PHOENIX — By combining the consumption of beer with the mental ingestion of the Bible, a group of Christians in Tempe are reaching out to craft beer lovers throughout the metro Phoenix area.

On the third Tuesday of every month, members of the Gethsemane Lutheran Church gather at various breweries, pubs, and bars to discuss the word of God for an event called Bibles n’ Brew.

“God’s word applies to every part of our life so why not get out into a place like a brewpub or a brewery and enjoy a good time with friends and spend time talking about God’s word,” Pastor Troy Schmidt with the church said.

Schmidt is the Senior Pastor at the Tempe-based church, but is also is an avid lover of India Pale Ales and a self-described hop-head.

Through Bibles n’ Brew, Schmidt said the church is gaining new members and reaching out to different groups of people.

“We’ve got the repeat offenders that comeback and wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “I think more is just this sentiment of how cool that our church is willing to go out to a brewpub and talk about God’s word and spend time in Bible study there.”

Schmidt said beer is drank in moderation at the Bible study and it is used as a way to connect with people who might feel uneasy about religion or church.

“We are a Lutheran church,” he said. “Martin Luther seemed to be okay with beer and we see that people are just excited that we are doing something creative to get God’s word out there. We really haven’t had push back from anywhere.”