KIDS WORSHIP
DISCIPLESHIP ON THE GO | Yancy
To this day , I know the power that ’ s in music when I reflect on my own childhood . I can remember the songs that played in my Mom ’ s minivan as we ran errands after school and headed to ballet class . I find it amazing because in most cases I haven ’ t listened to the recording of these songs in thirty years but alas all it takes is for a phrase to be stated in a conversation and that familiar phrase starts singing the song I know in my thoughts . I ’ ve sat through countless sermons and meetings where this scenario repeats itself . Every time it only solidifies to me the power that ’ s in music . It ’ s sticky and it has the power to seal Biblical truth in the hearts and spirits of the young ones we lead . This excites me .
As a parent I try to be intentional about the songs that I play in the car for my two sons . I love that the music becomes a form of discipleship . Number one I know that what they are hearing is getting locked inside their heart . Number two some of my favorite parenting moments are when one of my boys speaks up and asks a question about a song lyric . Every time it becomes a moment of discipleship . It ’ s not forced . It wasn ’ t assigned a time on our calendar . In a very natural way , we are suddenly discussing what they are hearing and try to unpack it more to help them understand . An example with my youngest son is him questioning what the lyric “ What the devil meant for bad God meant for good ” means . Every time , I realize these songs have given me a gift in facilitating conversations with my boys that we would have likely never had , if it had not been for these songs we listen to on the road , in the car , on the way to the next stop of our journey .
I ’ ve had parents share with me bedtime conversations they have with their children where they ask a question about something in one of my songs they listened to that day . In a similar way , these parents are able to have
conversations of faith with their children as they wrap up their day , in the sweet moments of night . These songs become a gift , to help facilitate faith formation in the life of that child . The beauty of music is that it sticks with us . All it takes is one little thing to trigger that memory and we all know firsthand how a song replays in our mind or on our lips from years before . Once again , we surprise ourselves by how much we remember . I like to imagine the same thing will happen for the kids we lead now in ten or twenty years . Something in life will spark their memory and they will remember so much more than we could ever imagine .
The songs you are leading on Sunday are being planted in these kids . Their messages will replay in their thoughts as they live out the next Monday-Saturday . It serves as a reminder that the message in our songs is just as important as how fun it is or what it sounds like . I would encourage you to build a playlist of the songs you use in ministry on Spotify and Apple Music . ( No licensing required , the parent ’ s account will allow them to play the playlist you create . All this resource costs is your time .) Update it quarterly or whatever works best for you . Make it available through a smart link or QR code on take home papers , social media , emails and more . Encourage the parents of the kids you lead to push play intentionally as they drive to school and sports . Just imagine the conversations of faith that will grow out of these seeds we plant in the shape of three-minute songs . I believe in the fruit that grows from it . I see it in my own life and watch it unfolding with my boys . Music has power and when we use it as such it ’ s a real win . Partner with the families in your church by helping them to learn that a simple push of the play button releases discipleship to happen wherever they go . It ’ s a way to take your worship leading out of the four walls of your church and point them to the Father seven days a week . I ’ m thankful for the gift of music and the ways that we get to both experience and use it to accomplish good in the world .
© 2022 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 is all the things kids love and everything adults value . Her newest “ Little Praise Party ” album is “ Out of This World ”. Yancy has a passion to serve the Church which is why she created “ Heartbeat ”, a curriculum to teach kids the heart of worship . She recently authored the book “ Sweet Sound : The Power of Discipling Kids in Worship ”. She lives with her husband and sons in Nashville , TN .
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