Worship for Life

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.

When I went into children’s ministry, it seemed to me that the corporate worship experience for kids was not something churches were thinking about. That’s why I’m so excited to tell you about our new large group, media-driven, interactive worship experience for kids! Watch the Worship for Life: Kids video and also sign up for two free sessions so you can try it with your kids!

Jeffrey Reed serves as the Director of Kids Ministry for LifeWay. He came to LifeWay with a wide variety of ministry experiences including worship leader, director of children’s ministry, and executive leadership in several growing congregations. Jeffrey’s posts will give your heart and brain a workout, just like the fitness Boot Camp he leads in the mornings for LifeWay employees. Jeffrey and his wife Katherine have four kids.

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