Kids in the Kitchen: Grove Church Starts Health Ministry Initiative for Children
In an effort to reach its community members and teach children the importance of a healthy diet, the Grove, Ky., Church started a cooking class called “Kids in the Kitchen.” The program, which began in August of 2022, consists of interactive presentations and fun recipes.
James and Susan Farber, Grove Church members, took the initiative to start the classes following the success of the Healthy Kids Expo they held in July 2022.
“In the past, we tried other approaches [to reach the community] such as inviting doctors and health personnel to give lectures, but they have had limited success,” said James Farber. “When we incorporated the children's programs, those became the most attended meetings of the entire month.”
The program is held the first Tuesday of each month and averages 40 people in attendance. The cooking classes was inspired by the Julie Rogers book, Fun With Kids in the Kitchen Cookbook. Over the past months, they have talked about vitamins, minerals, fruits, and vegetables.
In addition to learning kitchen safety practices, the children have made smoothies, fruit parfaits, vegetable robots, and vegetable dips. According to James Farber, parents are excited to see their children trying new foods.
“Parents have told us that their children are making better [food] choices, and wanting to try more healthy recipes,” said James Farber.
In the future, the Kids in the Kitchen team will be showing how to make bread, casseroles, and pastas, and will teach the different ways to cook tofu. James Farber adds that they also want to create a second class for adults.
“I think our ultimate goal is to make disciples,” said James Farber. “We’d like to eventually see [all visitors] come into our temple and fellowship with us.”
Kentucky-Tennessee | February 2023
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