Church Kitchen Ministry   

by Ken Jobst, Church Kitchens Institute

                 "...and to the ladies back there in the kitchen who prepared tonight's meal; let's show them our appreciation..."

Polite applause follows, and there you have it.  That's about as much as we church leaders think about kitchen ministries these days. From a leadership perspective we have so many other important things competing for our attention: How will we meet this year's budget? What should we do to raise our profile in the community? How do we involve new members into the life of the church? What about our membership numbers, our worship attendance, our youth programming?

The answer to all these questions may have been right there all along -- the church kitchen ministry!

I serve as director of the Church Kitchens Institute, which is dedicated to helping churches maximize the potential of their kitchens. The Church Kitchens Institute helps churches think of their kitchen resources around three key values:     

• Community - How do we nurture a sense of belonging among                                            members? 
• Hospitality - How do we reach out to the community around us with                                genuine welcome?
• Celebration - Are we doing what we do with an infectious sense of joy?

These values guide a process called "Strategic Culinary Ministry" which intentionally coordinates food-service ministry to align with the overall purposes and goals of the church throughout the year. To put it another way, Strategic Culinary Ministry brings together the overall mission of the church

Julia Clark, a longtime member of Knox Presbyterian Church, helps prepare a meal in the church's kitchen.

(the Head) with the practice of the culinary craft (the Hands) and the warmth of the kitchen (the Heart). 

Vital and growing churches see the value and potential of their foodservice. We are a faith that is centered around a meal - the Eucharist - and we are being true to our calling when we affirm God's grace as it is delivered through the kitchen.  Remember, Jesus first miracle was in a kitchen.

 A Strategic Culinary Ministry plan for a church results in church kitchens that are:

• Safe, so that we can manage the risks,
• Staffed, so that we can engage when ready,
• Successful, so that we can enjoy the rewards.

The Church Kitchens Institute is currently engaged in a first-of-its-kind nation-wide survey of church kitchen ministries. You can participate in the survey by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LDCJJWF. If you would like to learn more about the Church kitchens Institute and Strategic Culinary Ministry, check out their blog at www.churchkitchens.blogspot.com or follow them on Twitter@CKI_and_SCM. 

The Rev. Dr. Ken Jobst  is the Director of The Church Kitchens Institute and author of the study The Bib and the Apron: Developing a Strategic Culinary Ministry for the Local Church. He is the principal investigator for the first nation-wide, multi-denominational survey of church kitchen ministries, and author of Starting Your Culinary Ministry: A Workbook for Churches. Ken is also the Executive Vice-President for Institutional Effectiveness and Professor of Church Growth at Simmons College of Kentucky in Louisville, KY. In addition, he serves as the Executive Assistant Pastor at St. Stephen Church in Louisville, KY.  Contact Ken Jobst