Worship Musician October 2019 | Page 80

KIDS WORSHIP
LEADING WORSHIP IS NOT JUST ABOUT MUSICAL ABILITY | By Yancy
Leading worship is more about your leadership let’s just go to Starbucks.” You’re laughing to boycott what you’re asking them to do (at
ability than your musical ability. That is cause you know it’s true. Most of us have been least in most cases.) They easily get distracted.
something I often share with kids worship guilty of that lack of commitment to exercise A fly zooms by. Their stomach growls and they
leaders because in so many cases the person at one point or another. Alternately maybe at start thinking about lunch. Someone on the row
helping make worship happen for the kids is not some point of your life you played sports and behind them does something distracting. They
a well-studied musician. It’s often a teacher that had a coach. Or maybe you’ve worked out are going to a friend’s birthday party later and
has been given the role of checking the worship with a personal trainer or taken an aerobics start day dreaming of the fun they will have. The
box off the list. Of course musical ability is oh class where someone was leading you. There’s list can go on and on and on. That’s why they
so helpful in performing the song and singing it need you to lead them. It’s not enough to just
boldly into a microphone. However, through the intro the song and then be in your own world
years I’ve realized that being a great worship
leader has nothing to do with my musical talent
and aspirations but it does have everything
to do with my leadership qualities and being
sensitive to where the Spirit is leading me.
That’s why someone who is a great teacher and
is fully aware of how to engage their audience
can also make a great kid’s worship leader.
Most Kidmin leaders I know use the pre-
recorded vocals and rely on the “singing” to
happen by the recording. The important thing
is to have that key person that can lead and
navigate the worship times. You can’t just
play a video you need a leader who can steer
the ship where you want it to go. Having that
...someone who for the rest of the song. Open your eyes. Make
is a great teacher can engage. Keep showing and modeling to
and is fully aware telling them what the time is about. Encourage
of how to engage times. To shout it even louder. This time sing it
their audience can encouraging them to do a good behavior. So
also make a great something to apologize for. Lead and point the
eye contact. Keep reminding them of how they
them what participation looks like. Don’t stop
them to “sing a little louder. To do it two more
from your heart.” As a worship leader, we are
stop making excuses and acting like you have
way so that they can jump in with all their heart,
mind, body and soul as they give praise to the
kid’s worship
One that all praise is due.
leader.
You are training, coaching and championing
person who is aware of the audience and how worshippers to do the thing that God created
they are engaging (and sometimes how they them to do. Let their life, the meditations of their
are not engaging) that can lead, coach and nowhere to hide. You can’t just give up and heart and the words of their mouth be pleasing
encourage the kids to participate is a necessity. walk out. That coach or trainer were not only in His sight. I believe in you. So press in and
leading you but they were encouraging you to lead them well.
I often think of a worship leader as a trainer keep it up and push through. They verbally told
or aerobics instructor. Let me explain myself. you that you were stronger than you think. They
Have you ever found a workout online that you cheered you on and coached you through three
were eager to try? Maybe it had a really bold more, then two more, then one more. When
promise like a beach ready body with only ten someone else is leading the way, your water
minutes a day of working out (sigh.) So, you go breaks are just that… water breaks.
to the gym and start doing the routine. The only
issue is when it starts to get a little hard instead You don’t get to sit it out, you are encouraged
of pushing through and completing the reps to take action. It’s the action that gives you
and sets of the specified workout we stop and results. That my friends, is a picture of our role
take a water break that turns into a rest break as worship leaders and as kids worship leaders.
that turns into a “that was enough for today It’s not that the kids you are leading are trying
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October 2019
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 while exploring
David’s life. She lives with her husband and sons in
Nashville, TN. ©2019 Yancy Ministries, Inc.
YancyMinistries.com
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