found an amazing team—five young puppeteers (8-to 12-years of age) and three adult volunteers, including myself. Kyle, one of our puppeteers, doesn’t attend church regularly, but thanks to the ministry, he’s been coming on Wednesdays and connecting with the church. Even his family has started attending!
Our first big event was the Christmas Puppet Show. We performed skits retelling the story of Jesus’ birth, sang songs like "O Holy Night", read Scripture (Luke 1-20), and shared a gospel-themed children’s book. The chapel was packed—church family, invited friends and lots of children. Afterward, we gathered for cookies, hot cocoa, and crafts while the puppets mingled with the kids.
I would like to share a little bit about our new Puppet Ministry along with the chaos, joy, and surprises that came with it! This all started shortly after Vacation Bible School when I stumbled across some puppets stored away in the children’s area. I asked Todd if anyone had thought about starting a puppet ministry, and when he said no, I decided to volunteer. My kids love puppets, and I figured others would too!
Behind the scenes? Pure chaos. We were tripping over each other, trying to organize puppets and get everything ready. But the audience only saw the polished result. That’s my favorite part—what felt like “beauty in chaos", the frantic moments behind the curtain contrasted with the joy on everyone’s faces.
For shy kids, puppets became a way to express themselves, which is something special. We’re excited to bring this ministry to more people, from VBS to nursing homes. It’s truly been worth every moment.
Tristen Clark,
Puppet Ministry Leader
