DSC to become more welcoming
By Stephen J. Hustedt, Director of Communications
The Desert Southwest Conference Board of Laity and the Conference Commission on Communications are teaming up to make this a more welcoming conference. On April 17, two special training events will be held simultaneously in Las Vegas and Phoenix and out of this event dozens of conference-wide welcoming trainers will emerge to provide training on a local church level.
"What is really exciting about this is that we are thinking about training in a new way," said Jim Nibbelink, Conference Lay Leader. "The Board of Laity is very excited to be teaming up with Steve, Valerie, and the Communications Commission to provide this wonderful new resource to The Desert Southwest Conference."
In November Conference Director of Communications, Stephen J. Hustedt, and Conference Communications Assistant/Editor, Valerie K. Maravolo, participated in a nationwide Training of Trainers event with United Methodist Communications in Nashville. Energized by the new resources available, the Communications Commission approached the Board of Laity as a potential partner in identifying leaders around the Conference to become trainers in a variety of areas. It was determined that the place to begin was in identifying potential trainers in welcoming and hospitality and prepare for the training event.
"Too often we attend a conference level training event and get excited before hitting the so what moment," Nibbelink said. "That will not happen to people attending this event."
Even now leaders are being surfaced to be a part of this training experience, but the event is a means not an end. Participants will be asked to make an annual commitment to be a resource to local churches and will be invited to local churches to train the congregation in welcoming ministry.
"This training is not going to be for everyone. The future trainers will be asked to volunteer their time and skills even beyond their local church. However, they will be presented an amazing opportunity for connectional ministry, and the training they provide to local churches will impact hundreds of visitors and seekers that they will never even meet," Nibbelink explained.
This is also just the first step in rising up leaders to provide training around the Conference. In the coming months and years this process will be fine tuned and tweaked to provide Conference-wide trainers in the areas of Rethink Church, Local Church Marketing, Web Ministry, Our United Methodist Connection/Promotion of Giving, Local Church Communications, Media Spokesperson /Crisis Communications, and more. There will be some overlap in the trainers that take on specific subject areas, but the goal will be to have a pool of trainers that are passionate and knowledgeable about each area.
"Yes, this is rethinking how we do training, but the question is how we never thought of it before," Nibbelink said. "This kind of connection is what being United Methodist is all about!"
Editor's note: if you are interested in becoming a conference level trainer please contact the Conference Communications office at 602-266-6956 or Communications@desertsw.org for more information.
Left: On April 17 dozens of conference-wide trainers be taught to provide welcoming training on a local church level.
Middle: The April 17 event is only the beginning of the movement towards raising up conference level trainers. In there future conference level trainers will be taught to provide local churches with training in Rethink church, Local Church Marketing, Web Ministry, Our United Methodist Connection/Promotion of Giving, Local Church Communications, Media Spokesperson /Crisis Communications, and more.
Right: The training opportunity will be held simultaneously in Las Vegas and Phoenix. If you are interested in becoming a conference-wide welcoming training contact DSC Communications to learn more.
