Engaging kids and developing young worship leaders

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by andrew powell on August 11, 2009 at 10:26pm

i have found that sometimes a repeat after me song gets them loosened up a little

Permalink Reply by Paul Dixon on October 2, 2009 at 4:56pm

I think that using Kids to help lead worship is a great start.

I've been through some of this.

I have written about some of what we learned in developing a youth worship program.

Paul

Permalink Reply by Rebecca on October 3, 2009 at 7:05pm

Thanks for the information Paul! I would appreciate any help you can offer me. I am currently in a church of about 500. Until I arrived on the scene they were doing kids praise from DVD's and had ony three or four songs in the line up. Together with my childrens pastor, we have a vision. We would like to have live worship leaders doing the music at the children's chapel time. I have experience in a previous church of about 800 with leading children's worship so I jumped at such a great way to serve. So I am basically in charge of getting the ministry off the ground. Problem is: I put something in the bulletin asking for volunteers and no one replied..so here I am ..the lone ranger leading the music by myself. I have been asking individual kids and have been able to recruit the childrens pastor's kiddos to help me out. It is getting off to a very slow but good start. I'd like to see it where all the kids are actively engaged. Where some of the boys are not running around during the time we are singing. So, I am looking for all the advice I can get. So if you have any more information, I'm listening! ;-)

Permalink Reply by Paul Dixon on October 8, 2009 at 10:36pm

Rebecca,

We had great success NOT asking for volunteers, but having an open tryout. We also went electric for the tryout - all mic'd up. We found many kids who were in private lessons, just waiting for someone to give them a chance. It has worked great. Also, one of the things that really charged up our program were new songs - songs the kids like - alot. I happened to go to winter camp at Forest Home in California with my son several years ago and there was this great youth worship team there, and they had some songs that the kids just loved. They move a lot, they are lout, and involving and they are basically word-for-word out of the Bible. It just doesn't get any cooler. I'll look up the worship leader's name and try to get you some tunes and sheets for the songs that we incorporated.

Another thing is, I get the weekly song set list from our worship director and often I'll pick out one tune that we can do in chapel that they do in Church, so that the kids will go home and sing the same song that their parent just sang.

Finally, be prepared. Be ready for fluid change, be ready for God to move, be ready for Kids to show up - once they know that their talents are going to be used - it's amazing to see who shows up and what they'll turn into.

We had one kid join us, now 3 years ago, he didn't know his basic chords. Here's a link to what he's doing now. I have others who just came out of the wood work. This is a serious mining expedition we're on and there is so much treasure to be found.....

email me @ pfdixon@paulfdixon.com and I'll send you whatever you I can.

Paul