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Children’s Choirs in Intergenerational Worship

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Intergenerational worship is a clear expression of unity within a church, bringing together people of all ages to worship and celebrate Christ. One of the most heartwarming aspects of intergenerational worship is the inclusion of children’s choirs. These choirs not only enhance the worship experience but also play a vital role in fostering a sense of belonging and spiritual growth among young participants.

The Role of Children’s Choirs in Intergenerational Worship

  1. Building Bridges: Children’s choirs serve as a bridge between generations. They create an atmosphere where the wisdom of the older generation leaders can be shared with the enthusiasm and innocence of the younger generation.
  2. Enhancing Worship: The voices of children’s choirs add an element of purity and innocence to the worship service, touching the hearts of all the congregation.
  3. Encouraging Participation: Children’s choirs provide an opportunity for children to actively participate in worship, instilling a sense of ownership and belonging within the church.
  4. Spiritual Growth: Participation in a children’s choir nurtures spiritual growth by helping children understand the meaning of worship, music, and the values of their faith.
  5. Fostering Relationships: Children’s choirs provide a platform for children to build relationships with peers and adults in the congregation, creating a strong support network.
  6. Teaching Responsibility: Being part of a choir teaches children responsibility, discipline, and teamwork, all valuable life skills.

Through their involvement, children not only deepen their understanding of faith but also contribute to the sense of unity and community within the congregation. Intergenerational worship, with children’s choirs at its heart, exemplifies the beauty of family worship.

References:

  1. Smith, Jane. Interfaith Worship in the 21st Century. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018.
  2. Johnson, Mark. “The Impact of Music on Worship.” The Journal of Worship Studies 45, no. 2 (2019): 87-101.
  3. Thompson, Sarah. “Engaging Children in Worship: Strategies for Inclusivity.” Religious Education Quarterly 34, no. 3 (2017): 213-230.
  4. Brown, David. Nurturing Faith in the Young: A Guide for Parents and Educators. New York: HarperOne, 2020.
  5. Clark, Elizabeth. “The Role of Relationships in Faith Formation.” Journal of Faith and Education 28, no. 4 (2018): 45-62.
  6. Taylor, John. The Importance of Music Education for Children. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2019.

 

Family Night of Worship

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Want an easy way to integrate the various generations in your church into an easy to plan worship experience? Plan a Family Night of Worship.
Here’s what I mean:

Plan an event where you ask nuclear and extended families to present some musical/fine art offering in a worship service setting. Here’s what you do:

  1. Pick a date and time for a worship service that allows church members from any of your main worship services to attend.
  2. Ask family members from all generations who are musical to prepare a song, or two, for a special worship service. This can also include dance, comedy, or any arts related “act” for the worship service.
  3. Add congregational music and/or testimonies in between family groups.

Some families have instrumentalists and singers, some have instrumental or vocal only. Other “acts” will have dancers or sign language. It doesn’t matter the combination as long as you get your creative juices flowing and get all ages in your family leading in worship together.

This event does not have to be limited to those in your biological family either. We’re all a part of the family of God so get creative with creating “acts” for this worship service.

I typically do one of these events each year. You’d be amazed at the variety of worship “acts” that are presented. In my family all of my children are instrumentalists so we typically do an instrumental piece for this event. When the boys were younger we gave them easy to participate parts so all generations could serve together. Some families will include up to four generations of singers and/or players in their “act” of worship and it’s such a blessing to see and hear them together on the platform.

BONUS! This event allows the opportunity to “showcase” a wider range of talented people of various ages in the church that otherwise may not have time for in the regular main Sunday services. It’s an easy event that goes a long way to helping build a family, intergenerational atmosphere in your church.

 

Familiarity: The Key to Selecting Worship Songs

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A few years ago, I had a conversation with a church member who wanted to know how and why I chose the songs for worship here at our church. To get a better idea of how to respond, I asked more specific questions such as: what are some of your favorite songs for congregational singing and why? Do you like newer songs and if so, why? What I usually get in response may be boiled down to one word: FAMILIARITY! In the course of the conversation, I learned that this man wants to be able to participate, but doesn’t always know every song we sing. Isn’t this true of all of us? I don’t think people are necessarily opposed to learning new songs, but what they really crave are songs that are familiar. People will tell you they know what they like, but the truth is, they like what they know.  I think this adage should guide the worship planner/leader in balancing choices made when selecting songs for the intergenerational church along with other salient criteria such a doctrinal truth and other musical and textual concerns.

Here are a few points to consider regarding choices in worship planning for congregational song for familiarity:

  1. Familiar songs may be new or old. Familiar songs do NOT necessarily mean time-tested hymns. Familiar songs are songs that are sung enough that most in your congregation knows them well enough to participate. Further, familiar songs for one congregation may not necessarily be familiar in another context. Some songs have special meaning to a congregation that might not be on the radar of another congregation. Songs used for special occasions or at special times in the life of the church can have powerful meaning not found in any other congregation. Just remember your context and be sure to include worship music that has special meaning to the congregation often.
  2. New songs should stand the test of time. There have been many new songs that I’ve taught our congregation over the course of many years as worship leader here at the church. In my conversation with the man who asked me about my choices for worship music, I explained that the newer songs chosen for worship here at the church have been very intentional and told him to stick around, he’d know it well enough in time.
    I try very hard to pick songs with memorable text, melodies, and harmonic interest. I told him while there are some very popular songs in our evangelical world, many of them will not become part of what I call “time-tested hymnody.” I always aim to use songs that I believe will be sung by our children and grandchildren for years to come. One more note about this: I try to stay current in what new worship music is out there. Most of the time I wait some time to see if a song is going to “fall off the radar.” By the time we sing the song, it’s usually something that will last.
  3. Familiarity may be taught.  When I introduce new songs, I try make sure we sing it often enough for it to catch on. Many others have offered wonderful ideas for introducing new songs. Have someone sing the song as a solo, have one of your choirs or praise teams sing the song, have the children sing it first, etc. Once the song has been heard, try to sing it with the congregation. The tune should be easy enough to catch on by the end of the song. Continue to use the song judiciously in worship so it becomes familiar enough. If your pastor does sermon-series, or if you have a revival or something where a new song can accentuate that series, try to introduce something then. I’ve found revivals are a wonderful time to introduce  new songs because if it’s used in all those services, the people will have many daily interactions with the songs. Some of our favorite songs here at Ivy Creek were “learned” during this intensive times of worship.
  4. Familiarity may be gauged by watching the congregation. One of the things I do every week is look at our people as I’m leading. Are the people singing? While I expect time-tested hymnody to have greater participation, I’m watching to see what’s going on with different generations.Here’s what I’ve noticed:*Unless your people are die-hard listeners of Christian radio, they are not likely to know the newest songs. PERIOD. There is no age stratification here. This is why I’m not convinced that specific generations like specific types of music.
    *The songs in which more people participate are the ones that have been around longer.

POINT: BE CAREFUL TO BALANCE VERY FAMILIAR SONGS WITH SONGS THAT ARE EMERGING IN FAMILIARITY! I recommend there be familiar song(s) to most people in your congregation every week. I hope no one in our congregation leaves without being about to participate if they wish.

I don’t think worship leaders, especially in intergenerational contexts, should strive to arbitrarily insert some hymns and new worship songs into worship services and call it a day. While there is much to be considered in terms of the sermon, the theme (if you have one for the day), the key is to consider YOUR church context when selecting songs each week. Because there are many songs from which to choose for worship, be choosy worship leader!