YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
WORSHIPING WITH MUSICAL EXCELLENCE | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
We are so rewarded as music teachers when
we get to witness our student band leading
worship at churches across the valley. So often
we hear people say, "Wow! Listen to them,
they’re just kids, and they sound and look like a
professional concert band!”
We recently had lunch after a worship event
one Sunday with some of our students and
their parents. I shared with them how proud
we are of all of our students, reminding them
that we can only “lead the horse to water,
but we can’t make it drink”, meaning that
the students are the ones that have to do
the actual work. After spending years in the
professional music business, we can teach
our students just about everything they will
need to know to land a professional music gig,
get college music scholarships, etc. We can
teach them stage presence, musical execution,
vocal techniques… but the one thing that is
outside of our control is their own personal
relationship with Christ. Their own time spent
alone worshiping Him. What is in our control is
to find ways to keep encouraging them to do
this and continuing to pray for their relationship
with God.
If you are leading a youth worship team, we
encourage you to facilitate weekly Bible studies,
devotions, and gatherings to inspire your team
in worship. The most essential thing they need
to learn is that they need to have their own
quiet time with the Lord, before they can truly
lead others in worship.
Students can only worship to the extent of their
revelation of who God is to them.
As adults, we have much more to draw from,
emotionally and spiritually. We’ve lived longer,
we’ve been through more in life. We can sing
from the depths of our soul, from our own
personal God experiences. But young people
are still figuring out their relationship with God,
and it might not always be their own faith that
they are drawing from. It could still be their
parent’s faith. It’s not until they start seeking
God on their own and start experiencing His
faithfulness through the trials and hardships in
this fallen world - then their worship leading from
the platform will truly come alive in Him. They
won't have to manufacture stage presence, or
focus on perfectionism, or hitting every note
just right. They will be able to lead others in the
heart of true worship.
Finding songs that they can personally relate to
is crucial. We like to encourage our students
to suggest songs to incorporate into their
worship sets, songs that make them connect
with God. We challenge them to find scriptures
that capture the message of the song, and find
ways to incorporate that scripture into the song.
When they choose songs that thematically deal
with things they’re personally going through, or
highlights their own understanding of God, they
will be able to lead those songs with authenticity
- singing with conviction and passion.
When a student suggests a song, we like to sit
down with them and look at the lyrics together.
Understanding the difference between a
congregational worship song, a praise song,
and a great Christian pop song on the radio
is a great area of teaching for them. We ask
them questions like, “Is it a pop song or a
worship song? Who is the song addressed to:
the congregation, God, or is it telling a story of
victory?” We help them dive in to the meaning
behind the lyrics, and the Biblical content it
highlights.
There have been times when a student will be
practicing for an upcoming worship event, and
when we ask them what the message of the
songs are about, they either have to think long
and hard about it, or they have no idea at all.
We want to move them out of just practicing
musical “parts”, and toward understanding the
heart and the meaning behind the songs they
are learning. It can make their practice time turn
into worship time, and that will always translate
on Sunday.
May you be blessed as you continue to pour
into or become the next generation of worship
leaders and musicians!
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
56 July 2020
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