It’s Christmas! One of the busiest times in the church year is upon us and the season of goodwill will mean a lot more people in your church. Here are some fun ways to put your church kitchen at the centre of the celebrations.

Hold a Christingle service
Christingle services are always popular with families. Nothing says Christmas more than twinkling candlelight and the smell of oranges in the air – not to mention a few sweets!

A Christingle service is a great way to bring new people into the church, and children always love to be involved in the preparation. Before the service, invite local children to help make the Christingles in your church kitchen, explaining the meaning of each element as you construct them.

Children will be delighted to tell the adults in their lives the meaning of their Christingle, and will be keen for their parents or carers to attend your Christingle service to show off their hard work.

Host a food bank Christmas dinner
While Christmas is a time of plenty for many, for those suffering financial difficulties it can be a trying time of the year. Hosting a Christmas dinner for those in need is a lovely way to use your kitchen to help those less fortunate and share the true meaning of Christmas.

As well as providing a Christmas dinner for someone who may otherwise go without, a communal meal is a vital source of company for those without anyone. December can be a lonely time of year if you don’t have family and friends nearby.

During Advent you could ask people to donate food items to the church and then make up a basket for those who come to take away with them as well.

Make sure there are plenty of mince pies in the kitchen and a constant supply of tea and coffee to thank the volunteers.

Put on a Christmas Tree festival
Christmas tree festivals are becoming increasingly popular as they are a great way to get the local community involved in the church. Invite local businesses, organisations and families – everyone is welcome – to display a decorated Christmas tree in the church and then open the doors to the public to view the trees throughout December.

With all those new people visiting, your kitchen will need to be up to the job of feeding and watering all the visitors, and well stocked with volunteers, on hand to serve the mince pies and mulled wine.

Is your kitchen ready to host festive events? Steelplan’s uniquely durable kitchens will serve your church well for many Christmases to come. Steelplan Kitchen’s offer a free consultation for churches looking to upgrade their existing kitchen or install a new one. To see how a Steelplan Kitchen could help your church, call us on 0844 809 9186.