Making the Most of Kids Spiritual Mileage

Kids Camp is still one of the most impactful weeks in the life of a child, and in kids ministry. There’s something powerful about removing distractions, building friendships, and creating space for kids to encounter God in a focused, consistent way. Moments in worship, prayer, and the altar aren’t just emotional highs, they are spiritual markers.

But the real question is this: What happens next?

If we’re intentional, the momentum from camp doesn’t have to fade. It can actually become a launching point for deeper discipleship. Here are three practical ways to steward what God started and maximize the spiritual mileage from Kids Camp.

AFFIRM: Call Out What God Did

Don’t let camp become a distant memory, celebrate it. Take time during your regular services to affirm every child who attended. Let them know you saw their hunger, their engagement in worship, and their response in altar moments. This kind of affirmation reinforces that what they experienced mattered. If possible, show a short highlight video. It not only brings camp back to life for those who attended, but it also creates anticipation for those who didn’t.

Over the next few weeks, keep referencing what God did:

• Celebrate those who stepped out in worship
• Acknowledge those who responded to God’s voice
• Highlight those who received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Just as important—affirm the ones whohaven’tyet received but leaned in. Let them know that hunger matters. Drawing near to God is always a win, and He honors that pursuit.

ENCOURAGE: Build a Culture, Not Just a Moment

Camp shouldn’t feel like the exception—it should become the example.

As you lead into worship, remind your kids of what they experienced and invite them to pursue God’s presence again. Encourage them to engage with the same freedom and focus they had at camp. When you do this, you’re not just recalling a moment you’re shaping a culture.

Give space for kids to actively respond:

• Encourage those who have been filled with the Holy Spirit to use their prayer language
• Lead confidently and model it yourself
• Keep it intentional, but not overextended

At the same time, continue to create opportunities for those who have not yet received. Normalize the invitation. Make room each week. Keep the environment faith-filled and expectation-driven. Consistency here is key. What you revisit regularly becomes what your ministry values.

INSPIRE: Turn Momentum Into Movement

As the school year begins, you have a strategic window to disciple what God ignited. Consider launching a teaching series on the Holy Spirit. Help kids understand that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit isn’t just a camp experience, it’s a daily empowerment. This gift equips them to live boldly for Jesus and to be a witness in their everyday world.

Cast vision for their lives:

• They can make a difference in their schools
• They can pray for friends
• They can be led by the Spirit in real, practical ways

Inspiration turns experience into action.

Practical Resources to Support the Journey

To help reinforce and disciple these moments:

• Provide a simple follow-up resource for kids who were filled with the Holy Spirit (like a “Now What?” guide)
• Use a short curriculum series focused on the Holy Spirit

Key topics could include:

• Who is the Holy Spirit?
• What is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
• Why does it matter?
• What about speaking in tongues?
• What is the fruit of the Spirit?
• What are the gifts of the Spirit?
• How does love shape how we use those gifts?
• What does it look like to live in the Spirit daily?

Final Thought

Kids Camp is not the finish line……..it’s a launching point. When we intentionally affirm what God did, encourage ongoing engagement, and inspire kids toward a Spirit-led life, we help turn a powerful week into a lifelong trajectory. That’s how you make the most of spiritual mileage.

Some recommended resources would be:

1. Give each child who has been filled one of the new Baptism in the Holy Spirit - Now What? for Kids brochures.
2. BEP Listen Volume 9 Lessons 1-4 “The Baptism in the Holy Spirit”   In these sessions, kids will learn about the promise fulfilled through the baptism in the Holy Spirit and how the Early Church came together and grew. They will look at the change that happens when they recognize Jesus as Lord and know that God is always with them. 
3. BEP Learn Volume 4 is a series of lessons “Who is the Holy Spirit”. 
   1. The Holy Spirit is God
   2. The Holy Spirit Empowers
   3. The Holy Spirit Helps Me Grow
   4. The Holy Spirit Equips

 

Questions: 

What are some ways you can Affirm, Encourage, and Inspire during your post camp services?

Could you use your phone to film kids’ individual testimonies from camp? Then play one each week before worship for a few weeks? Would that affirm, encourage, and inspire?

How can you Make Room each week for the Holy Spirit to speak and move? 

What if during response time you emulated one of the responses from camp? 

What if you asked the kids this week to all come to the front and pray for each other like everyone did at camp? And for those who are filled to use their prayer language with you to pray for their friends?

 

 

 

 

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