Kids Dominate America's Got Talent (Take Note Church)

Did you watch the latest season of America's Got Talent?  There were so many exceptionally talented people, weren't there?

One thing that stood out to me was the kids who were in the competition.  They dominated!  

In fact, the final two contestants, who received the most votes, were kids! 

Darci Lynn Farmer won it all.  The 12-year-old had an amazing ventriloquism act.  Her jaw-dropping performance featured performing with two puppets at the same time.  On top of being hilarious, she sang with an impressive voice through the mouths of her puppets.

Right behind Darci Lynn, was 10-year-old Angelica Hale.  Angelica's name rings true.  She has the "voice of an angel" and performed songs such as "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys and "Symphony" by Clean Bandit.  She is the youngest runner-up in the show's history. 

Celine Tam, a 9-year-old, made it into the finals this year as well.  She has made fans all over the world.  A clip of her audition, when she sang Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," went viral.

Evie Clair, a 13-year-old from Florence, Arizona, also made it into the top 10 this year.  She not only did an amazing job singing, but also shared that she was singing in honor of her father who was battling stage four colon cancer.  Her father ended up dying during the competition.  
In 2008, a 4-year-old named Kaitlyn Maher, reached the top 10.  She was a singer and her cute songs and appearance wowed fans.

Issac Brown, a 6-year-old, showed off his voice and dance moves on the show in 2012.  He went on to play a part in the Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie.

In Season 9 (2014), a 12-year-old named Quintavious Jones, placed fifth.  He had an incredible voice, great personality and whistled parts of the songs as well.  

Go back to Season 1 in 2006 and you'll see the winner was Bianca Ryan.  The 11-year-old singer went on to release a studio album.

And Grace Vanderwall won Season 11 in 2016.  The 12-year-old singer-songwriter played the ukulelist as well.  She won with a blend of original songs and ukulele playing.  She went on to release an EP that went to number nine on the Billboard album charts. 

This is a great example of what kids can accomplish when someone believes in them and gives them an opportunity to use their gifts and talents. 

Kids don't have to wait until they grow up to make an impact for God's kingdom.  Yes, they are the church of tomorrow, but they are also the church of today.  God is ready to use them right now. 

If you look in Scripture, you'll see that kids have always played a significant role in God's kingdom.  From the Little Maid who told Namaan where to go for healing to the boy with the lunch that Jesus used to feed over 5,000 people, kids made a difference.

We also know that kids who get involved in serving stick with their faith at a much higher percentage.  When we challenge kids to serve others, it activates their faith at a whole new level.

It's time the church takes note and starts equipping children to do ministry and then gives them opportunities to serve.  For too long, we've told kids to "sit still and be quiet" in church.  And then we wonder why they grow up to "sit still and be quiet."  It's because that's what we told them to do!

Children are eager and ready to make a difference, they're just waiting on us to give them the opportunity.  Kids have talents!  Let them use those talents for God's glory!