Reaching the Hearts of Children through Worship Music

April 28, 2021

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”  Proverbs 22:6 

As the seasons change and we move into warmer weather, many churches are planning activities and events for summer. The excitement is palpable, coming off a year of restrictions and lockdowns. While every church is different, we can bet on one known – there will be programming specifically for children. 

From Vacation Bible School to youth groups, and family-friendly concerts to Mother’s Day out, by integrating music into programs you can make a deeper connection with kids. When planning it’s important to remember to look at it as an opportunity to teach and encourage young followers of Jesus. 

With the above in mind, how do you ensure you’re making the most of your time with children? Childhood development experts generally agree that a reasonable attention span of a child is two to three minutes per year of their age. So, you MIGHT have 10 minutes with a 5-year-old! 

Practical Steps to Engage Kids in Worship

In doing some research, we came across this excellent resource from Children’s Ministry that offers 11 simple steps to engage kids in worship. A few standouts to us as it relates to music: 

  1. Plan ahead – Place the same value on finding the right music as you would in finding the right craft or game for the lesson. 
  2. Step into their shoes – As you choose your songs, think about the kids who’ll be there. Children have a kid-size view of God and understandings of faith and love grow as they get older and experience more of life. 
  3. Repetition is key – Kids love repetition. Choose three or four songs that tie in with your theme and use them for one month. 
  4. Send it home – A fantastic way to connect with kids and families even when they aren’t at church is to supply resources they can use at home. 
  5. Search for the good stuff – There’s so much wonderful music available today that simply searching for a specific verse or topic will deliver a lengthy list of suggestions. Once you find what you are looking for make sure you are using it legally. 
  6. Stay flexible – You don’t have to use music that comes with the curriculum. You don’t have to choose any music for any reason other than you know it’ll connect with your kids and reinforce your point. 

You may find a ton of useful songs and videos online, but you must legally use them in your services or events. With an extensive catalog covering all genres, including children’s music, CCS offers blanket performance licenses to ensure you are legally playing and performing music. Click here to visit our Learning Center for free downloadable resources. 

Music ministers, youth pastors, worship leaders…we are all called to lead our children to worship, and music allows us to very intentional while meeting them on their level.  

About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and Christian ministries “do music right.”  CCS is an expert on church music copyrights and our primary focus is providing licensing and clear educational resources to churches. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.   

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