PLATTSBURG – A husband and wife team from First Baptist, Plattsburg, has continued a puppet ministry started years ago by other church members.
Aaron Gudde, Plattsburg’s youth pastor and his wife, Megan, offer the puppets for children in the Gospel Kids Wednesday night groups. More than 50 kids usually attend.
Gudde recalls when puppets were used in previous years in the church, in the ministry started by Don and Dottie Davis, who have since retired. Gudde vowed to continue the ministry.
The ministry is called BIGFISH (Believers In God Faithful In Serving Him).
Last year BIGFISH took the puppets to Grand Oaks children’s camp in Chillicothe. The camp director Angela Manning welcomed them, having been involved in traveling puppet ministry in the past.
Darla Walker, the children’s director at River of Life Church in Cameron invited BIGFISH to their church. On Nov. 23, 2025, BIGFISH brought the puppets who “sang songs.” Gudde shared the gospel between songs.
Gudde said there are upward of 20 youth from grade four upward and adults involved in the puppet Gospel Kids group at Plattsburg, but also for Vacation Bible School.
“When the children see the stage their eyes light up. We have a morning Bible school, and we open with the puppets. But the younger and older people enjoy the puppets. When we have Bible school, we leave the stage up for the Sunday service,” Gudde said.
While puppets have been used often by churches in the past, Gudde isn’t aware of many churches near him that still use the puppets, as if it was a fad that has faded. For FBC Plattsburg, the ministry is seeing a resurgence.
At River of Life, there were 85 parents and children in attendance, and more than 18 people took home gospel tracts. Afterwards were refreshments, and the Cameron area children got to make their own paper puppets.
Youth from Cameron, who had been at camp with the Plattsburg youth entertained them in a hospitality area.
Walker said one child being raised by great grandparents told his grandfather, “The night has filled me so much joy.”
Walker added, “I would say the Holy Spirit was at work.”
Gudde is hesitantly offering to bring the puppets to another area church, provided the youth puppeteers are available, and will be careful not to over schedule performances.
He definitely plans to continue the puppets in BIGFISH for his church’s children, for Vacation Bible School, and probably another youth camp.