Do you need a huge budget, elaborate children's building, or expensive program to have a great children's ministry?

No.

In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, I'm back with my dad, Pastor Jon Williams, continuing our conversation about Celebrate Kids Sunday at Bluestone Baptist Church.

This time, we're talking about what happens when the kids and families actually arrive, and how a church can intentionally build a strong children's ministry with the people and resources God has already given them.

We talk about:

👥 Training children's workers before putting them into ministry

🎓 Giving new workers opportunities to learn alongside experienced teachers

💰 Building an effective children's ministry without a massive budget

🙌 Creating a ministry kids genuinely want to come back to

👋 How Bluestone welcomes first-time families

🎁 Simple visitor gifts and a welcome team

⏰ When they dismiss children for children's church

📖 Making God's Word the priority of children's church

🎮 Using games, songs, prizes, and object lessons

🌱 Using object lessons to develop new teachers

📝 Planning out the children's service before it starts

⏱️ Giving every part of children's church a specific amount of time

🙏 Intentionally leaving time for the invitation and counseling

One of my favorite thoughts from this conversation is simple:

You don't have to wait until you have more money, a better building, or a bigger ministry to start improving your children's ministry.

Use what God has already given you.

Train your people. Give new workers opportunities to grow. Plan intentionally. Have fun. Teach the Bible. And keep working to make your children's ministry better.

At Bluestone, multiple teams rotate through children's church, but they work from the same basic philosophy and structure while still bringing their own personalities and strengths.

You don't have to copy the biggest church in town.

Be faithful with what God has given you and ask: How can we make what we're already doing better?

🎙️ The Great Commission Toolkit | Excellerate Ministries

This is part of our continuing series on Celebrate Kids Sunday. In the next episode, we'll dig deeper into follow-up and what the church did to encourage visiting families to return.

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

Send in Question to chase@excellerateministries.com

Have questions for Dad, Pastor Jon? Email him here: bluestonepastor@gmail.com

#ChildrensMinistry #KidsMinistry #SmallChurch #ChurchGrowth #SundaySchool #JuniorChurch #VBS #MinistryTraining #GreatCommissionToolkit

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How do you get families you've reached through VBS, kids' programs, and community events to actually visit your church on Sunday?

In Part 2 of our conversation about Celebrate Kids Sunday, I'm back with my dad, pastor of Bluestone Baptist Church, to break down the practical promotion and outreach that went into their biggest Sunday of the year.

This wasn't built around a massive advertising budget.

Instead, they used relationships and contacts they had already developed through VBS, Summer Kids Club, community events, and other outreach opportunities—and intentionally invited those families to take another step.

In this episode, we talk about:

📝 Using registration forms to identify families who want more information about your church

📱 Building an outreach contact list instead of losing contacts after an event

👨‍👩‍👧 Moving families from a children's event to Sunday morning

📲 How texting was used to reconnect with previous contacts

📣 Facebook promotion on a small budget

📄 Using flyers and encouraging church members to invite

🙏 Making prayer a major part of event preparation

⚽ Why a VBS parents' night can be incredibly valuable

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Getting parents and grandparents involved in children's events

🎯 Keeping the ultimate goal of salvation and discipleship in view

One of the ideas I love from this conversation is incredibly simple:

When someone attends one of your events, don't lose the relationship when the event ends.

Give families an opportunity to request more information. Keep appropriate contact information. Continue building the relationship. Pray for them. And intentionally create opportunities to invite them back.

By God's grace, Celebrate Kids Sunday brought around 10–12 visiting families, and the relationships behind many of those visits had been developing through previous outreach.

You don't necessarily need a massive budget to reach families in your community.

Start with the people God has already allowed you to reach.

🎙️ The Great Commission Toolkit | Excellerate Ministries

This is Part 2 of our conversation about Celebrate Kids Sunday. In the next episode, we'll get even more practical about what happened when families actually arrived—how they were welcomed, how information was collected for follow-up, and how the children's ministry was structured.

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

Send in Question to chase@excellerateministries.com

Have questions for Dad, Pastor Jon? Email him here: bluestonepastor@gmail.com

#ChurchOutreach #ChurchGrowth #ChildrensMinistry #KidsMinistry #VBS #ChurchMarketing #Evangelism #GreatCommissionToolkit

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What happens AFTER your big church event?

Churches can spend weeks planning a VBS, kids' day, community outreach, or special Sunday. But sometimes we put so much effort into getting people there that we don't have a plan for getting them back.

In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, I'm joined by my dad and pastor to talk about Celebrate Kids Sunday at Bluestone Baptist Church.

The goal wasn't simply to have a big attendance day. The church wanted to connect with families they had reached through VBS Soccer Camp and Summer Kids Club. Then give those families a reason to return.

By God's grace, Celebrate Kids Sunday became the church's biggest Sunday of the year, and several visiting families continued coming back in the weeks that followed.

We talk about:

🙏 The spiritual preparation and prayer behind the day

🎯 Why they started with a clear goal

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Reaching the entire family through children's ministry

📱 How they used texting to personally connect with families

🍖 Using a simple meal to keep families on the property

🎉 Bounce houses, snow cones, gifts, and school supplies

🙌 Getting church members and children's workers involved

📖 Starting a sermon series on the special Sunday

📅 Giving visitors a reason to come back the next week

🔄 Planning follow-up BEFORE the event ever happens

📈 What happened in the weeks following Celebrate Kids Sunday

One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is simple:

Don't just plan the event. Plan what happens after the event.

The goal isn't simply to fill the building for one Sunday. We want to reach people with the gospel, connect families to the local church, and ultimately see disciples made.

If you're planning a VBS, kids' day, Friend Day, community outreach, or another special event, I hope this conversation gives you some practical ideas, and challenges you to think beyond the big day.

🎙️ The Great Commission Toolkit | Excellerate Ministries

This is only Part 1! In the next episode, we'll get even more practical about promotion, follow-up, and what went into making Celebrate Kids Sunday happen.

If this episode helps you, share it with another children's ministry worker and leave us a review!

Want a Kids Ministry Training Booklet? Contact us here: chase@excellerateministries.com

Gospel Resources:

Dad Joke Tracts: https://excellerateministries.com/dad-joke-tract

Counselor Cue Cards: https://excellerateministries.com/counselors-cue-cards/

The Bible Way to Heaven Booklet: https://excellerateministries.com/gospel-booklet/

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

#ChurchGrowth #ChildrensMinistry #ChurchOutreach #KidsMinistry #VBS #ChurchLeadership #Evangelism #GreatCommission #GreatCommissionToolkit

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How do you keep a room full of kids engaged, excited, and ready to listen?

In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, Chase Williams sits down again with Max Barker from Camp CoBeAc to talk about one of Max's strengths: leading from the platform.

Whether you're leading a VBS, children's church, camp service, youth event, or family program, there will be moments when things don't go according to plan. You may suddenly need to fill five minutes, wake up a tired room, transition from something fun to spiritual truth, or end an activity before you lose everyone's attention.

That's why Max recommends developing a "bag of tricks"—games, attention-getters, transitions, and other tools you can pull out whenever you need them.

In this episode, we talk about:

🎒 How to develop your own "bag of tricks"

🎮 No-prop games you can use almost anywhere

⚡ How to bring energy into a tired room

🎤 Using vocal inflection to keep kids engaged

😂 Getting kids, teens, and even parents involved

🙌 How to transition naturally from fun to spiritual truth

🎯 Why everything should be done with intentionality

🛑 How to know when it's time to end a game or activity

📈 Why you should end something while it's still at its peak

😬 What to do when something doesn't work from the platform

👀 How leading teens differs from leading children

One of the biggest principles in this conversation is that you don't have to be naturally gifted to become better at leading kids.

Build your bag of tricks. Practice. Watch yourself on video. Learn what works. Learn from what doesn't. And keep growing.

Most importantly, be intentional.

The fun, games, songs, and excitement aren't the ultimate goal. Use them intentionally to engage kids and prepare them to hear the truth of God's Word.

Whether you're a children's pastor, youth pastor, VBS director, camp worker, Sunday School teacher, or volunteer, we hope this episode gives you practical tools you can use the next time you step in front of a group.

🎙️ The Great Commission Toolkit | Excellerate Ministries

If this episode helps you, share it with another children's ministry worker and leave us a review!

Want a Kids Ministry Training Booklet? Contact us here: chase@excellerateministries.com

Gospel Resources:

Dad Joke Tracts: https://excellerateministries.com/dad-joke-tract

Counselor Cue Cards: https://excellerateministries.com/counselors-cue-cards/

The Bible Way to Heaven Booklet: https://excellerateministries.com/gospel-booklet/

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

#ChildrensMinistry #KidsMinistry #VBS #CampMinistry #YouthMinistry #SundaySchool #MinistryTraining #ChurchLeadership #GreatCommissionToolkit

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In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, Chase Williams sits down with Max Barker from Camp CoBeAc for a rapid-fire conversation about children's ministry, camp ministry, leadership, games, resources, and developing the next generation of children's workers.

After years of working with children and teens, Max shares practical lessons he's learned—including some hard-fought spiritual victories from camp, his favorite Bible stories to teach, resources he recommends, and one of the most important things every children's ministry leader needs to do:

Develop people to replace yourself.

If everything in your children's ministry depends on you, what happens when you're gone?

Max encourages leaders to bring people alongside them, give them opportunities to serve, allow them to gain experience, and intentionally develop people who can eventually carry the ministry forward.

In this episode, we talk about:

• 🎮 Simple games that work with kids
• ❤️ Some of Max's favorite camp ministry memories
• 📖 Bible stories and passages he loves teaching
• 📚 Children's ministry books and resources
• 🎯 Producing godly kids—not merely good kids
• 👥 Developing people who can replace you
• 🛡️ Protecting children and ministry workers
• 🙌 Why you don't need extraordinary talent to work with kids
• 👀 The importance of making children feel seen and loved
• 🎨 Simple teaching tools anyone can use

One of the biggest reminders from this conversation is that you don't have to be a magician, ventriloquist, musician, or incredibly gifted speaker to make a difference in children's ministry.

Kids want someone who will listen to them, love them, and see them. Max encourages workers to stop comparing themselves to unusually gifted people and simply start learning, practicing, and serving.

Whether you're a pastor, children's ministry director, Sunday School teacher, VBS worker, camp counselor, or volunteer, we hope this conversation encourages you to keep growing—and to intentionally develop others along the way.

🎙️ The Great Commission Toolkit | Excellerate Ministries

If this episode helps you, share it with another children's ministry worker and leave us a review!

Want a Kids Ministry Training Booklet? Contact us here: chase@excellerateministries.com

Gospel Resources:

Dad Joke Tracts: https://excellerateministries.com/dad-joke-tract

Counselor Cue Cards: https://excellerateministries.com/counselors-cue-cards/

The Bible Way to Heaven Booklet: https://excellerateministries.com/gospel-booklet/

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

#ChildrensMinistry #KidsMinistry #MinistryLeadership #SundaySchool #VBS #CampMinistry #ChristianLeadership #GreatCommissionToolkit #ChurchLeadership

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How do you train children's ministry workers to become more effective—not just at working with kids, but in their own walk with God?

In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, Chase Williams continues his conversation with Max Barker from Camp CoBeAc about developing children's and youth ministry workers.

After years of training junior counselors and working with children, teens, and summer staff, Max shares some of the principles he's learned about developing people for ministry.

We talk about:

✅ Why you shouldn't train every worker the same way

✅ How knowing your workers helps you train them more effectively

✅ What qualities to look for in children's ministry volunteers

✅ Why patience is so important when working with kids

✅ How the fruit of the Spirit applies to children's ministry

✅ Why loving someone sometimes means confronting them

✅ How to correct a volunteer without tearing them down

✅ Why your reactions during games and activities matter

✅ One of the biggest mistakes new children's workers make

✅ How to help inexperienced volunteers learn from mistakes

✅ What every children's ministry training day should include

One of the biggest reminders from this conversation is that ministry should be an outflow of what God is doing in our own lives.

We don't just need better techniques. We need workers who are growing spiritually and allowing the Holy Spirit to develop Christlike character in their lives.

And when someone makes a mistake, don't give up on them. Help them live and learn. God can use inexperienced, imperfect people who are willing to grow and faithfully serve Him.

Whether you're a pastor, children's ministry director, Sunday School teacher, VBS director, camp leader, or children's ministry volunteer, we hope this conversation helps you develop yourself and the people serving alongside you.

🎙️ The Great Commission Toolkit | Excellerate Ministries

If this episode helps you, share it with another children's ministry worker and leave us a review!

Want a Kids Ministry Training Booklet? Contact us here: chase@excellerateministries.com

Gospel Resources:

Dad Joke Tracts: https://excellerateministries.com/dad-joke-tract

Counselor Cue Cards: https://excellerateministries.com/counselors-cue-cards/

The Bible Way to Heaven Booklet: https://excellerateministries.com/gospel-booklet/

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

#ChildrensMinistry #KidsMinistry #MinistryTraining #ChurchLeadership #SundaySchool #VBS #CampMinistry #ChristianLeadership #GreatCommissionToolkit

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What's the difference between teaching a "good kid" and developing a godly one?

In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, Chase Williams sits down with Max Barker from Camp CoBeAc to talk about children's ministry, camp ministry, and one of the most important lessons Max has learned through years of working with children:

Don't just focus on changing behavior. Reach the heart.

Max shares how children's ministry impacted his own life, how God led him into camp ministry, and what he wishes he had understood when he first began working with kids.

We discuss:

✅ How children's ministry can shape a person's life

✅ Max's journey into camp ministry

✅ What years of working with thousands of kids has taught him

✅ Why fun should always have intentionality

✅ The difference between teaching good kids and godly kids

✅ Why correcting behavior isn't always enough

✅ How to use Scripture when correcting a child

✅ Why asking "Why?" can reveal a much deeper spiritual need

✅ How behavioral problems can sometimes open the door to gospel conversations

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that outward conformity does not necessarily produce inward transformation.

Our goal isn't simply to produce children who sit still, follow the rules, and behave themselves.

We want children whose hearts have been changed by God and who genuinely desire to honor Him.

Whether you're a parent, pastor, children's worker, Sunday School teacher, camp counselor, or youth worker, we hope this conversation challenges you to look beyond behavior and intentionally reach the heart of the child.

And stay tuned—this conversation continues in the next episode as we talk with Max about developing and training children's workers.

Want a Kids Ministry Training Booklet? Contact us here: chase@excellerateministries.com

Gospel Resources:

Dad Joke Tracts: https://excellerateministries.com/dad-joke-tract

Counselor Cue Cards: https://excellerateministries.com/counselors-cue-cards/

The Bible Way to Heaven Booklet: https://excellerateministries.com/gospel-booklet/

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

#ChildrensMinistry #ChristianParenting #KidsMinistry #CampMinistry #SundaySchool #ChristianPodcast #GreatCommissionToolkit #Discipleship #CampCoBeAc #YouthMinistry

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How do you reach more children with the gospel?

In this episode of The Great Commission Toolkit, Chase Williams shares 10 practical strategies that can help churches, children's ministries, Sunday Schools, VBS programs, and Bible clubs reach more children and their families.

The goal isn't simply to grow attendance.

The goal is to reach more kids with the gospel and help them become lifelong followers of Christ.

In this episode you'll learn:

🙏 Why prayer and fasting should be your first strategy

📨 How invitations and flyers still work

🤝 The importance of making first-time visitors feel welcome

🙌 Why acting in faith changes the way you prepare

🎉 How special days create opportunities for outreach

🏆 Using incentives the right way

📖 Why you should regularly teach on evangelism

👨‍👩‍👧 How kids can reach their own families

❤️ Creating a ministry kids genuinely love attending

⚔️ Using healthy competition to motivate participation

Throughout the episode, you'll be reminded that methods don't change lives—God does. But God often uses practical preparation, intentional outreach, and faithful obedience to accomplish His work.

Whether you serve in children's church, Sunday School, Awana, VBS, camp ministry, or another outreach, these principles can help you intentionally reach more children with the gospel.

If this episode encourages you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another children's ministry leader!

Want a Kids Ministry Training Booklet? Contact us here: chase@excellerateministries.com

Gospel Resources:

Dad Joke Tracts: https://excellerateministries.com/dad-joke-tract

Counselor Cue Cards: https://excellerateministries.com/counselors-cue-cards/

The Bible Way to Heaven Booklet: https://excellerateministries.com/gospel-booklet/

Donate to our ministry: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4894299

Follow us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/excellerateministries

#ChildrensMinistry #Evangelism #KidsMinistry #SundaySchool #VBS #ChurchGrowth #ChristianPodcast #GreatCommissionToolkit #ChurchLeadership #Gospel

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