Abstract
Café-based dakwah brings religious learning into an everyday youth setting, but an informal café should not be assumed to be universally inclusive or free of religious authority. Purpose: This study explores the essence and everyday relevance of the psychosocial and spiritual experiences of Ngopi Senja participants in Trenggalek, together with the boundaries and obstacles that shape participation. A qualitative phenomenological study involved five informants: three active participants, the committee chairperson, and a mentor who also serves as a speaker. Data were generated through in-depth interviews, eight documented participant-observation sessions during the formal field period, and documentation. The researcher was an insider member of the organizing committee; bracketing, triangulation, peer discussion, and member checking were used to limit confirmation bias. Peer belonging and social support emerged as the dominant psychosocial domain, accompanied by self-acceptance, emotion regulation, and religious coping. Participants valued the café’s informal atmosphere and dialogical discussion, yet openness remained conditional on café consumption, social and religious affinity, and the continuing authority of the speaker. Disagreement was possible but uncommon, and the study did not directly trace participants who stopped attending. The meaningfulness of café-based dakwah is produced through the interplay of informal space, relational support, guided religious dialogue, and participants’ own meaning-making; its inclusivity is therefore contextual rather than universal.