Insights & Information

New hire part of growing food service ministry

Jim and Ruth Dumont

Triad has hired its first director of food ministries to keep pace with a growing number of church events requiring food.

Member Jim Dumont (right with wife, Ruth), whose commercial bakery supplies many area restaurants and who does independent contract work for Salem Kitchen and other catering businesses, heads the ministry.

Executive Administrator Dennis Roberts said the church’s growth and catering needs along with capabilities created by the Worship Center/Gym’s commercial kitchen made the time right to make a volunteer role into a part-time position.

When the Worship Center/Gym was planned, the church had considered using the kitchen to host banquets and other events for outside groups. However, recent court decisions have led the church to reconsider so it will be used for the church’s own ministries and events.

“Jim will be responsible of any church function requiring food to be cooked on-site and manage the Food and Fellowship Team,” Roberts said. “These meal functions can range from church-wide events to a youth meal or even ministry team meetings that would desire to use our commercial kitchen.”

Dumont, who has been learning the food service ropes at Triad since July, officially becomes head of the Food and Fellowship Committee Dec. 31, assuming the duties from member Phil West who rolls off on that date after three years of service.

“I have greatly enjoyed getting to know and work with Phil over the past couple of months,” Dumont said. “The food programs at Triad have a solid foundation to build upon based on his work and others before him and I’m excited about the potential for the future.”

Dumont credits West with helping him become familiar with the kitchen and current procedures.

“I helped Phil with a couple of events during VBS and took the lead on the most recent First Steps dinner,” he said. “On Aug. 25, I received my ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification. For the remainder of the calendar year, I’ll continue working in concert with Phil and the committee.”

Dumont said he first became aware of the new position at a church council meeting. “When the position was first listed in the bulletin, I applied,” he said. “I had wanted to be involved in the food service at Triad from the time I was aware that we were building a licensed (inspected) kitchen.”

Food, Dumont said, is not only required for life but a significant element in the life of the church.

“There are many biblical references to food and the sharing of meals by the church, and not eating with a brother is also mentioned as a means of rebuke and discipline,” Dumont said. “To me it is no small matter when the brethren share a meal. I believe that food should not be an afterthought as a part of fellowship, but should be of the highest quality — why I submitted a five-page catering menu to Dennis and Phil and Lead Pastor Pastor Rob Decker for their review and critique.”

Dumont’s new role adds to an extensive lineup of ministry involvement at Triad after Jim and his wife, Ruth, joined Triad in October 2008.

Together, they serve in VBS, facilitate the DivorceCare ministry, and serve in the nursery on Wednesday evenings. Jim also serves on the Nominating Committee and teaches the Halieus (fishermen) Men’s Sunday School Class while Ruth co-teaches the Titus 2 Ladies Sunday School Class with Kathy Chase.

Jim also provides mediation services for Christians in conflict and bakes the bread used for communion.

Since joining Triad, one of the Dumont’s children was married (Laura Horrell), and they are expecting their first grandchild (Charis, Greek for Grace) in November. Their son, David, serves in the Marine Corps. Daughter, Abigail, 7, has grown up at Triad while son, Benjamin, was born last year. Their daughter, Lydia, 17, serves in the youth and music ministries of a church in Lewisville.

Cost savings and quality

Dumont said that one of the objectives of the new position is to optimize use of the commercial kitchen. That includes helping the church realize cost savings from former catering markups and quality improvements from preparing the food closer to the time it’s needed.

“A caterer must mark food up about 200 percent to cover food costs, utilities, rent, insurance and other overhead, packaging and transportation, and other costs that are largely eliminated when we prepare the food onsite,” he said. Another way Dumont wants to get the most out of the kitchen facilities is to use it as the site for cooking classes for adults and youth.

“I love to cook for people, and my favorite ‘customers” are my family members,” he said. “Cooking to me is a labor of love and I look forward to sharing that passion with my fellow TBC family.”

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