History of the Overflowing Cup

Part I: In the Beginning

The Overflowing Cup started as a Coffeehouse on April 19, 1974, next to Domenico's Pizza at 534 East Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit. Since 1974 more than 1000 different groups have performed at The Overflowing Cup. This includes local artists such as Jeff Coan, Tom Mathy, John Reints, The Richmond Brothers and a young Christian Rock Group called PROPHET. In addition to local artists, many nationally known artists played at The Overflowing Cup including Resurrection Band, John Michael Talbot, GLAD, Servant, Soul Purpose and Randy Matthews, sometimes called the Grandfather of Christian Rock 'n Roll.

There was no generation gap at the height of it's popularity. The Coffee House was a popular hangout for young and old alike to gather in the '70s and '80s. People came from far and near to enjoy a night of wholesome activities including concerts, movies and "open" nights when amateurs and local talented artists would share the stage. Many have dedicated their lives to Christ and some have gone into full-time Christian service around the world. Others, who were teen-agers in the '70s have come back to serve on the staff of the ministry.

Part II: Ministry in Motion

The Coffee House has sustained several moves in the past years. It opened on April 19, 1974, in a small storefront building at 534 East Grand Avenue in Beloit, Wisconsin.

In 1976 the "Cup" moved from 534 East Grand Avenue to the old YMCA at 512 Public Avenue. This was an exciting move because God gave favor with the owners and rented it to The Overflowing Cup for $1.00 per year. The building was built in 1915 and was ideally suited for the ministry. It had 61 sleeping rooms, a gymnasium and a swimming pool. The gym had a running track and was converted to an auditorium for concerts and other activities.

It seemed like the ministry would eventually own the property and did occupy it for five years. But then politics came into play and the owner GAVE the building to the City of Beloit who later tore it down and made a parking lot. Guess what - now the ministry who had reached out to the homeless and those in need, was homeless itself.

For the next six weeks, the coffee house concerts were held in the auditorium of the Open Bible Church. During that time in the fall of 1981, The Overflowing Cup purchased the old Jupiter Store building at 334 East Grand Avenue and began renovation. It was the original Kresge (K-Mart) building built in 1921. This building had 22,000 square feet and was located in the most desirable area of downtown, on top of the Rock River in the very heart of the city. The storefront needed work and over the next 15 years many volunteer hours and labors of love were invested in the property. In 1984, The Overflowing Cup adopted the Harbor For The Homeless and moved it into the building. In 1985, church services were started on a regular basis and a new dimension of ministry took place. Again, the ministry was prepared to stay in that location until Jesus returns BUT apparently God had other plans.

In September of 1995, the Beloit City Manager called Dave and Pat Fogderud inviting them to lunch. He told them that a company was coming to town and planned to hire 100 people but that they wouldn't come unless they could have their building. Even though there were no plans to move, Dave and Pat began negotiating with the City of Beloit and several weeks later the City offered $550,000 cash for the property. This was their last offer and they were in the process of forcing The Overflowing Cup out using the law of eminent domain. This action by the City nearly destroyed the ministry of The Overflowing Cup and the Harbor For The Homeless.

After the sale of the Jupiter building, many people stopped supporting the ministry and thought that they had closed permanently. But not so - three other facilities were purchased to accommodate the ministry of The Overflowing Cup and the Harbor For The Homeless.

A former group home at 1816 Harrison Avenue was purchased to house the homeless shelter. A church building at 4242 S. Chippendale Avenue was purchased and became the corporate headquarters as well as the Coffee House and Church facility. Then a large warehouse was purchased to accomplish the move and function as a donations distribution center. The Rags To Riches Donations Distribution Center which was operated by the ministry had to be closed down and the building at 310 State Street was used during the transition for storage and later became a Youth Center and Coffee House.

Again, the ministry was prepared to stay in these new locations until Jesus returns. But once again, God was preparing the ministry for another change. It became too far, even with a bus, to transport people from downtown to the church in the country. So a search was begun for another building in downtown Beloit.

In December of 1997, God brought a buyer for the church in the country and the large warehouse, making it possible to purchase another building in downtown Beloit. On April 1, 1998, The Overflowing Cup Total Life Center purchased 306 State Street. During all of this transition, The Overflowing Cup continued to operate Transitional Housing, a Christian Discipleship Program for both men and women. For nearly eight years, The Overflowing Cup also developed and operated the Janesville Total Life Center, which pioneered the ministry to the homeless in Janesville.

Part III: The Ministry Today

Inspite of all the turmoil, opposition and change and after being forced out of downtown in 1995, The Overflowing Cup has "Hung in there" and not given up. The "Cup" has staged a comeback with emphasis on youth and reaching young people for Christ. Now you can enjoy concerts EVERY Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. and radical worship and solid Bible teaching on Sunday nights at 6:00 p.m. Plus, an Open Mic night on Fridays starting at 7:00 p.m. So if you have a prayer request, or just feel like making some noise for the Lord, you are more than welcome to participate.

In 1997 it was decided to rename the Coffee House division of The Overflowing Cup, JOSIAH'S PLACE Coffee House, named after Josiah David Price. Josiah is the son of Randy and Kathy Price and grandson of Dave and Pat Fogderud. At 3 years old, Josiah was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor on his brain stem. The Coffee House was named in honor of Josiah because it was felt that Josiah is representative of the young people in our community and society and that we must invest time and other resources into the youth of this generation. Click here to see the website dedicated to telling the story of Josiah Price.

O u t r e a c h

Harbor For The Homeless

The Overflowing Cup from it’s inception, has endeavored to reach the YOUTH of this generation.  However, being a street ministry, we encountered the needs of the homeless the first week we were open.  One of the first was a Native American Indian who fought at Wounded Knee rebellion in South Dakota.  Then came three young women who were trying to escape the drug scene.  Dave allowed the men to stay at his apartment and Pat would take the women to her home.  During the first two  years after Dave and Pat were married, they took 57 people into their home, which included some ministers who ministered at the Cup.  This became difficult while raising a family.  With four telephone lines terminating at their home, and homeless people and other guests staying overnight, The Overflowing Cup rented large  homes and referred to them as Emergency Housing.  Each home had House Parents.

Then in 1984, after a woman froze to death in a telephone booth in Northern Wisconsin, homelessness became an issue of public concern.  So a task force was formed to address this need.  Pat Fogderud was on the task force  along with other citizens from Beloit, including Rev. Jerry Krause of the First United Methodist Church.  The Harbor For The Homeless was then formed and began in the First United Methodist Church on Public Avenue in Beloit.  After several months, the church decided not to host the shelter anymore and The Harbor For The Homeless was adopted as a Division of The Overflowing Cup Total Life Center and moved to it’s facility at 334 East Grand Avenue in Beloit, Wisconsin.  For a short time, CARITAS helped to subsidize the cost of operating The Harbor For The Homeless.  The Overflowing Cup modified it’s name after realizing that the ministry had become more than simply a coffeehouse and was truly touching all of the needs including Body, Soul and Spirit.  Thus, The Overflowing Cup Christian Coffeehouse Ministry became The Overflowing Cup Total Life Center, Inc. and the Coffeehouse became a Division of the The Overflowing Cup Total Life Center.

Janesville Total Life Center

In 1990 The Overflowing Cup expanded it’s outreach to Janesville, Wisconsin.  The ministry purchased a building at 405 West Milwaukee Street where it operated a Christian Coffeehouse directed by Richard St. Ross Lombardo.    Sometime later they purchased the next three buildings – 407, 409 and 411 West Milwaukee Street where they operated a Thrift Shop and a Youth Center.  The apartments upstairs above the buildings became Transitional Housing.  The City had given permission to operate a Homeless Shelter in this block but there was not enough financial support.  So after 5 years, the Janesville Total Life Center was closed.

Even  though the lifespan of The Janesville Total Life Center was only five years, it made a difference in many lives and it was a successful model of the plans to expand into other cities and parts of the country.  The Overflowing Cup has already had numerous requests to open coffeehouse ministries in other cities.  Anyone interested in opening similar ministries and would like to part of a network of coffeehouses can contact The Overflowing Cup in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Live Music Concerts

Live Jesus music has always been part of our weekly activities since the coffeehouse was  founded in 1974. For the first 10 years,  concerts were held on both Friday and Saturday nights and later went to just one concert a week.  Many local, regional and national groups played at the coffeehouse over the years and some went on to be nationally recognized.  In excess of 2500 concerts have been hosted by The Overflowing Cup over the years and MANY people have found personal relationships with Jesus Christ as a result.

Rock On The Rock Outdoor Music Festival

The RESURRECTION Band played our first outdoor concert at Horace White Park in June of 1974.  It was so effective that we held outdoor concerts every year thereafter.  In the 1980’s we called the outreach HARBORFEST and later changed it to Rock On The Rock which became an annual weekend event with up to 15 different bands.  The weekend of music has always included Fun, Food and Fellowship with the goal of spreading the Love of Jesus to a lost and dying world.

Relocations and Transitions

The Overflowing Cup continued to grow and moved from the small storefront at 534 East Grand Avenue to the Old YMCA at 512 Public Avenue in 1986.  After 5 years developing the Old YMCA, the ministry was forced to move again to the Old JUPITER Store at 334 East Grand Avenue.  We were able to buy that building and could not be forced to move again.  However, in 1995, the City of Beloit purchased our building because they did not want the homeless shelter so visible.  This move put us in a big transition.  We had to decentralize and bought an old group home to house the Harbor For The Homeless.  We bought a warehouse on 5 acres to accomplish the move and we bought a church facility on 4 acres to house our Concerts, Bible Studies and Church activities.  From 1990 to 1995, The Overflowing Cup expanded into Janesville, Wisconsin, forming the JANESVILLE TOTAL LIFE CENTER on West Milwaukee Street as a Division of The Overflowing Cup, with the late Richard St. Ross Lombardo as the Director and Overseer.  Much fruit came of that outreach but there was not enough financial support to keep it going.  After selling the chuch facility on 4242 Chippendale Drive, the Coffeehouse activities were relocated back to downtown Beloit at 310 State Street.  Musicians had to climb 21 stairs every week with their equipment for 13 months to play their concerts.  Then the building next door at 306 State Street was purchased and housed most activities plus the ministry offices.  It was large enough to accommodate crowds of 200 or more and over 300 holiday meals were served  at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Then after selling that facility some 15 years later, The Overflowing Cup downsized back into the building next door at 310 State Street in downtown Beloit.  Concerts and Bible Studies continued there until relocating into the new facility at 1175 Madison Road in Beloit, Wisconsin in the Spring of 2014.

Pat’s Death – In Memory Of

Pat Fogderud came down with cancer in 1987 and experienced a healing that lasted for 10 years.  However, a cancerous tumor formed on her sciatic nerve in about 1997 and she passed away on December 26, 1998.  Pat was such a vital part of the ministry and her death affected many people along with the operation of The Overflowing Cup and the Harbor For The Homeless.

Dave’s Marriage to Diana

After Pat’s death, Dave Fogderud thought that he would remain single for the rest of his life.  But God had other plans.  Common musician friends Scott and Michelle Dalzael introduced Dave to Diana Hinricks from the Quad City area in Iowa.  Dave and Diana found that they had much in common and knew some of the same Jesus People from the 1970’s.  Diana had traveled with a group called CHRIST IS THE ANSWER which was a tent ministry during the Jesus Movement.  She traveled to over 300 cities during her time with  CITA, sharing the Gospel with many, and all the time raising her 3 children as a single mom.  Dave and Diana married on October 23, 1999 in Davenport, Iowa.  Diana had been trained as a nurse and social worker so her skills fit right in to the ministry of The Overflowing Cup where she serves to this day.