Whether you’ve got a good church kitchen you’d like to put to better use, or are looking for inspiration to persuade your committee to agree to a kitchen renovation, here are four great events to try out at your church this summer.

Cookery class
Great for older students looking for something to fill the long stretch of the summer holiday, a cookery class is a great congregation get together if you have a decent sized kitchen. You don’t need to hire a professional chef (as long as everyone attending knows it’s a bit of fun, and probably won’t earn them a place on Master Chef).

Movie night
If you’re lucky enough to have some outside space, a projector and good weather-divining skills, you could host an open air movie night. If not, a standard indoor cinema in your church hall will work just as well. A decent kitchen will be able to support hot drinks and popcorn, but if your kitchen can stretch to hot dogs and nachos you can bring the full cinema experience straight to your doorstep (and at a fraction of the price of the ‘real’ cinema for families in your area).

School’s out celebrations
An end of term celebration, especially for year 6 children heading off to big school after the summer holidays, is a great way to bring your church congregation and others in your community together. A few treats prepared in your church kitchen and some ice tea for the parents will go a long way to getting everyone in the summer spirit.

Recreate a restaurant (with a summer holiday theme)
Really push the boat out with a full dinner (see what Holy Trinity Bradford on Avon did for Burn’s Night in our most recent case study). A fun night out for those who might not be able to get away to the sun this year, you can recreate that bistro-by-the beach vibe with some summery dishes – we don’t recommend trying to recreate an actual beach unless you want to be hoovering sand out of the carpet for the next ten years. Some churches have offered similar nights with children’s bible study club in another room, offering parents a well-earned break for the evening.

At Steelplan Kitchens, our designers have years of experience creating bespoke kitchens that help churches to get the best of both worlds; installing commercial quality kitchens with a cosy, domestic feel. To find out how your church could benefit from a free consultation, call us on 0844 809 9186.