YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
WORSHIP AND DEVELOPING SKILL | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
It ’ s always rewarding for us as teachers and mentors when our students lead worship at church services and events around the Las Vegas valley . Oftentimes we hear from people that they ’ re so surprised that a youth band can sound so polished , and lead adults in worship in a skillful , heart led way .
After a worship event one Sunday with some of our students and their parents , we were sharing with them how proud we are of all of our students , telling 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 , become a worship leader or director at a church , etc . We can teach them stage presence , musical execution , vocal techniques … But the one thing that is outside of our control is their personal relationship with Jesus Christ , and 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 ’ re 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 have their own quiet time with the Lord and their own experience with Him 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 ’ ve had ups and downs and mountains and valleys where we ’ ve had to rely on God to show us the way , where our faith has been stretched beyond its current boundaries . We can sing from the depths of our soul , from our own personal God experiences . But our young ones are still figuring what their relationship with God is , 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 in their private alone time and experiencing Him through the trials and hardships in this fallen world ; when they have no one left to go to but this God that they have been singing songs about … then their worship on stage will come alive in Him . They won ’ t have to manufacture stage presence , or focus on perfectionism , or striving to hit every note just right . They will be able to lead others in 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 . Challenge them to find scriptures that capture the message of the song and find ways to segue that scripture into the song . When they choose songs that thematically deal with things they ’ re currently going through , or highlights their personal understanding of God , they will be able to lead those songs with authenticity
- singing to and about God with conviction and passion .
Also , 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 ?” or “ Who is the song addressed to : the congregation , God , or is it telling a story of victory ?” We really dive into the meaning behind the lyrics . 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 memorizing lyrics , toward actually understanding the heart and the meaning behind the songs they ’ re learning . It can make their practice time turn into worship time , and that will always translate on Sunday .
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
40 July 2023 Subscribe for Free ...