VBS is coming, and most of the stress is not about the theme, it is about the systems.

In this episode of the Kidmin Podcast, Kenny Conley welcomes his guest, Allegra Collins, former kidmin leader at Mariners Church and current preschool curriculum developer at Awana. Together, they unpack what it really takes to plan and execute a great VBS from an operations perspective, whether you have 50 kids or 2,000.

You will hear practical ideas like building a single master spreadsheet, color-coding tasks by urgency, delegating to key leaders early (think January and February), creating volunteer roles for the weeks before and after VBS, and preparing a “VBS binder” so everything lives in one place during event week. They also talk budget basics, registration timing, schedule planning, and why the weekend after VBS matters for connecting families and recruiting ongoing volunteers.


00:00 Intro and first guest: Allegra Collins
01:10 Allegra’s background: campuses, Awana, two under two
01:23 Mariners connection and launching five campuses post-COVID
02:50 Why VBS operations matters (and how big it can get)
03:19 Allegra’s VBS memories and what changed behind the scenes
07:24 If you do nothing else: one spreadsheet and start early
09:01 Turning VBS into a task list you can reuse every year
10:40 Prioritizing prep work and color-coding urgency
12:21 Staffing beyond kidmin: security, first aid, photo, tech
13:16 Recruiting pre-week and post-week volunteers
15:31 Delegation and building a coach team (even for small churches)
16:36 When to start meeting: January and February vision + roles
18:05 Why empowering leaders makes VBS better (and backup coverage)
22:29 Budget basics: attendance goals, charge vs free, per-kid costs
26:18 Donation lists, gift cards, and scholarships
28:15 Designing schedules: space, backups, travel time, flexibility
31:05 Quick-fire hacks: margin on day one, easiest rotations first
32:31 The VBS binder: central playbook for leaders and rotations
33:35 Registration timing: open early, close 2 to 4 weeks out
34:58 Incentives for early registration and culture change
35:02 Connect VBS to the weekend: celebration, next steps, retention
36:34 VBS as a volunteer recruitment tool teaser
37:16 Wrap-up and what is coming next (articles and future bundle)

In episode 6 of the Kidmin Podcast, Kenny Conley talks about something most kids ministry leaders rarely plan for but deal with every single week: subs.

Too often, volunteer recruiting is treated as a simple yes-or-no question. When someone says no to weekly serving, we take the loss and move on. But what if a no to weekly serving could become a yes to something else?

In this episode, Kenny introduces the idea of building the bench and explains why a healthy, intentional sub strategy is essential for sustainable kids ministry. From predictable call-outs to protecting your weekends, this conversation reframes how leaders think about subs, flexibility, and playing the long game with volunteers.

🎯 In this episode:

• Why volunteer recruiting should not be a binary yes-or-no ask
• How to turn “no” into a different kind of yes
• Why subs are not uncommitted volunteers
• The difference between a full roster and full coverage
• Why overstaffing is not the best solution
• How to predict call-outs and plan ahead
• Building a healthy bench that supports your starters
• Creating margin, longevity, and joy for your volunteer team

If you are tired of scrambling every weekend and want a more intentional approach to volunteer leadership, this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Kidmin Podcast, Kenny Conley tackles one of the most overlooked problems in volunteer recruiting: vagueness.

Many kids ministry leaders feel desperate for volunteers but struggle to answer a simple question: How many do we actually need? When the need is unclear, recruiting feels overwhelming, progress feels invisible, and every “no” feels personal.

In this episode, Kenny walks through a simple, practical exercise that helps you clarify your real volunteer need, turn vague frustration into measurable goals, and build a realistic plan to get fully staffed without burning out.

🎯 In this episode:

• Why vague volunteer needs create discouragement
• How clarity builds confidence in recruiting
• A simple 10–15 minute exercise to calculate your real need
• How to count weekly, every-other-week, and monthly volunteers accurately
• Turning a big volunteer gap into achievable steps
• Why knowing your number changes everything

If volunteer recruiting feels overwhelming, this episode will help you regain clarity, confidence, and momentum.