News

From the Dwell Missions Staff

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We have seen throughout history and scripture that God works in the middle of challenging situations and discouraging circumstances to reveal His glory. And it is in just these sorts of places that some of our partners find themselves. Please join us in prayer for Bethel Church in Ethiopia and our partners in Côte d’Ivoire:

Bethel Church Ethiopia: There has been a long history of tension among the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia. This tension has bubbled to the surface throughout this year and has reached a breaking point in the last week. The federal government is now in active conflict with a militia group TPLF. This violent conflict is taking place in the Northern part of Ethiopia and has now spilled over into the neighboring country of Eritrea. Not only does this violence threaten the stability of the country, but potentially the whole Eastern region of Africa. 

Please pray for Bethel church as there are many church plants in the Northern part of the country where it is most violent. Pray for the protection of the congregations and church leaders. Pray for wisdom on how to proceed in an unstable environment. 

Pray also for our dear friends Lou and Genet Kassa--they are both sick with COVID. There has been a particular concern for Genet, as she has preexisting health problems--praise God that she is now recovering! Pray the Lord sustains them and that they can continue to lead well in this trying time.

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With its first quarter now finished, Calumet Christian School Principal Tyler Wriston says its efforts to safely hold classes in-person are working great. He says, with 98% of the students attending in-person, they've had zero confirmed COVID cases among students and teachers.

Many parents have expressed their gratitude for the school's efforts: Katie Himsworth says, "I really appreciate all the things you have implemented and feel really confident sending my girls to school. They love it!" Another parent, Rachel Yensel said, "I am overwhelmingly grateful for the care, preparation, prayer, consideration, and wisdom that the teachers, admin, and staff have all contributed to make the first quarter of school safe, welcoming, and enjoyable. Too many answered prayers to even keep track of."

One particular highlight--Tyler says 100% of students, including those attending remotely, have completed all parts of the standardized MAP test.

Click here for a video on Calumet's safety plan.

By John Montgomery, Dwell Grief Ministry

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The end-of-year holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve) can be the most  wonderful, joyous, and hopeful times of the year. Often, it's the time spent with our family and friends that gives the holidays special meaning. So after the death of a loved one, holiday celebrations can go from joyous occasions to tedious events that must be survived.

But there is hope! The Dwell Grief Ministry will provide a 90-minute workshop, Navigating Holiday Grief, that will help individuals not only to "survive the holidays," but to find strength, healing, and tools to move forward through the deep pain of grief.

The workshop will be “in-person” on November 14th at 1:30pm in the Dwell main campus cafe’. Masks will be required and social distancing practiced. An encore presentation will be offered on Wednesday, November 18th at 7:00pm on Zoom.  

Grieving takes energy and you may not be up to the physical and mental challenges of the many activities in which you usually participate during the holidays. You may find yourself in social situations that now are uncomfortable because of your different circumstances. During this workshop, you will learn ways to minimize stress and lessen the likelihood that you will be caught off guard by difficult situations.

While no simple guidelines exist that will make the holidays painless, this workshop provides many practical, hope-inspiring ideas to help deal with the many challenges that come this time of year. The workshop presents a Biblical perspective on grief, suffering, and trust in God. It features practical suggestions and reassurance through interviews with counselors, grief experts, and others who have experienced the pain of losing a loved one.

This event can be a great opportunity to reach out to your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family members who are in grief. It allows people in the local community to be aware of the kind of practical care they can receive from our fellowship. The true meaning of Christmas is explained in a seeker sensitive manner. If someone you know would benefit from this workshop, please consider coming with them for support.

There is no cost. To register or ask any questions, please email grief@dwellcc.org.

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The Dwell Missions Division invites you to its quarterly Missions Night October 28th at 7:00 pm.

Because of COVID restrictions the event will be online using Zoom. Amy Condon with the Missions Division says the format has worked well, giving people the ability to participate from home, but also giving them the chance to hear directly from missionaries in other countries, since the missionaries can join the meeting remotely.

She says about a hundred people have been joining these online events, and encourages you to take part, even if you haven’t been involved with missions in the past. She says it’s a great antidote to the problem of feeling somewhat useless during this time of social distancing. “Many of us have felt discouraged and unsure of what meaningful contribution we can make when we cannot be with other people in the same way we once were. But one thing remains the same, prayer is an amazing privilege that God has given to us, and through it we can affect eternity.”

And she says it’s also a way to overcome the sense of being disconnected from the larger Dwell community. During the Missions Night, you’ll not only join with others to hear from missionaries, but you’ll also pray with a group of people in a Zoom breakout room.

If you’re interested in participating, send an email to Amy at CondonA@dwellcc.org, and she will send you details.

By John Montgomery, Dwell Grief Ministry

On Wednesday, October 7th, the Dwell Grief Ministry will offer a workshop entitled Navigating the Loss of a Spouse. It will be from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm and will be on Zoom. 

This event allows people in the local community to be aware of the kind of practical care they can receive from our fellowship. This can be a great opportunity to reach out to your friends, neighbors, and family members who are in grief. If someone you know would benefit from this workshop, please consider inviting them and coming with them for support.

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When your spouse dies, your world changes. One minute you are married; the next you are single, alone, and grieving. The person who would normally help you through difficult times is no longer there for support. 

You may feel numb, brokenhearted, confused, or anxious. You may feel guilty for being the one who is still alive or relieved that your spouse is no longer suffering if a long-term illness was involved. You might even feel angry at your spouse for leaving you, disappointed in God for not preventing the death, and/or resentful toward the doctors who provided treatment to your spouse. You may cry a lot or a little or not at all. Dealing with the intense emotions, the significant life changes, and the many practical considerations that accompany the death of a spouse, can make you feel overwhelmed and uncertain about your future.

Find help at the Navigating the Loss of a Spouse Workshop. 

The workshop is designed to help grieving spouses receive comfort, encouragement, and practical teaching on dealing with their tremendous loss. It presents a Biblical perspective on grief, suffering, and trust in God. The workshop features practical suggestions and reassurance through video interviews with counselors, grief experts, and others who have experienced the unique pain of losing a spouse. Topics discussed include: what to expect in the weeks and months after a death, what to do with surprising emotions, how to handle changing relationships, how to handle the loneliness, what to do with your spouse’s belongings, and how to find the strength to go on.

This event lasts about 90 minutes. There is no cost to attend. Here’s what to expect:

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A building’s sign is often the first statement an organization makes to visitors. Signs not only reflect location, but can offer welcome and represent an ethos. Dwell Community Church has just finished replacing signs at its venues--Main Campus, the Warehouse, the 4th Street facility, and Building X--giving a consistent look at all locations.

The signs incorporate the newly designed Dwell logo and font, offering a modern look and reflecting Dwell’s mission. And because of the current business climate, Dwell was able to complete the project at a lower cost.

Dwell Operations Division Coordinator Steve Bauer says Dwell budgeted $36,000 for the entire project, but was able to complete it for less than $30,000. “We offered vendors great flexibility--they could schedule their work with no major time constraints and we offered to help with installation. They were able to offer very attractive quotes for the work." 

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Steve says the cohesive look at all locations reflects an important reality. “Not only did this project allow us to match our new name to our places of ministry,” Steve says, “but we were able to provide a common look-and-feel across venues that really ties us together as the one church we are, across central Ohio.”

And Steve says signs are vitally important, serving to identify Dwell facilities, and ensuring there’s no confusion about the church name for visitors, vendors, and members. 

With an extensive COVID safety plan in place, Calumet Christian School will start classes next Tuesday, September 8th. Students will be meeting in-person, with a virtual option available if parents prefer.

Calumet Principal Tyler Wriston says in making plans they wanted to employ a "family choice" model. "Each family can choose whether they want to send their children in-person or do virtual learning from home. We trust parents to make the best choice for their families. Our role at the school has been to make virtual learning as good as it can be, and to make in-person learning as safe as it can be."

In order to keep students distanced in the classroom, Calumet will be operating classes at 2 locations—its Calumet Street location in Clintonville and the Dwell Main Campus on Community Park Drive. Third-grade students, as well as students in middle-school (6th, 7th, and 8th) will be in the Calumet location and Main Campus will host preschool, kindergarten, and 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th grades.

In keeping with state mandates for schools, students and staff will be required to wear a mask while inside the building, and also outside, although a special area will be set up where kids can take off their masks if they stay distanced from other kids. Classrooms will be set up to allow plenty of space for kids, and there’ll be extra cleaning throughout the day.

This is a brief overview of an extensive safety plan. You can learn more at calumetchristianschool.org.

Let’s pray these kids enjoy a great year of learning and developing friendships!

Dwell’s new school, Akili Christian High School, has been open with its first class of students, meeting in-person since mid-July. We checked in with Principal Ari Adkins to get an update on this new venture:

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In general how has it been going?
It's been going incredibly well! Our staff members feel like they've gotten excellent time to build relationships with the students. This class is spiritually hungry and very interested in learning more about God, with lots and lots of questions. Students are excited to meet in person and are building good relationships with staff. They especially enjoy having 10 minutes every 40 minutes to be outdoors! 

How are the students doing with COVID restrictions?
We've been pleased with how they’ve been following the COVID precautions. We are working on developing incentives for them to continue following them as well. And we have a strike system in place for students if they don't follow them too.

How do you see God working? How is He being glorified?
It's been enjoyable to pray for our students together as a staff each morning and see God answer our prayers quickly. These students have a lot of questions about God that we're tackling together in Bible class, specifically about the person of Jesus, eternal security, end times, etc. 

Any kinks you've had to work out?
Technology difficulties (dead Chromebooks, Zoom, etc.) that were unexpected. The normal chaos of running a brand-new school. We've been grateful for transportation volunteers stepping up and making transportation go way more smoothly than expected, though! 

Anything else you want to add? 
We are so grateful for everyone praying! We have 2-3 students who we do not think are believers that we would like prayer for specifically. We could use more transportation volunteers, if you’re looking for a way to serve the school. Also, you can serve us by praying for us—we offer a prayer newsletter where you can stay up-to-date on our successes and challenges.

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

This spring Dwell’s Pacesetter ministry was about to launch a bi-weekly Bible study for seniors, but at the last minute it was put on hold by COVID restrictions. 5 months later, though the Bible study remains on hold, Pacesetters has a vital ministry through weekly devotional material, and is ready to launch an experimental weekly drive-in Bible study for seniors.

Pacesetter Director Ben Foust says it was discouraging to have to postpone the planned in-person Bible study, but that it’s clear God still had plans to work. “When we face adversity, it disrupts our plans. But God always anticipates it, and is prepared to work through it. I believe the unexpected ministry Pacesetters has developed in the last 5 months will end up being a lasting legacy.”

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Ben says that lasting legacy is a weekly written devotional Bible study, written by pastor Gary DeLashmutt that Ben says has “gone viral” in senior circles.

Ben says he sent them out to people on a Pacesetter email list—seniors in Dwell and other contacts. And the Pacesetters ministry made hard copies, making them available to folks in senior centers and to Dwell members serving seniors.

Soon these hard copies were being re-copied by people who enjoyed them and, as a result, the devotionals have been shared broadly. Ben says seniors are offering them to friends who are struggling with the oppressive loneliness of COVID restrictions. And caring staff members at facilities are sharing them with their residents.

As a result, in the midst of great loneliness and isolation, God’s hope is strengthening Christians, and God’s message of grace is reaching non-Christians—and there’s new material coming out each week. You can see and share the material at this link.

Additionally Pacesetters is starting a new venture next week—an experimental weekly drive-in Bible study for seniors, similar to the bi-weekly study planned back in March. Gary will teach from the book of John, using an FM transmitter to reach people in the safety of their cars.

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Part of Dwell’s Oakland Park campus is being renovated to accommodate a major expansion of Central Ohio Youth for Christ’s HireLevel Auto program, helping disadvantaged students learn marketable auto repair skills. HireLevel Auto will continue classes at its current facility on the west side, but this expansion at the Warehouse will allow for many more participants to benefit, from a wider geographic area. The current facility can serve 40 students but the Warehouse expansion can handle 400.

HireLevel Auto trains students using donated vehicles which, once repaired, are sold on its used car lot. The new trade center at the Warehouse not only expands the repair bays where students can train, but will also accommodate the car sale lot, allowing students to intern alongside 3 Christian professional technicians who are fixing cars to fund the program.

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Luke’s Auto owner Luke Walker (a Dwell member) has helped lead the HireLevel Auto program for the last few years and is spearheading this expansion. He says the Wheels Automotive Trade Center at the Warehouse is on track for an October grand opening.

He says he’s deeply burdened to help young people who may be mechanically gifted find a vocation, especially if they’ve grown up in poverty. He says that as a high schooler, he struggled to sit through classes, but found working with this hands in the real world was energizing. “I may not have graduated if I hadn't gone to a trade center. If I barely made it coming from a loving Christian family, then how are young men and women growing up in poverty without a stable home life going to make it?”