YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
4 STEPS FOR BUILDING A DYNAMIC TEAM | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
One of the most challenging things to do in ministry is to build a quality worship team with dedicated musicians and singers that are always challenging themselves to be better . But it ’ s not impossible ! You can have a dynamic youth worship ministry in your church in three months with some strategic planning .
The CMS ( Christian Musician Summit ) conference in Washington has been especially encouraging for us throughout the years . We ’ ve been able to learn from so many diverse leaders in the worship arena , and we feel that going to events like these keeps the fire hot and gives us fresh vision when we go back home . Through the years , we ’ ve also been able to lead clinics at CMS , helping cast vision and give practical tools for churches that want to pour into their youth via worship ministry . An attendee from the 2017 and 2018 CMS conferences approached us a couple years back and shared with us that she attended our CMS workshop “ Raising Up The Next Generation Of Worship Leaders ” for both of those years . She was so excited to tell us “ I did it !” She had gone back to her home church and implemented our “ Steps For Success ”. She ’ s now teaching , mentoring , and raising up youth bands in her church and around her city . Wow … to see people like her getting fired up about pouring into the youth reminds us that what we do in training young people in worship is so important to the future of the church .
Are you a youth worship pastor that has some musical knowledge or can even play multiple instruments and sing ? Are you interested in raising up students to lead worship for your ministry ? If you ’ re re a youth pastor , ask your senior pastor to consider letting this be part of your job description ( if it ’ s not already ). Having a youth worship team will birth the future adult worship team at your church … and this is invaluable training ground !
We ’ re reminded in scripture “ Where there is no vision , the people perish …” ( Proverbs 29:18 )
We broke it down into 4 simple steps , and one overall strategy . And it works !
STEP 1 : The very first thing you need to do is book the worship event ! Put a date on the calendar and stick to it no matter what . We recommend booking the first event three months out , and then get the word out that you ’ re auditioning musicians and singers for your new youth worship team . Keep in mind that you ’ re going to have a wide variety of skill levels age groups interested . This is totally okay ! You want to get as many people involved in worship as possible . People attract people . If you have 15 people on stage on your first worship event , that ’ s a great thing ! Don ’ t turn someone away because they can ’ t formally play music yet . Give them extremely simple parts ( percussion , easy piano whole note chords , one note on the guitar instead of a chord , etc ). You want them to get inspired , to feel like they can play music . And once they ’ re part of a music team and get to execute their parts on stage , they ’ ll be inspired to do more . We ’ ve had many students that music didn ’ t come easy to , and many of them are now our first chair players .
Note : You don ’ t have to mic up everybody on your team for your worship event , only your first chair players . Everybody else can play through their own little personal amps , headphones , etc .
STEP 2 : Choose three beginner level songs for your first worship event . You will be working with your team to have them learn one song per month .
Note : Establish a consistent weekly time to meet with your group and work through each song with the whole team . This will allow you to check each person ’ s progress and encourage them to move forward . We recommend grading them on each song per week .
STEP 3 : Audition your singers to determine if you will have a male or female leading each song , so that you can purchase the charts you need in the correct performance keys for the band .
Note : After your first worship event , have your student band lead worship only once per month . Very important ! On your second worship event , play two of the songs from the first event , and only add in one new song . Keep doing this formula moving forward to build the band ’ s repertoire , and to continue polishing the songs .
Note for auditions : It ’ s a good rule to not allow any charts to be used during the auditions or the worship events . This is how they will build their song base , their musicality , and play with more conviction .
STEP 4 : Audition your musicians . They must pass the 3-song audition one week before your worship event to be part of the live worship team event . This will ensure that your musicians can execute the parts . If students are not ready or prepared for the event , but you put them on stage , it will embarrass them , and they ’ ll feel defeated . It also sets a bad example for the other students that are working hard and does not challenge the student to excel in their playing . Make sure you hold auditions for each and every worship event .
We hope this inspires you and gives you some fresh , practical ideas to start building your youth worship team , and 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
44 May 2024 Subscribe for Free ...