Kids Who Worship

Summary: Choosing music for your children’s worship program can sometimes be an afterthought, based on which songs we remember or which ones we think the children will enjoy. But music is an opportunity for us to help lead our children to worship. These 3 tips will help you put worship back into your children’s music.

It’s Wednesday night and you are planning the songs to sing with the kids on Sunday morning. You look at your collection of CDs and DVDs and pull 3 or 4 songs that you can remember the actions to. You make sure you have the words for them on PowerPoint and you’re done!

Does this sound familiar?

Unfortunately in children’s church, our music selection decisions are sometimes based on what songs we are familiar with or what actions we might remember instead of their value in leading kids to worship.

Here are 3 tips to help you bring more intentionality to your worship times with kids:

Tip #1 - Educate Your Children About The Songs They Are Singing

Never assume that kids understand the songs you have chosen to sing with them. Because songs are poetic and figurative it’s not easy for kids’ literal minds to understand them. Take the time explain what the song is about and why you are singing it and what the words mean.

For example, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run in to it and are saved.” This is a familiar song and one we have probably all sung with our kids, yet there is much to confuse them in this song… Do your kids smack their heads when they sing “run in to it”? Have you taken the time to explain the difference between running in to something and running into something? This song has important truths that are worth singing but it is so poetic, so it’s worth taking the time to explain what the song means.

Tip #2 - Group Your Songs So That They Flow

Kids’ minds and bodies are all over the place when they arrive for children’s church. Part of your job is to help kids focus their attention on God. One great way of doing that is to put your songs into a specific order. Be intentional about the flow in the songs you choose.
For example, start with active songs that get kids’ attention then move to slower, more worshipful songs.

Try to have a mix of the type of songs you are singing yet always be conscious of the balance of fun songs to serious songs and of fast songs to slow songs, and remember that worship is a progression from the busyness of our outward lives to the singlemindedness of solemn worship before the Creator.

Tip #3 - Make Sure The Focus Is Always On God

It’s tempting to have lots of songs that you know the kids will love. They might be fun or silly but not necessarily Christ-centered. God needs to be the focus of our worship times – always!

Choose songs that highlight God’s character – His goodness, faithfulness, love, holiness, awesomeness. Show kids that the God we love and serve is a big God who is worthy of our love and worship. Choose songs that focus on the gospel and what Jesus has done for us.
Focusing on who God is and what Jesus has done allows for response, and the proper response to hearing about who God is and what He has done is worship.

Now It’s Your Turn!

Now it’s your turn to put what you’ve learned into action. This week, when selecting children’s music, prayerfully choose songs with intentionality – songs that will gather the children from their busy thoughts and lead them as worshipers toward the throne. What an exciting and awe-inspiring privilege it is for you to lead them with intentionally chosen music.