About Wrangling to Shepherding: 9 Strategies for Children’s Ministers to Spend Less Time Bringing Order and More Time Bringing Children to Jesus by Dawn Leonard
Practical help for ministry with special needs children, foster kids, children who have been through trauma, and others with challenging behavior.
Within the pages of this book, the reader will find practical strategies for typical issues that children’s ministers face each week. From the minor disruptions to the major behavior challenges, this book has real life solutions that the author has successfully used again and again. Each lesson includes practical solutions, tips of the trade, real-life stories, games that teach, and application activities and questions to help you apply what you learn to the ministry you serve in.
This guide is unique because it contains strategies from three worlds that are usually kept separate: The science of behavior (Applied Behavior Analysis), education, and biblical teaching to create a whole training that will meet the needs of ministries who have the desire to bring all children to Jesus whether they come from a trauma background, from a troubled home life, have special needs, or have been raised in church. This book has proven strategies to manage behavior and change the environment of a roomful of kids so that children’s ministers can spend less time bringing order to the class and more time bringing the children to Jesus.
Buy the book, and follow the author on social media:
Learn more about the writer. Visit the Author’s Website.
Like the Authors Facebook Fan Page.
Author Bio:
Dawn Leonard, known affectionately as Coco, is a proud mom to five amazing adults and a doting Grandmommy to eleven wonderful grandchildren.
Dawn currently serves full time at the ministry Operation Light Force where she has mentored survivors of trauma, directed a children’s ministry, and pastored a small group. Her passion lies in discipleship and fostering community, believing deeply in the transformative power of Father God’s love for true healing. Dawn is thrilled when she witnesses people encountering Jesus, finding freedom, and experiencing healing. A devoted student of the Bible, Dawn loves to share what God is speaking to her.
Dawn loves children and desires to bring as many children as possible to Jesus so that they can experience His love, His forgiveness, His grace, and His healing touch. She desires that all children be taught who He is and brought into a relationship with Him.
As a behavior therapist (Board Certified Behavior Analyst -BCBA), Dawn Leonard encountered many children and families who struggled to be part of a church community due to behavioral challenges. She also met children’s ministers eager to support these families but unsure how to handle such behaviors.
After praying about this, Dawn felt led to provide behavior change training for those ministering to children. Her goal is for children’s ministers, parents, and teachers to implement these strategies, reducing time spent managing behavior and increasing opportunities to connect with kids and share Jesus with them.
While Dawn can’t be present in every Sunday school class, kids’ church, or after-school program, her books and online training are available 24/7. These resources equip anyone interested in creating a more joyful and loving environment in children’s ministry.
Dawn is also available for online and in-person consultations and children’s ministry team training.