kids worship

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Worship

October 12, 2018

3 Tips for an Awesome KidMin Large Group

As a kid, I connected best and “got it” when all the kids at church would gather in the gym to sing, play interactive games, and learn from God’s Word during our weekly large group worship. I loved being with more kids than just those in my small group Bible Study class, and I loved that I got to see kids, both younger and older than me, in the same room worshipping.

As an adult and volunteer, I still love large group worship experiences and believe that a weekly large group experience for kids can be extremely impactful in the spiritual life of a kid. Whether your large group time is simply gathering in a classroom or a full-scale media production, consider these three tips as you make the message of Jesus clear to kids through worship.

Make a plan and recruit the right volunteers.

Like anything in ministry, a good plan is vital for success. Start by enlisting people who are passionate about the things you want to incorporate in your large group experience. Look for people who are good at communicating to a large group of kids, people who lead songs and motions well, folks who enjoy performing skits, or running media. These people may or may not already be serving in your ministry so intentionally cast the ministry vision wide. Share where you see your large group worship experience going then Invite these volunteers to plan alongside you. Equip and empower them to lead. Having a solid gameplan, schedule, and prepared volunteers are key to any successful large group time.

Make it kid-friendly and engaging.

A kids ministry large group experience is a great chance to create worship specifically geared for kids. As you plan, be sure to select curriculum, worship songs, and games that are age appropriate and engaging for the kids you plan to reach. If you’re unsure, do some research. Seek help from seasoned leaders. Take the time to notice what songs and activities get kids “pumped up” and which ones make them groan. No one likes to be bored and leading kids in a boring worship experience is just wrong.

Make it different.

Effective large group time can take what kids have learned in small group Bible study to the next level, so intentionally make it different. If your small group takes place in chairs around tables, consider moving to a different room and sitting on the floor. If your small group time is mostly focused on learning the facts of the Bible content, then focus large group on worship that results from those learned Bible truths with songs and a life application challenge or message.

Ultimately, effective large group worship roots everything in Scripture, seeks guidance and direction from the Holy Spirit, and then works hard to engage kids and help them grow closer to through the experience.

Micheal Walley serves as the Lifeway Kids Event Producer. He is a graduate of Mississippi College and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Micheal has been serving in Kids Ministry from the moment he was “promoted” out of kids ministry himself. He loves coffee, leadership, all things creative, and his wife, Anne Marie.

Kids Ministry, Kids Ministry Curriculum, Resources, Worship

May 6, 2016

From Basic to Blown-Away: Different Types of Kids Worship

By Jeff Land

A few years ago, when we created Worship For Life: Kids, I had a brilliant idea. I emailed our children’s minister and asked if I could start Kids’ Worship at our church. He did have some reservations, but at the time our kids ministry associate at the church was also excited to help start kids worship. With the blessing of the kids’ minister, we proceeded.

Like many churches, our church is configured of several different buildings connected by a labyrinth of hallways. We decided to meet in the choir room so that it would be close to the sanctuary. We had the right technology and a couple of volunteers, so we were set to go. As God often does, he called away our kids ministry associate to serve in another church and soon, there I was, with one other faithful volunteer planning kids worship.

Gradually we have been able to build our volunteer base to a few faithful volunteers so we are no longer in children’s church every week, but it is still a struggle. So, we have what I would call a “basic” kids’ worship. Here are some different ways I’ve seen churches using Kids Worship resources from Lifeway.

Basic: This kids worship option is one where you have rotating volunteers and they are able to read over the session quickly and mainly rely on the videos available. Worship For Life: Kids is a great option for this type of worship. Please note that Worship For Life: Kids is becoming Bible Studies For Life: Kids Worship starting in the Fall of 2016.
Blended: This kids worship option combines the best of both worlds. You have video options, as well as, live host links. In the blended option, volunteers do not rely upon the video options as heavily as they do in the basic option. Explore the Bible for Kids, The Gospel Project for Kids, and Bible Studies For Life: Kids Worship could all be examples of using a blended approach. Using this approach you might use the music videos and Bible story videos provided, but the host or leaders do all of the other teaching segments. The blended approach might also be for churches where kids are in the worship service for part of the time and then move out to children’s church.

Blown-Away: This is a totally produced children’s worship service. Live music, drama, and Bible story tellers. The use of video is limited to countdowns and other bumper type videos. Bible Studies For Life: Kids Worship provides a fully scripted kids worship hour that a church could use for this type of service. For more information about this service, check out this video from an awesome Kids Worship service at SugarCreek Baptist Church in Sugarland, Texas.

Jeff Land serves as the Publishing Team Leader for Bible Studies for Life: Kids. Jeff holds degrees from Mississippi College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jeff has served as a Children’s Minister and teaches kids weekly in his church.

Kids Ministry, Worship

February 12, 2016

Leading Broadly Graded Worship

By Kids Ministry 101

I’ve been leading large group worship in my church for the past few years. Leading a large group of kids sounds intimidating and well, sometimes, can be. Here are a few strategies that I’ve learned leading a large group of varied aged kids.

Know your kids. Each group of kids is completely different and that may change from week to week. One of the first things you want to do when you begin leading large group is become familiar with the temperaments and unique personalities that make up your class. Knowing this will give you strategies for keeping good order.

Be prepared. Once you know the personalities of the kids in your group, you will want to make sure that you are completely prepared. If you know your material well that will give you a chance to deal with any other issues that crop up with some of those personalities.

Don’t go it alone. Have plans to staff your worship with as many volunteers as possible. Having other volunteers, many of whom can serve just as crowd control, will greatly improve your teaching time.

Have fun. Enjoy the time you get to teach boys and girls. If you are having fun while teaching that will spill over into the teaching experience and will not only benefit you, but also the boys and girls you are teaching. Having fun will be much easier when you have done the first three things suggested before.

Large group worship is one of the best times you can have and is very rewarding. Keep teaching and have fun.

Tim Pollard teaches 3rd-6th graders Explore the Bible: Kids Worship on Sunday nights at his church. He’s passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.

Kids Ministry, kids101, Preschool, Preschoolers, Resources, Small Groups, Spiritual Disciplines, Worship

June 29, 2015

The B-I-B-L-E. Yes, That’s the Book for Me.

By Chuck Peters

Music is a powerful tool for connecting kids to Christ. Are you making the most of music in your kids ministry, or are you missing an opportunity?

Music and singing are core components of adult worship gatherings and have been for thousands of years. An early song of praise is found all the way back in Exodus 15 wherein Moses and the Israelites sang to the Lord to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt. Bible scholars tell us that the 150 Psalms in the bible were written over a period of no less than a thousand years and were compiled into their present form around 2500 years ago. Clearly, music has been part of worship for a long, long time. While the style of music that God’s people have used in worship has changed over the centuries, the presence of music as part of the gatherings of believers has been consistent, and it continues to draw Christ-followers into deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus to this day. Music and worship go together.

Music is also a powerful teaching tool that is employed by educators. From learning the alphabet to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood to School House Rock, teachers know that learning and retention of concepts and information can increase exponentially when a lesson is set to a song. Music and teaching go together.

Many of us who grew up in the church learned foundational biblical truths about our great God through simple songs like Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children and The B-I-B-L-E. You may even recognize that early song of Moses from Exodus 15, “I will sing unto the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider fell into the sea.” In addition to classic children’s songs like these, scripture memory songs and modern praise choruses (many of which are covers of biblical Psalms) are wonderful tools for leading the children in your ministry closer to God today. As a parent, it blesses me beyond description when I hear my young boys singing scripture-based songs in the backseat of the car on the way to soccer practice.

Are you making the most of music in your kids ministry or might you be missing an opportunity? To what degree is music a regular part of your weekly kids ministry? I want to challenge you to include music – specifically singing – as a regular part of your kids ministry gatherings. Whether you sing a few simple songs with a live leader strumming a guitar or use DVD-driven lyric videos like the optional worship resources included in Lifeway Kids curriculums, play some songs and encourage everyone to sing along!

Make it fun. Get your kids up on their feet to get the wiggles out. Invite a few leaders up front to do hand motions (which adds another memory component). Make a habit of repeating the same songs regularly so your kids get to know them well. Fun and worshipful praise songs will help set the tone for your time, and they’ll stick in your kids minds at home, school, and in the car.

Chuck Peters is Director of Operations for Lifeway Kids. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck, and his wife, Cris, have served vocationally & voluntarily in Student and Children’s Ministry for many years. They have four amazing children.

Kids Ministry, Preschool, Resources, Worship

March 23, 2015

Rock Your Kids Worship

By Jeffrey Reed

How hard should you rock your kids worship?

Before I went into ministry, I did a good bit of work in television and radio. I wrote music for the Olympics back in ’96 and got to work with some really amazing musicians. When God called me into children’s ministry, I was a little disappointed in what was available as far as great music and worship is concerned. I was actually a worship leader at the time. The music available was nothing like what kids were listening to outside of the church.

The rub with many folks about music in the church sounding similar to music outside of the church is the fear that we are simply letting the culture of the world become the culture of the church, which it should not. The struggle with many lies in understanding the difference between style and content. This discussion played out in the adult worship space for years and is now getting its foothold in the kids space.

As in the adult space, it’s all about understanding the difference between style and content with kids. Teachers should use every available tool, from great graphics to relevant video and music to bring the message of Christ alive, as long as the content is strong and is actually about Christ or focused on the gospel. I love creative videos. However, If one of those creative videos tells a story other than the one in the Bible, I might as well pop in Frozen.

I’ve had the privilege of leading the Lifeway Kids team in producing some amazing music this year. We’ve partnered with Grammy-winning artists and writers to produce one of the best kids worship products I’ve ever heard. We’re thankful Michael W. Smith, Jeffrey B Scott, and Tommy Walker joined our team on a product that will impact the way kids worship.Check out one of the songs here.

Worship For Life: Kids provides great content with rockin’ music that kids love. I’ve never been more excited about a music project. Check out more on itunes. Don’t be afraid to use styles of music that kids will connect with. Always look at the lyrics and check the content. Both are very important.

3 Tips for an Awesome KidMin Large Group

From Basic to Blown-Away: Different Types of Kids Worship

Leading Broadly Graded Worship

The B-I-B-L-E. Yes, That’s the Book for Me.

Rock Your Kids Worship

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