YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
PASSING THE TORCH | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
We ’ ve been blessed to have the unique privilege of teaching youth and raising up young worship leaders and musicians for 12 years now . Most of our students started music lessons with us when they were seven or eight years old , and now they ’ re young adults , or getting ready to be . We ’ ve watched some of them move in to full time ministry as leaders for YWAM , going to college for worship arts or music , or becoming a great addition to a church ’ s worship team . As much as it ’ s bittersweet to see them spread their wings and go , it has been a reward like no other for us to know that they moved into ministries and opportunities that we have had the opportunity to mentor and prepare them for .
We see a very familiar cycle : as our younger students grow into their teenage years : their life is busier , school requires more homework , or they get jobs which force them to miss dates leading worship with our live worship band . This is why it is so important as leaders to keep getting new younger students prepared and ready to lead worship ; not just being content with your current group of more seasoned musicians and singers . It ' s so easy to let time slip away without thinking ahead to the next season and the next generation of worship leaders . It seems like we lose our teenagers almost overnight to adulthood . We must keep new students in training at all times to keep our worship teams vibrant and healthy .
When we were thinking about this subject this week , an idea came to mind that could be an option for you as a leader . If you don ' t have any students learning any instruments or taking vocal lessons , or you simply have no pool of musicians that allows you to have a youth worship team at your home church , or maybe you don ' t have the time , passion or knowledge to teach music to others , your option could be to schedule a meeting with your local music stores and local music teachers . Let them know that you have an outlet for their current students to play live for your church events . Be up front with them and let them know that it would be faith based , and exclusively worship music . Chances are you will have quite a few parents that are Christians , and they would love for their children to have the opportunity to learn music through leading worship and playing in a live band , instead of just playing scales and secular songs that they probably won ' t have the opportunity to perform beyond their bedroom walls .
On the other hand , there is that possibility that you may get some musicians that are a bit “ rough around the edges ”. For those students it ' s great to remind ourselves of the great commission ( Matthew 28:19 – 20 ). What a great way to get some young ones in the church and exposed to the gospel ! It can create healthy Christian relationships that they will have into their adulthood . The parents of these students would also have an opportunity to bond and grow healthy relationships with the other parents . We have most definitely seen this first hand , and it ’ s powerful .
If you have success in partnering with a teacher or music facility , here are a few big tips that we would recommend you talk over on the first meeting : 1 . You would want to give them a handful of songs that are in current rotation at your church , so that the teachers can start teaching the student musical parts that would be at their skill level .
2 . Teach them each song in a male key and a female key and how to transpose .
3 . If they have multiple guitar or keyboard players , request that they teach each of their students a different musical part , then rotate the parts amongst the musicians .
Implementing this method could be a great way to have trained professionals get a team ready to lead worship at your church youth events . And this could also be an amazing outreach to your community .
May you be blessed as you pour into or become the next generation of worship leaders !
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