KIDS WORSHIP
THE FREEDOM OF PREPARATION | Yancy
I ’ ll never forget a girl coming up to me at the end of a three-day conference saying her leader had just given her the assignment of leading kids in worship . Only problem was she had missed all those breakouts at the conference . Excited about her new assignment she came up to me asking what words of wisdom I could offer . Completely off the cuff that day I responded , “ Be prepared ”.
It ’ s been a lot of years and I still stand by that advice . You are able to flex muscles , shift , adapt , problem solve and even change when you have properly prepared . To leads the songs well you have to know the songs . That means , learning them in the car as you drive to the church is not going to suffice . Carve out time in your week to get to know the songs .
Learn the arrangement . Where are the holes that give you a spot to speak , share or encourage your audience ? Picking songs out on Sunday morning is going to likely lead to a train wreck . I have stepped foot on stage knowing I didn ’ t know a song as well as I should . I ’ ve even opened my mouth to sing and the wrong section of the song came out . Why ? Because I honestly had not spent as much time practicing as I should have . Alternatively , I ’ ve stepped out on stage knowing I had done my part . I had put in the work , prepped and rehearsed . Over the years I ’ ve come to understand that there is freedom in preparation . When you have properly prepared you can relax and have fun as you model and lead others in worship .
It ’ s important to create dynamics in your set .
You are taking your audience on a journey . What does the journey look like in this week ’ s set ? You likely have a template you go off of . Uptempo , then slow but with kids you ’ re also looking at what songs are very active and physically engaging ? How do you place all of those songs in the right order so you ’ re not only inviting your group to participate but leading them somewhere in the process ? At times the journey includes a song that really ties into what you ’ re teaching . Music makes the message stick . Use music to reinforce what you ’ re teaching .
Just like a rollercoaster has high highs and low lows you can use song dynamics to help you lead the room . I have found after something very active and high-energy can actually be a great time to transition into a slower time of worship . Everyone is a little more tired than normal so they are able to focus more . After a slow song can also be a great time to ramp things back up with something uptempo . Consider all the elements of your service . How can you make things interesting and even change it up from week to week ? These different dynamics can also help you become a more effective worship leader . Know the plan for the journey you are taking them on . Use the effective tools of each song to help you lead kids toward Christ as they clap , jump , dance , kneel , lift hands in worship , pray , celebrate and more .
Allow for the familiar . I always surround a new song with what I call a “ home run ” type song . A song that really connects well and always works great . This way I jumpstart the engagement with the familiar song and then lead them into the new one . Or I introduce the new one and then follow it up with something everyone will participate in . I don ’ t want to push certain people away that are going to be slower learners or take time to warm-up to the new song . This is why I use “ home run ” songs to help me surround the new with something that ’ s beloved and comfortable .
Be creative in your song choices . If you get bored , your kids are likely getting bored too . Here are some questions to help you evaluate
your current playlist of songs . Think about what ’ s working and isn ’ t and determine what changes may be needed . It may be time to introduce some new songs .
Evaluate your songs :
• Review the songs you ’ ve been using this past year .
• Identify your “ home run ” songs .
• What songs need to take a break ?
• What songs need to be cut completely ?
• What kind of songs are you missing from your repertoire ( activity , praise , worship )? Identify where your gaps are .
• Research , pick and plan new songs to add to your ministry .
© 2021 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 . Yancy has a passion to serve the Church which is why she created “ Heartbeat ”, a five lesson curriculum series to teach kids the heart of worship . Her beloved “ Little Praise Party ” series for young kids newest project is “ Ready , Set , Go ”. She lives with her husband and sons in Nashville , TN .
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