In 2008, compassion stirred amongst a group of  believers, in conjunction with some local area churches, to address the plight of homelessness in the community. Out of their vision, they created a program called Church in the Yard. It was held in the yard of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (downtown Nashville) and 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 to 110 individuals. Twice a week, they were provided with a hot meal, and a safe place to sleep. The Upper Room Shelter closed its doors in August 2015 due to the church property being sold. During this time, a more concerted effort was made to organize and unify the vision. In 2011, Lambscroft Ministries became an official 501c3 organization. A croft is an old English term for a small tenant farm, so we want to attend to, and steward that which the Lamb has entrusted to us.

Lambscroft’s vision was to do more for the homeless men than just hand out food and provide temporary shelter. There was a major need for job opportunities and spiritual renewal and restoration. Brett Swayn, Lambscroft’s founder and director, came out of an employment history that involved training people in the culinary arts. He awakened to the realization that he could do the same for the homeless. Why not establish a café where homeless men could be given a job and at the same time receive training for future employment in the culinary arts? After pursuing the dream for three years, the opening of The Cookery café was fulfilled in the summer of 2013. The Cookery, in addition to serving coffee, breakfast, lunch, and catering services, was now a business with an outreach and greater purpose. In The Cookery kitchen, formerly homeless men enroll as students, are trained and equipped in culinary techniques and food safety, in order to prepare them for employment in Nashville’s food industry. “Through all of this God has taught us perseverance, resilience, patience, and trust,” says Brett Swayn. Ideally, all revenue from The Cookery goes to cover café expenses and to give back into programs serving Nashville’s homeless. The reality is that the business model of The Cookery will always depend on the generosity, time, and good will of others to sustain it. Training students in a live, hands-on environment involves quality time with the understanding that production may suffer. In addition, Lambscroft is committed to giving time off for spiritual counseling and nurture as most come into the program dealing with addictions or other forms of bondage. To assist with ministering to the whole person, Lambscroft established two Discipleship Houses, where students can live in a safe environment, free of distractions while seeking spiritual study, community, and a renewed life.

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