July is one of my favorite months—not because of the Georgia heat (definitely not!), but because it kicks off weekday preschool training season.

Across our state of Georgia, the Georgia Preschool Association co-sponsors district training events where early childhood educators gather to learn, encourage one another, and sharpen their skills. Today I’m headed to Griffin First Baptist Church to teach two workshops for District 6 under the leadership of my friend and colleague, the fabulous Diane Lamb.

But here’s something I wish more churches knew: These trainings aren’t just for weekday preschool teachers.

Maybe you rock babies in the nursery once a month.

Maybe you teach three-year-olds on Sunday mornings.

Maybe you’re Mimi, Nana, or Papa and spend a couple of days each week with your grandchildren.

These trainings are for you, too.

You’ll learn what is developmentally appropriate, discover how God wonderfully designed little brains to learn, and walk away with practical ideas you can use immediately. Understanding why children do what they do often changes the way we respond to them.

In short, these trainings make the work of loving and leading littles both easier and more meaningful. And that makes ministry—and parenting and grandparenting—a whole lot more joyful.

One challenge I’ve noticed over the years is that each ministry often stays in its own lane.

Churches tend to use church curriculum and church-based training. Weekday preschools tend to use preschool curriculum, if they can find it, and preschool training. Homeschool families often use homeschool curriculum and homeschool conferences.

There’s certainly value in each of those.

But I’ve found that some of the richest ideas happen when we cross those ministry lines.

Throughout my years in family ministry, I intentionally borrowed from each world.

On Sundays we used a traditional Sunday school curriculum. For our midweek Bible study, I often chose Not Consumed, a homeschool curriculum that functions beautifully as a discussion-based Bible study, just like their parents in small group study down the hall. Other midweek programming would include Mark Burrow’s Bible Black Belts.

Likewise, nursery teams, church preschool volunteers, and family caregivers can benefit tremendously from weekday preschool training. Many of the free resources, including Faithful Beginnings, are easily adapted for church settings. It’s incredibly affordable and it’s geographically close.

We’re all helping children know and follow Jesus.

If you live in Georgia, I’d love to encourage church nursery volunteers, preschool teachers, grandparents, and family caregivers to look at the Georgia Preschool Association’s district training opportunities this year. They also offer a fantastic annual conference in the spring.

One date to put on your calendar is Saturday, October 3, 2026. Georgia Preschool Association will host an online training event created specifically for those serving young children and their families in faith-based settings. You can participate right from your own home.

Whether you’re changing diapers, leading circle time, reading Bible stories, or rocking a sleepy toddler in the church nursery, your investment matters.

The younger we begin nurturing faith, the longer we have to watch God grow it.

So let’s keep learning.

Let’s keep growing.

And let’s keep loving our littlest littles to Jesus—together.

“Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.” Proverbs 8:32