Our Journey So Far
In September of 2008, after a year of meeting in a midweek Bible study context, our core team decided to undertake a transition - from home group to missional church. Since taking that step of faith, God has graciously responded with progress and growth in our community.
The first major step was moving to a non-home space in Burlington. We began meeting in a building in the Old North End that is home to an urban kids' ministry called Kids Alive; the location proved to be vital in helping to shape the North St. facet of our mission as a church. The Burlington Emergency Shelter is just down the street from where we were meeting, and as we spent time building relationships with our homeless friends there, Dwell became their logical choice for a local church - it was just a block away! We also saw more college students and younger professionals getting involved as well, which helped to round out and solidify the Dwell community.
As winter 2009 drew to a close, we sensed God moving us into the next phase of our mission and vision as a church. As such, the Sunday gathering soon moved to a new space, the Free Methodist Church of Burlington, just up the street from Kids Alive. It was an incredible location, almost directly intersecting Burlington's two most iconic streets: Church St. and the aforementioned North St. As such, the FMC proved to be a strategic and lasting home for the entirety of the following year.
And as our Sunday gathering was growing, we were transitioning into a gathered and scattered way of church life; our community evolved into three communities (dwellings), meeting intentionally in homes midweek and coming together for worship and celebration on Sundays.
Now, a year and a half into our journey, God has led us to yet another milestone - a move into our first permanent Sunday gathering space in downtown Burlington. The obstacles to securing permanent space in the city were great; and we are sure that the kingdom impact will be great as well. We look forward to multiplied dwellings gathering to celebrate in a big way every weekend, with great unity and inspiration for mission coming out of our time in this new space.
connections and affiliations
Dwell is part of a network of independent yet accountable churches called the Evangelical Free Church in America. In addition, we have formed a sister church relationship with Mosaic Burlington, who will share our gathering space with us; and we are part of a prayerful conversation of pastors and leaders in the city called The Table @ 150.