KIDS WORSHIP
SETTING YOUR INTENTIONS AND PLANNING WELL | Yancy
I love the various ways I get to train and encourage worship leaders . Whether it be an in-person conference , podcast , or an article like this one . Or when I teach a college course as an adjunct professor . All of these things have happened for me lately . While looking over one of the assignments of my students I was challenging them with something and thought : My Worship Musician Magazine family needs this too .
As you craft your worship sets , think about what you want to focus on and teach them . Be specific about this . Take the time to actually consider the route you ’ re going to take them on . Really think through your plan . The worship set could end up with a specific theme to it . Based on the message of the songs , it could point you towards a certain scripture to share . How do you respond to that theme or concept with worship ? How does worship help you do ( fill in the blank .)?
Answering those questions is the practical way that you will communicate to the kids you ’ re leading about how they can engage and participate in worship too .
You are not just a doer of songs but a leader of worship . You are not just a singer of songs but offering an expression of worship . How are your songs helping you lead those things well ? What ’ s the right blend of new songs , old songs , praise songs , worship songs , hymns , celebration songs , reverent songs , activity songs and even fall on my knees and cry holy songs ? I get there ’ s SO many options and so little time . Kids don ’ t need a huge repertoire of songs . ( Especially the younger the age group you work with .) I once had a kid ’ s minister tell me they use twelve songs a year . At first ,
I gasped thinking that was so few songs . However , I quickly started working through in my mind how it would actually be a viable option . And much to my surprise wouldn ’ t be too monotonous . I ’ m not saying your song list has to be reduced down to twelve , but I am reminding you , especially in the day and age of church attendance not being every week : You probably need more repetition of songs in your worship sets .
Let ’ s start with the NEW SONGS . I ’ d always introduce a new song and repeat it on week two . Maybe take week three off and bring it back on week four . Repeat it at least two more times on month two and three before it potentially graduates to a normal rotation .
MESSAGE THEME . You may have a song that you choose to do because it ties into what ’ s being taught really well . You could choose to do it every week of that month . That ’ s cool . Just maybe give it whatever rest it needs after the series . The good news is down the road , as you bring the song back , the memory of those lessons is now tied to that song and therefore they will remember the messages they heard .
FAMILIARITY . What other song should you include more than once this month ? I ’ m all for new material , but also understand those we lead sometimes need the comfort of the familiar . Switching out one or two songs to be a repeat this month versus all those spots being filled with different song could be a game-changer for participation .
My Dad always said something to the effect of “ you can err on either side and still end up in the ditch .” Just like there ’ s two sides to any coin .
Multiple sides to a story . There ’ s also an extreme in multiple directions . Finding balance is the course you want . While , in kids ’ ministry I think many would error on only doing the uptempo / high energy types of songs . I understand that the opposite is true . There are some ministries only doing slower songs . While either extreme is lacking . Having both is a balanced way to create variety and provide more than one type of engagement in worship . There are kids in your ministry that may respond more to either of styles . The mixture of tempos and expression allows for more worship to happen , not less . That is always the goal .
I remember distinctly a conversation with a leader that said , “ We don ’ t do slow songs because our kids don ’ t know how to respond to them .” I so wanted to just play a recording back of her statement because it was the very evidence of the issue . It was also the treasure map to find what she had been looking for . How would she get her kids to learn it ? Start . Give them the opportunity to learn . Step by step . Don ’ t steal from them the opportunity because you never presented them the option . What statement do you need to hear yourself say in playback to help you know what you need to do ? Take time to ponder that … and think through your plan so you more intentionally lead your kids in both knowledge and action to worship !
© 2024 Yancy Ministries , Inc .
Yancy Yancy is a worship leader and songwriter for kids that travels the globe doing family concerts and training worship leaders . Every week her songs are used in thousands of churches around the world . Her Dove Award winning music helps kids fall in love with Jesus one song at a time . Yancy authored the book “ Sweet Sound : The Power of Discipling Kids in Worship ” to help your church raise every generation to be worshipers . She lives with her husband and sons in Nashville , TN .
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