KIDS WORSHIP
YOU’ RE INVITED. WHAT EVERY WORSHIP SET NEEDS | Yancy
Come follow me as I follow Christ. This is our mission in leading worship. I often hear how nervous or intimidated people are to lead kids in worship. I don’ t share the sentiment because I truly believe kids are the easiest group to lead in worship. I think it’ s only hard when you don’ t have clear objectives in understanding the vision of the house and the purpose for why you’ re doing it. Once you have prayerfully crafted your worship set and have a sense of the direction you want to take them through the journey of those songs then it’ s just a matter of doing it.
I believe the missing ingredients of so many worship sets are the invitation, inviting our congregation to join us. Maybe the term“ call to worship” is more familiar to you. We even see in the book of Psalms examples of this:
Psalm 95:1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Psalm 66:5 Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! Psalm 100:1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.( All NIV)
Sing, See, Shout, Lift, Give. Those are the verbs that are in these invitations. Spend some time looking up verses you can use to help you facilitate these invitational moments. The Word of God is alive, and it can help you lead kids in worship.
I think another missing ingredient in worship leading is often just stating the obvious. Because what’ s obvious to you isn’ t obvious to the person that’ s new here. Maybe even new to church. Or maybe they haven’ t been in a children’ s ministry that made much space for worship to happen? They aren’ t already aware that their praise matters, not to mention that it is powerful. So, at the risk of what may feel like redundancy, tell them. Teach them about why it matters. Educate them on actions and postures to offer their worship. Help them understand just how much God values their offering of worship.
We know the power of encouraging words whether it be from a parent, teacher or coach. When they see the potential of who we can become their life-giving words draw things out of us. See these kids for the worshipers God made them to be. If they don’ t look like it with their actions or their pursuit, call it out of them. Teach them about it. Speak it over them. Most importantly invite them into the moments and songs. Encouraging them in the posture, action and attitude of a worshiper. It’ s amazing what can happen when we make space for it and draw it out of them.
Being a worship leader is less about the singing and it’ s more about leading pure worship. Being someone that guides others to the feet of Jesus where everything can change.
I often think of our role as worship leader as a parent guiding their child through a crowd. The hand on the shoulder that is maybe part grip for security making sure you don’ t lose them. But the hand is also there as a guide to tell them to keep going this way. Whether it be an action song or a holy worship song of surrender, guide them in it. Just like a gentle nudge saying,“ This way”. You are that kind of guide to those in your classroom. Remind them repeatedly. It’ s not a one and done thing. It’ s not just teaching a series of worship and be done for a while kind of thing. It’ s a weekly, every time you gather for worship invitation. It’ s a call to worship the living God. Intentionally help your kids sing, see, shout, lift and give their worship. Tell and show them, this is how we do it. Encourage and invite them to give holy, acceptable and pleasing worship, just like Romans 12:1 urges us.“ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’ s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God— this is your true and proper worship.” Whether you lead preschoolers, elementary ages, preteens, students, young adults, middle age or senior citizens, the invitation remains the same: Come follow me as I follow Christ.
© 2025 Yancy Ministries, Inc.
Yancy Yancy is a worship leader and songwriter with a passion for kid’ s worship. Every week her music is used in thousands of churches around the world. Her Dove Awards winning music helps kids fall in love with Jesus one song at a time. Yancy authored the book Sweet Sound: The Power of Discipling Kids in Worship to help your church raise every generation to be worshipers. Through her program CHORUS, she coaches worship leaders for Next Gen Ministry. Stained Glass Kids is a podcast she hosts for PK’ s and ministry kids. Yancy lives with her husband and sons in Nashville, TN.
YancyMinistries. com
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