-Children’s Choirs-
Building a solid foundation and lasting legacy
I was working at the office late one late afternoon when the phone rang, “Is the choir director there?” a female voice said. She went on, “I’m Cindy and I’m trying to put together a combined Children’s Choir event in the community and wondered if you would be interested.” As she explained further I could sense a real passion and enthusiasm for her vision of working with children’s choirs.
“Sure, I might be interested I said; we have about 50 children in our choir program.” The conversation continued from there with her sharing she had attempted to contact “dozens and dozens” of local churches to share her project idea and I was one of the “only ones” who had even answered (or returned her calls) much less had a children’s choir program. (We live in a greater regional area of well over a million people) She stated a couple of churches had related their children sing occasionally but it was usually seasonal or a pick up choir singing “Jesus loves me”, for a quick and easy service special. As she continued I thought to myself, “where’s the investment in our children learning music and worship.” Unfortunately, she never followed up with me as I expected. To this day I’m not sure what ever happened with her idea. Later that very week a Church Ministry Journal came across my desk with the article caption on the front saying, “Experts now agree Children’s Choirs build healthy churches”. I cringed. Experts now agree, only now??
I’ve had the blessing of serving in local church ministry for nearly 30 years. From the very beginning of my (our) ministry, my multi-talented wife and I have worked together to help build strong and vibrant children’s choirs in the churches we served. It was not a passing notion or fad for us, but the very life blood of music ministry discipleship and kingdom work. We saw ourselves called to serve as mentors, trainers, and facilitators, to help raise up a new generation of musicians who actively participate in corporate worship. We wanted to see children serving Christ with their gifts and talents and edifying the entire Church. Over the years God has graciously guided and blessed our efforts. We’ve seen many children (and youth) experience tangible musical/spiritual growth and more. More importantly we’ve witnessed the local church being blessed and God glorified!
As I relate the story of Cindy sadly far too many of our church leaders have not seen the priority of this vital ministry in the church. I fear too many pastors have been more concerned with ‘trends” or meeting tight budgets than having a strategic and credible long range plan in building music ministries on sound theology and principle. The Apostle Paul stated clearly that “equipping the saints for ministry service” is the biblical priority of Church leadership.
If we’re going to build strong healthy churches and equip the saints where do we begin? I ask my colleagues the question: “Where do pastors come from? Do they just wake up one day and say, “Hey, I think I want to be a pastor?!” No! Usually they don’t (maybe some of those I’ve seen on TV, just kidding). For our discussion, I believe it’s a Holy Spirit guided life process. First, most, but not all, come from a godly home with parents who strive to live authentic Christian values each and every day. Beyond this they most often grow up in a faith community (Church) where they attend Sunday school, Discipleship training, Small groups, AWANA’s, and the like. Their life of faith is caught, not just taught, and is nourished through mentors pouring into their young lives the love and mercy of God and most importantly the Word of God. The Holy Spirit does His critical part by consistently calling, wooing, saving, shaping, guiding, and calling out these future leaders of the Church! Obviously God is completely sovereign and by His good pleasure radically calls all kinds of people in all seasons and walks of life but I think the above description is a reasonable example.
Again I ask the question, if we’re going to build strong healthy churches how does this best happen? We’ve just discussed where Pastors come from. So I’ll ask another important question: “Where do our worship leaders/ musicians come from? Do we really need them, our worship leaders/musicians? Hear God’s word on a biblical Music Ministry.
So when David was old and full of days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand. Of these, twenty-four thousand were to look after the work of the house of the LORD, six thousand were officers and judges, four thousand were gatekeepers,
and four thousand praised the LORD with musical instruments,
“Which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.”
1Chronicles 23:1-5
…..and he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the LORD by His prophets. The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
2 Chronicles 29:25-26
Note: These passages are not meant to be comprehensive but represent some of the many on music in worship.
I submit we certainly need them as much as we need Pastors, evangelists, teachers, and Deacons, etc. And likewise, do they wake up one day and suddenly proclaim, “I’m going to be a worship leader.” NO, they don’t. In many ways Church musicians and worship leaders are cut from some of the same, but not all, of the holy cloth that Pastors are cut from. In this sense, the best and brightest Church musicians again spring from attending Sunday school, Small Groups, and AWANA’s. These ministries focus on the systematic study of God’s Word, just like the aforementioned Pastors and are critical for well-grounded theologically bent worship leaders.
On this point I want to emphasize that all our worship leaders should be thoroughly and systematically taught theology and biblical worship models (as well as pastors I might add) if they are to lead people to God. Beloved, there are no short cuts to worship leadership, only careful study and practice. The Apostle Paul said it like this: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs!
The overflow of music in worship, and outpouring of glorious praise comes from allowing the Word of God to dwell in us all richly, deeply, and profoundly!
But here’s where the critical difference comes in. Musical skills and worship leading skills are best learned in the child’s earliest years. They need to be engaged by participating/performing regularly in activities like children’s choirs; singing, moving, listening, playing instruments, reading scripture dramatically, staging dramas, plays, concerts, and the like. Here is the sanctifying “greenhouse” for developing the best and brightest. They need this training to gain the necessary spiritual and exceptional musical skill set to lead others, even the church, before the throne of Almighty God whose praise is everlasting!
Truth: God is Spirit and those that worship Him MUST worship Him in spirit and in truth. A spirit of joy and celebration in worship springs from a sure biblical knowledge of God’s love and salvation through Jesus Christ!
For all churches to continue to be healthy and grow we (the Church Leaders) must come together to develop a consistent and viable strategy to develop and train pastors and church musicians before they arrive at seminary! Beloved it’s not the necessity of one or the other; it’s both. Pastors/Leaders, are you listening? You are the ones who are tasked to set the “agenda” and tone for the educational foundations in your churches. Lay leaders, will you stand up and be counted? Will you urge your leaders in theses critical areas of training! Don’t neglect the mantle God has placed on you to lead your church to strength, health, and long term viability!
No argument or discussion exposing a critical need is complete without at least offering a suggested plan of action. Listed here are the basic goals of our own music ministry to children and youth music ministries. I’m sure there are others which are more comprehensive scope and depth but this is a good place to begin.
Commit now to plan on building healthy, vibrant, music ministries and pray to the Lord of harvest for the necessary resources to accomplish it!
GOALS/OBJECTIVES FOR CHILDREN’S CHOIRS
General Spiritual Outcomes
By the conclusion of their time spent in S.T.O.M.P. (Special times of music and Praise) choirs at S. Orlando Baptist (K-5th); the following general spiritual outcomes should have been reached by each child.
1. To have gained the foundations necessary for a genuine conversion experience when he or she is ready for it.
2. To have developed the ability to participate actively and intelligently in worship and to find joy and satisfaction in worship experiences.
3. To have gained such knowledge of the Bible and the Christian faith as can be related to his or her daily life experiences.
4. To have continued the development of attitudes and appreciations that encourages personal growth in areas related to music and church/music history.
5. To have developed and used in everyday life, habits and skills that help him or her grow spiritually.
6. To have used his or her talents and skills in ways that will aid and help others worship God and edify the overall church.
Richard B. Steele is free lance artist, arranger/composer. He is a full-time Pastor and Minister of Music and has been published in the Church Musician (SBC)
February 3, 2016