Not Called to Endeavor Alone

still want them to gain a sense of comfort and compassion in any regard. A chaplain, then, can give practical advice or objective guidance and we are glad to make that available here at work.”

Rachel and Kevin Cummins own Sweet Lemon Kitchen, Little Lemon at the Library, and City Post in Georgetown. These restaurateurs with many “Best in Georgetown” awards and hundreds of five-star reviews believe their purpose at work is to not only prepare high-quality food and benefit their community, but ultimately to share the love of Christ.

The Cummins were also inspired by Ken Schiller’s Care Team model and are working toward a program of chaplaincy to serve their employees needs in meaningful ways. Rachel says, “I don’t have answers to everything and people aren’t always comfortable sharing or bringing their personal lives to their employer but we

Decision We Ever Made”

stories of impact, including marriages saved, suicides prevented (13), and more. Noting that he is only able to share because those employees had chosen to do the same, he remains pleased by the inference that TMC reached far beyond the hundreds of times he was included in the conversation. He says, “We operated under John Maxwell’s principle that ‘people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’ TMC was the primary way we demonstrated and made it real for them. It effected every metric in the company and was a key driver to K&N winning the Malcom Baldridge Award in 2010.”

Schiller’s advice for business owners considering a care program is, “Don’t worry if this a good ROI or ‘is this the best use of funds?’ You do it because it’s the right thing to do. That’s reason enough. All the good things that will come from doing the right thing will take care of themselves.”

Implementing a Team Member Care/Chaplaincy model is in-process, but caring for their staff has always been a priority for the Cummins. Rachel encourages business owners, sharing, “It doesn’t have to be hard. I started with a prayer board on which I would write employee prayers as they shared them—without much detail, just a name and need. Any time an employee tells me, I write it down. I know they appreciate it because sometimes I go in there and someone else has added a card to the board.” The Cummins also extended an open invitation to employees to pray with them or ask for prayers at any time, with no pressure to do either, just an invitation.

Both Cummins agree that a key part of the Chaplaincy program’s success will be to impart upon employees that they are free to pray and free not to. “What works for us may not work for another—God has never been a one-size-fits-all proposition.” Reflecting on Endeavor and the impact of the ministry, Rachel says, “The power of testimony moving in different industries or across different career levels has been inspiring and propelled us to envision an even better business approach; it only takes a spark.”

Johnson agrees with their strategy and applauds the Cummins’ care for their staff and workplace witness. “It is truly remarkable the impact one business owner can have on so many lives as they re-imagine serving their staff and customers on a deeper level. We’re seeing the power of a ripple effect God set in-motion through Ken Schiller’s testimony and now through leaders like the Cummins. We were created to serve, and as more owners and leaders walk out their purpose, lives will be changed.”