What Current Musical Trends Are Used To Involve Younger People In Church Services?

Youth Music & Worship Ministry Germination

In our twenty-outset century Evangelical church building culture, choirs seem to be a affair of the past — especially youth choirs. Contemporary Christian music continues to influence non but what is being sung in churches, but how things are beingness sung in churches. Many of the Christian radio hits that are utilized in corporate worship emphasize stylized solos necessitating stiff lead vocalists, and are often not ideal for a choral or congregational setting. Because of this tendency, there are two pitfalls I have observed. First, but the elite vocalists in a given church may have a platform from which to sing, and secondly this results in a growing lack of congregational participation which then leads to a void of musical experience and preparation for hereafter generations.

Need for Youth Music Ministry

My want is non only to express the demand for a music ministry geared toward students, just as well to describe the process of creating, planning, and executing such a ministry at my ain church building in hopes to benefit others who seek to do the same. In his thesis on the influences of postmodernity on today's youth, David Toledo asks, "Has the church fulfilled her responsibility to fairly instruct and railroad train teenagers [on] the biblical foundations and practices of worship?" My centre is to encounter a music ministry building for youth that will non only serve equally a musical outlet provided past our church building, just an opportunity to teach biblical principles about worship early in our students' spiritual lives. Our church has well-attended adult and children's choirs, but what has been defective in contempo years is a musical opportunity for youth one time they age out of the children's choir. After much prayer, discussion with the pastoral staff, and logistical planning, our Youth Music and Worship ensemble began meeting in February 2019.

Purpose for Youth Music Ministry

While researching for sources on beginning a music ministry for students, I found the most practical and helpful book to exist Revealing Riches & Building Lives: Youth Choir Ministry in the New Millennium by Randy Edwards. In this book he states:

"Where at that place is no youth choir vision, the kids are going to run wild. It is impossible to build a fine youth choir without vision. Information technology can't be washed, because the only thing which tin continually motivate a group through the good times likewise as the bad is a articulate picture of the big goal."

To establish a clear goal and vision, we communicated the post-obit purposes for the ministry:

To train worshipers and worship leaders through biblical instruction
To develop musicianship of varying levels
To provide opportunities to worship God and serve the church body through music

At our initial interest meeting with students and parents I shared how our objectives matched each purpose. Firstly, each week incorporated teaching on various biblical topics of worship and music to reiterate the importance of God's Give-and-take in regard to how we view and participate in worship. Secondly, an emphasis was placed on rehearsing vocal music to encourage reading of music and singing skills. The grouping consisted of students with varying musical backgrounds, and so several methods were utilized to help students who had never been involved in music before. Part rehearsal tracks were a helpful tool for our auditory learners and much of our rehearsals consisted of repeating sections to dedicate parts to memory. Following along with the choral music immune for opportunities to teach virtually dynamics, rhythms, and part movements. Finally, we provided an outlet for the students to serve in worship past singing at our Expert Friday and Easter Sunday services. These opportunities gave them a definite goal to work and strive toward.

Rehearsals

A total of 8 students ranging from 8th to eleventh class participated in the ensemble. In addition to myself as the director, two adult helpers (male and female) helped our students in office learning and sectional rehearsals. Each meeting included prayer, biblical instruction on worship, warm-ups, and the musical rehearsal. Our biblical lessons on worship covered aspects such as:

Worship as our response to God's initiation
New Testament worship practices outside of music
Acceptable worship is through faith in Christ
Principles for worship from the Ten Commandments

Our rehearsals covered three songs. The two pieces for Adept Friday consisted of choral arrangements of Mighty Cantankerous by Elevation Worship and Expiry Was Arrested by North Point InsideOut. The students as well had the opportunity to rehearse and perform Mercy Tree by Michael Neale and Kristen L. Nordhoff with our adults in a combined choir on Easter Sunday.

Performances

Information technology was a pleasance to debut our Youth Music and Worship ensemble for the first time at our special Good Fri service. While the majority of the evening was a somber reflection on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the service concluded with ii pieces presented by the students which joyfully celebrated what the cross has accomplished. Where there had been no prior clapping, the congregation immediately bankrupt into adulation following both songs. After later conversations with many of the adult choir members and others, I constitute out this was one of the about impactful parts of the service.

While involving the youth ensemble in our church-wide Proficient Friday service was exciting for them to be a part of, I am glad for the opportunity they had to both rehearse and perform on Easter Lord's day with the adult choir. Ane pitfall I would like to avert in this ministry is isolating the group from involvement with other generations. I want to see the students both learning from those who are older, and having leadership opportunities with those who are younger. In his volume on spiritual disciplines, James Smith says that one of the dangers in youth ministry is how potentially disastrous it tin can exist to stratify the body of Christ in generational segments.

(An sound recording of the combined choirs performing Mercy Tree can be found HERE.)

Observations

In addition to my ain personal observations, I asked three groups of people for feedback in guild to provide cess and time to come improvements to this ministry. Outset, the participating students were asked questions regarding biblical worship, personal musical growth, and opportunities they would like to have through this ministry in the future. Information technology was fascinating to see which biblical truths from our lessons resonated with different students. Mutual themes included how they now had a broader view of worship that simply music, and how some of the 10 Commandments speak so specifically to areas of worship. Many of the students shared of personal musical growth in areas included reading music, expert posture, practicing on their own time, and changing dynamics. Most expressed an interest in continuing a focus on choral singing, as well every bit the possibility of incorporating instrumentation in the future.

The 2nd grouping which helped in the cess process were the developed helpers who were asked to evaluate the biblical lessons on worship, students' musical growth, and any specific suggestions for this ministry. The information proved to be beneficial in confirming some of my own observations, too as areas I had not still considered.

Finally, the pastoral and part staff were asked to make observations on the students' performances and the ministry building every bit a whole. These assessments were also very helpful in that each person addressed a different attribute. Ane spoke of how benign it was to include the educatee ensemble in the Skillful Friday and Easter services, another was thrilled to see ii students who were once more involved in church activities considering of the youth music ministry, and another on how we might utilize the youth ensemble in other areas of ministry building in the future. Perhaps the nigh meaningful feedback came from the youth pastor who was able to assess the ministry from a spiritual standpoint because of the relationships he has with the students involved. He had specifically spoken with two students who he had been spiritually impacted by the youth music ministry.

Conclusion

Although its formation was far from perfect and there is still much to learn, I was absolutely grateful for the opportunity to begin the ministry and work with our students. Information technology gave me the hazard to build relationships with students I would not take otherwise known, and my hope is that my leadership positively affected their lives besides. While church choirs and particularly youth choirs have get less and less prevalent in Evangelical circles, I would encourage whatever church with the educatee interest and resources to begin such a ministry. The age of "youth choirs" may be over, but giving priority to an opportunity for students to learn about biblical worship and how to exalt God with their voices should remain timeless.