DWELL Leader Trainings: Everything you need to know for a new ministry year

When my son was 3 years old, he turned to me one day at lunch and said matter of factly, “God doesn’t like bad guys.” Immediately I responded that no—God, of course, loves everyone! To which he replied, “But he had David kill Goliath!”

This conversation happened years ago, but I think of it often as a reminder of the great privilege it is to share God’s Big Story with children. They are thoughtful, spiritual marvels, who have as much to teach us as we hope to bring to them, and it’s so important to take seriously the task of shepherding their walk with God.

That’s why the Dwell team decided to launch three new opportunities for training—to be held August 2023 on Zoom—that help coordinators and leaders prepare for the coming year of children’s ministry.

Two of these trainings will be for Dwell leaders, those actually leading the children through the Dwell session each week. Of those two, one training will be for Dwell Flex leaders and the other for leaders using Dwell’s age-graded materials. In these trainings, I’ll walk through the elements included in each Dwell session, give some suggestions for preparing to lead each week, and provide a time for leaders to ask any questions they have about the program.

I’m also hosting a check-in time for Dwell coordinators—those who are running their Dwell program each week. During this event I’ll share a variety of resources that will help coordinators run their specific Dwell programs, and then provide a chance for attendees to both ask questions and connect with one another to share ideas and best practices. (Sharing will be done in a large group. At this point there is not a plan to include breakout rooms.)

To attend these events, simply sign up at the following links: 

• Age-graded leader training: Tuesday, August 15 at 8 pm, EDT
• Flex leader training: Thursday, August 17 at 8 pm, EDT
• Coordinator resource and connect: Wednesday, August 9 at 1 pm, EDT

And spread the word! If you’re a coordinator, I encourage you to pass this information on to all of your Dwell leaders, inviting them to attend. If you’re a parent, make sure your children’s ministry leaders know these events are happening.

If you’re looking for other ways to connect, check out the Dwell leaders’ Facebook group. Learn more about Dwell, and compare our main age-graded sessions and Dwell Flex.