YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
NOT JUST A SONG | 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 . We are grateful to have pastors that see the big picture and have a vision of pouring into the youth on a spiritual level , giving them opportunities in leading worship . So often we hear people say “ Wow ! Listen to them , they ’ re just kids , and they sound and look like a professional 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 : we just show them the way .
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 and instrumental 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 mentoring them in the faith , encouraging them and continuing to pray for their relationships with God .
If you are leading a youth worship team , we encourage you to facilitate weekly Bible studies if you don ’ t already do this , 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 .
We can only worship to the extent of our revelation of who God is to us .
As adults , we have much more to draw from , emotionally and spiritually . We ’ ve lived longer , we ’ ve been through more ups and downs 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 that 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 to them connecting in worship . We encourage our students to suggest songs to incorporate into their worship sets , songs that make them connect with God in a deeper way . 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 highlight 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 , to God , or is it telling a story of victory ?” We help them dive into 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 singing melodies and lyrics , toward understanding the heart and the meaning behind the songs they ’ re learning . It can make their practice time turn into actual 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