are seeking community and connection, including those experiencing loneliness or food insecurity.
What do they do?
Coop’s Soups is a community-focused initiative in Brookville, Maryland, that brings people together through the shared experience of making and sharing soup. By sourcing ingredients from local farms and hosting gatherings where neighbors can connect over meals, it addresses issues like loneliness and food insecurity, embodying the principle of loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
Who is the Pioneer?
Cristin Cooper is owner of Coop’s Soups and is a licensed local pastor in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, focusing on Fresh Expressions.
Where can I learn more?
