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Your Kitchen Table Can Be a Place for Ministry - by Jan L. Burt

     Wondering how you can have some kind of ministry as a busy mom who is doing her best to keep her head above water? Let me share some ideas with you!


Your kitchen table is the perfect place to do lots of hands-on, real-life ministry. It’s in your own home, so there’s no travel involved for you, and it’s already welcoming for others. If you can set out a plate of cookies (homemade or store bought) and brew a pot of coffee, open your Bible and study it alongside others, then you’ve got everything you need to start a “kitchen table ministry” in your own home. 








Not sure what part of the Bible to study? Here are some good options:


 Romans chapter 8 (lots of hope, plenty of promises to dig into, very encouraging but also challenging to help us grow in our faith).

 Psalm 91 (an amazing psalm to study and to pray over yourselves and your loved ones - and I have a totally free audio-based Bible study on Psalm 91 for you at this link!).

 John chapter 15 (take a deep dive into Jesus’ words and talk about how to implement these powerful truths into your lives on the daily).

 Matthew chapter 24 (if you want to examine the current state of the world and consider what the future holds, this chapter is a good one to study). 




What if you are a bit nervous about inviting friends over for kitchen table Bible study? Maybe you’d like a bit of “practice” before you dive head-first into this kind of ministry. Give the “kitchen table ministry” a try with your husband and your children! You could study Proverbs or memorize Psalm 103 as a family, and discuss it verse by verse. You may be surprised by the insights your children have to share! You can apply the KISS method (Keep It Super Simple). Choose a passage, read a verse, allow everyone time to share about the verse, and close by praying for your family. This is a very doable way to begin utilizing your kitchen table as a ministry hub. 


Your family already gathers around the kitchen table for meals, board games, homework or homeschool lessons, holiday gatherings and maybe even to fold the laundry. Ministry is already happening in those moments, most likely. Praying together before dinner, encouraging them as they work on their math assignment, hearing extended family members share what’s taking place in their lives over Thanksgiving dinner; all of that is ministry. By adding a new routine, you’re not doing something brand new so much as you are extending what’s already taking place. In other words, it’s not impossible; it’s just the next level of what you’re already doing regularly.


And if leading a Bible study for your friends feels intimidating, maybe you could start a monthly prayer hour. Serve coffee or iced tea, cookies or a fruit tray, have everyone bring a place to write down prayer requests, and once a month gather together for one hour. Give everyone a set amount of time (like 7 minutes) to share some prayer needs, jot them down, and pray together. Encourage your friends to pray for these needs over the next few weeks and schedule a time to do it again in a month or so. Viola! You’ve just hosted real and impactful and meaningful ministry around your kitchen table. 


Times are changing for believers, and it seems prudent to start doing more ministry in our homes rather than leaving it all to the "professionals". Perhaps a kitchen table ministry will be the start of an amazing, God-honoring ministry for you and your loved ones!


(Links to resources I offer: Psalm 91 Bible study free offer / A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents available on Amazon / The Next 7 Days pdf prayer journal)


Lord bless you!


Jan L. Burt

















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