I posted an interesting tweet on Twitter a few days ago that I believe bears repeating. See if you agree with this tweet …
If praise and worship are truly in children’s DNA (Matthew 21:16), then some kids need to get a CAT Scan to see where it is hiding.
Am I correct with this observation? And if I am (as though I could possibly be wrong), what is the answer for this problem?
If the children aren’t entering into the praise and worship of your children’s ministry, you might ask yourself the following questions …
* Is the praise and worship just another part of the service or do I demonstrate its significance? It is easy for us to rush through praise and worship so that we can teach the lesson thus lessening the importance of one of (if not THE) most important elements of your ministry.
* Can the children see your children’s ministry team passionately worshipping God? Often, our ministry team is either standing out of sight or perhaps elsewhere preparing for their portion of the service. Our boys and girls need to see your team worshipping God and then they will follow their example.
* How are the songs selected? It is too easy to race to pick out three songs just before the service begins. Thought needs to be given to insure that the songs are age appropriate (the words and concepts are understandable), not repetitious (the same songs week after week), and are taking you where you want to go. One more thought to answer this question … remember that not all songs are equal.
* Do you know what to do on the journey? I readily recognize that the glory doesn’t fall on the first note of the first song. If the children aren’t entering into the praise and worship, do you just keep on plodding along or do you know what to do engage them? Do you have mini-teachings or illustrations to interject that will bring focus to the praise and worship? Are you boldly encouraging them to enjoy God’s presence? The boldness in the demonstration of your passion and the confidence displayed in exhorting and encouraging participation will define what will happen in worshipping God.
* One final question … Do you know what to do when you reach your desired destination? Once the children are passionately worshipping God and the “stuff” in their DNA is showing, do you just shut it down so that you can go onto the next item on your curriculum’s schedule or do you allow the Holy Spirit to demonstrate that He is in the room?
I mentioned Twitter at the top of this blog entry. Follow me on Twitter and you’ll find me unplugged and unpredictable. You’ll see my “deep” thoughts on a regular basis! www.twitter.com/IamBillyBurns.
