YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
THREE STEPS FOR SUCCESS | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
One of the most challenging things to do in okay! You want to get as many people involved ministry is to build up a quality worship team in worship as possible. People attract people. with dedicated musicians and singers. But If you have 15 people on stage on your first Here are some good keys for male or female
it’s not impossible! You can have a dynamic worship event, that’s a great thing! Don’t turn singers:
youth worship ministry in your church in three someone away because they can’t formally Friend Of God - Male (D), Female (A)
months with some planning. This year at CMS play music yet. Give them extremely simple He Reigns - Male (C), Female (F)
(the Christian Musician Summit conference) parts (percussion, easy piano whole note How Great Is Our God - Male (C), female (G)
was especially encouraging for us. We had chords, etc). You want them to get inspired, an attendee from the 2017 and 2018 CMS to feel like they can play music. Once they are Note: After your first worship event, have your
conferences approach us and share with us part of a music team and get to execute their student band lead worship only once per
that she took our workshop Raising Up The parts on stage they will be inspired to do more. month. On your second worship event, play
Next Generation Of Worship Leaders both of We have had many students that music didn’t two of the songs from the first event, and add in
those years. She told us with excitement "I did come easy to, and many of them are now our one new song. Keep doing this formula moving
it!" She went back to her home church and first chair players. forward to build the band’s repertoire.
presentation. She’s now teaching, mentoring Note: You don’t have to mic up everybody on Note for auditions: It’s a good rule to not allow
and raising up youth bands in her church and your team for your worship event, only your first any charts to be used during the auditions or
around her city. To see people like her getting chair players. Everybody else can play through the worship events. This is how they will build
fired up about pouring into the youth reminds their own little personal amps, headphones, their song base, their musicality, and play with
us that what we do in training young people in etc. more conviction.
STEP 2: Choose three beginner level songs for STEP 4: Audition your musicians. They have to
Are you a youth worship pastor that has some your first worship event. You will be working pass the three song audition one week before
musical knowledge or can even play multiple with your team to have them learn one song your worship event to be part of the worship
instruments and sing? Are you interested in per month. Examples: Friend Of God (Israel team. This will ensure that your musicians can
raising up students to lead worship for your Houghton), He Reigns (Newsboys), and How execute the parts. If students are not ready or
ministry? If you are a youth pastor of a church, Great Is Our God (Chris Tomlin). These are prepared for the event, but you put them on
ask your senior pastor to consider letting this be great songs to put together in a worship set stage, it will embarrass them and they’ll feel
part of your job description. This youth worship because they are fairly easy, and you’ll have an defeated. It also sets a bad example for the
team will birth your future adult worship team at up-tempo opener (gospel style), a mid-tempo other students that are working really hard, and
your church—this is invaluable training ground! (pop rock) second song, and a slower worship does not challenge the student to excel in their
song to end the set. playing. Make sure you hold auditions for each
in the correct performance keys for the band.
implemented our “Three Steps For Success”
worship is so important to the future church.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish…”
(Proverbs 29:18)
and every worship event.
Note: Establish a consistent weekly time to
meet with your group and work through each We hope this inspires you and gives you some
STEP 1: The very first thing you need to do is song with the whole team. This will allow you to fresh, practical ideas to start building your
book the worship event. We recommend check each person’s progress, and encourage youth worship team. And may you be blessed
booking the first event three months out, and them to move forward. We recommend grading as you pour into the next generation of worship
then get the word out that you are auditioning them on each song per week. leaders!
musicians and singers for your new youth
worship team. Keep in mind that you’re going STEP 3: Audition your singers to determine if you
to have a wide variety of skill levels coming at will have a male or female leading each song,
you, and different age groups. This is totally so that you can purchase the charts you need
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January 2020
Vance & Michelle Shepherd
Founders of The Shepherd School of Music in Las
Vegas, NV, where they work with youth to raise up the
next generation of worship leaders and musicians.
facebook.com/shepherdschoolofmusiclasvegas
www.ShepherdStudiosLV.com
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