KIDS WORSHIP
THE EYES ARE A SUPER-POWER | Yancy
This spring I’ ve been leading worship for some mother / daughter events called True Girl. It’ s a pretty amazing night with a lot of preteen and elementary girls in attendance, with of course their Moms and even some Grandmas too. I’ ll never forget a moment looking in the crowd and seeing one of the girls. It was one of those moments where you know that she knows you’ re looking at her. Sometimes it looks like an even bigger grin across the face. On one night of the tour, I was looking right at a Mom and her daughter both cause they were worshiping passionately. And then they turned to each other and had a moment making eye contact with each other while singing their hearts out to Jesus. It was one of those moments I wish I could export out video files from my brain of what my eyes see and capture to share with people like you.
It was a reminder that eye contact is a superpower that we have anytime we are on a stage but especially while leading worship. That eye contact sometimes looks like a little added joy into the mix. It’ s a chance for a person to be seen when they often feel invisible. I mostly use eye contact for the positive because it also serves as an invitation. The eye contact you make can be the very thing that encourages someone to take a step in their worship that day. It can also be used as a constructive tool. I’ ve had some children I was leading in worship that were a little rowdy or maybe intentionally not doing the thing they were supposed to do. A simple look in the eye, giving them eye contact, reminded them to make a better choice. It didn’ t require a volunteer coming over to tell them to stop. The eye contact told them to stop and they responded. I also have made eye contact with someone that was not fully engaged. Them realizing they aren’ t invisible, that they are seen, invites them to join with us in the song of Heaven we are singing with all of creation. It’ s a super-power that we are able to use with young and old.
I’ ve always loved the effectiveness of making eye contact. As a worship leader, it is one of the most practical tools we have in our arsenal to help us lead well. It’ s moments pre and post service where we have conversations with those that we lead and provide them a moment to be seen and known, not just by Jesus but by their church, their small group leaders and members of the worship team.
Eyes are powerful. In the physical and in our spiritual walk too. In scripture we find that where we look matters. What are you looking too? When challenges come for your family or something gets hard at your job, where is your gaze? When there’ s a need or a diagnosis, where do your eyes go? We can look to the things of this world, or we can be obedient to scripture and“ fix our eyes” on Jesus. This kind of eye contact isn’ t casual. It’ s not just a“ if you have time to do so” kind of suggestion. No, it’ s a command:“ you must do this and do not stop.” Don’ t wander side to side or do what we all do while driving when an accident happens, so we rubber neck, shifting our gaze from the road ahead. Go look up these verses:
Hebrews 12:2 Fixing our eyes on Jesus...
Psalm 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
Proverbs 4:25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. All NIV.
As we lead worship, we are helping point people to Jesus. We are redirecting their focus to be on Him, not the things of this world. Worship points us back to the Father who is good, even when. It reminds us of His faithfulness past, present and future. Help those you lead in to lock in their gaze on Him.
One of the things that leaves me in a state of awe and wonder is the exchange that happens in our worship. I’ ve always left a service feeling better, lighter than before. It’ s the recalibration of my eyes being on Him. Psalm 33:18“ But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.” Something about our worship draws Him in. And then something happens when we look to Jesus. Not only do we realize He is looking back at us and that He delights in our worship, our affection and devotion. But when we are looking at God, we see Him just like Hagar did in Genesis 16:13. When He looks back at us, we see God.
© 2026 Yancy Ministries, Inc.
Yancy Yancy is a worship leader and songwriter with a passion for kids worship. Every week her music is used in thousands of churches around the world. Her Dove Awards winning music helps kids fall in love with Jesus one song at a time. This spring she’ s on tour with True Girl, leading worship for Moms and daughters. Yancy loves the Church and has authored the book Sweet Sound: The Power of Discipling Kids in Worship to help your church raise every generation to be worshipers. Through her program CHORUS, she coaches worship leaders for Next Gen Ministry. Stained Glass Kids is a podcast she hosts for PK’ s, ministry kids and anyone on staff at a Church. Yancy lives with her husband and sons in Nashville, TN.
YancyMinistries. com
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