In December 2018, Storyside Church in Belville, OH launched their Champions Club. A little over a month after the big launch, we caught up with Director Ashley Bilotte.

Why did Storyside Church feel they needed to create a space for special needs in their church?
Ashley: “At Storyside, we believe that Jesus loves and accepts all His children, regardless! Our children’s ministry is incredible, but we noticed some children with special needs struggling to adjust to the vibrant worship and large groups. We needed to create a comfortable, accommodating space for them and envisioned one where the children could have fun and feel safe while learning about Jesus. Around that time our pastors visited Lakewood Church and toured their Champions Club. Our Lead Pastor Micah has a huge heart for those with special needs. After seeing all that Champions Club has to offer, he came home eager to start our very own club!”

How was Launch Day?

Ashley: “Launch day was an extraordinary experience. How exciting to see the hard work and dedication come to fruition. We had a family of six visit our church for the very first time. They have four children, three of whom have extensive special needs. Due to the uniqueness of the children, the family had been unable to attend church until the creation of our Champions Club. This moment filled our hearts with joy and reminded us how important and life changing our Champions Club is and will continue to be for years to come.”

Why is Champions Club a great fit for your church?

Ashley: “The curriculum provides everything our leaders need to teach exciting, successful lessons; lessons which can be modified for needs of both children and adults Additionally, the creators and leaders of Champions Club were an incredible help throughout the entire creation process. They offered multiple resources and answered all of our questions along the way. Champions Club has been a great blessing to our church and continues to change the lives of those in our community. We are very grateful to the entire Champions Club team.”