How a Mid-Year Check-In Can Encourage and Equip Your DWELL Leaders

One of the joys of serving as a Dwell leader at my church has been receiving the care and support of my Dwell coordinator. This was particularly true the other day when I received an email from my coordinator with a quick check-in and a link to the age characteristics page for my Dwell group. The email was simple and brief, but it reminded me that I’m not alone in this task. 

A mid-year check-in is a great way to touch base with your Dwell leaders. It reminds them that you’re available to help and support them as needed. Include some encouragement for your leaders, a reminder to let you know if they’re running low on any of their supplies, and some helpful resources to equip them at this mid-way point. Here are some wonderful resources you could link to:

• Age Characteristic Pages: While each child’s developmental path is unique, there are common patterns. We’ve provided a list of intellectual, social, and spiritual characteristics for each level of Dwell that will help your leaders better understand the children in their group.
• Helping Children Celebrate Diversity: God's family is wonderfully diverse. It encompasses people of all ethnicities, geographic locations, gifts and abilities, and ages. But in a world warped by sin, we often do not embrace those differences. This helpful resource provides a variety of suggestions to encourage leaders to celebrate diversity in their Dwell group.
• Network posts: There are a variety of helpful Network posts for Dwell leaders. Share the link to the Network for them to explore on their own or include a link to one of these helpful blogs:
  • Five Ways Dwell's Story Symbols Can Help You Tell God's Story
  • Five Pictures Books That Tell God’s Big Story
• Dwelling: Share one of these helpful chapters from the book Dwelling with your leaders.
  • Talk to Me!: What do kids do best? Talk and move! Yet what do teachers often want them to do? Be quiet and sit still. This blog explains what’s wrong with this picture.
  • The Fine Art of Storytelling: Your Dwell leaders have agreed to tell kids God’s Big Story, but telling it well is also important! 
  • Planting Seeds of Faith: Families First: Your leaders may feel at a loss for connecting Dwell to home. This helpful blog gives simple ideas Dwell leaders can use to encourage families to nurture seeds of faith. (You can also check out our helpful Dwell at Home page for additional resources.)

You could pick one of these resources to highlight (based on the needs of your Dwell program), or link to a few. Whatever content you include, be sure that the primary message of your check-in is encouragement of and gratitude for these wonderful leaders who take time each week to share God’s Big Story with the children in your ministry.