Lambscroft Ministries

History and Background

In 2008, compassion stirred among a group of believers, together with several local churches, to address the plight of homelessness in the community. Out of their vision, they created a program called Church in the Yard (CiTY), held in the yard of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Nashville. The program consisted of serving food and holding a Sunday service for the homeless.

That same year, the Upper Room Shelter program began by taking in six homeless individuals on a biweekly basis at the Woodbine Cumberland Presbyterian Church gymnasium. Eventually, the program grew to welcome between 60 and 110 individuals. Twice a week, they were provided with a hot meal and a safe place to sleep. The Upper Room Shelter closed in August 2015 after the church property was sold.

During this time, a more intentional effort was made to organize and unify the vision. In 2011, Lambscroft Ministries became an official 501(c)(3) organization. A “croft” is an old English term for a small tenant farm, symbolizing our commitment to care for and steward what the Lamb has entrusted to us.

Lambscroft’s vision was to do more for homeless men than simply hand out food and provide temporary shelter. There was a major need for job opportunities, as well as spiritual renewal and restoration. Brett Swayn, Lambscroft’s founder and director, had a professional background in training people in the culinary arts. He realized he could use this experience to help the homeless by establishing a café where they could receive both employment and culinary training for future opportunities.

After three years of pursuing the dream, The Cookery café opened in the summer of 2013. In addition to serving coffee, breakfast, lunch, and catering services, The Cookery became a business with a greater purpose. In its kitchen, formerly homeless men enroll as students to receive hands-on training in culinary techniques and food safety, preparing them for employment in Nashville’s food industry.

“Through all of this God has taught us perseverance, resilience, patience, and trust,” says Brett Swayn. While the goal is for revenue from The Cookery to cover expenses and fund programs for Nashville’s homeless, the reality is that the café will always depend on the generosity, time, and goodwill of others to sustain it. Training students in a live, hands-on environment requires quality time, even if production slows.

Lambscroft is also committed to giving students time off for spiritual counseling and personal growth, as many enter the program while facing addictions or other challenges. To support this, Lambscroft established two Discipleship Houses, providing a safe, distraction-free place where students can engage in spiritual study, build community, and work toward a renewed life.

Request a Speaker

If you would like Brett or Merari Swayn, or another team member to speak at your church, school, class, group, or event, please email info@thecookery.org with:

1. Event date & time
2. Reason or theme for the event
3. Contact name, email, and phone number

We do not require an honorarium. Any offerings or honorariums will support our outreach and culinary training programs unless you specify otherwise.

If you would like to bless the speaker personally, please make the check payable to the speaker directly and not to Lambscroft Ministries or The Cookery. Thank you!