RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

There's a kid's song that has gone viral on YouTube.  The song "Baby Shark" has amassed over 2 billion views at the time of this writing.

2.2 billion views...that's insane, isn't it?

What does this simple song do to draw kids in and engage them?

It's easy to sing.  Only a few phrases are repeated throughout the song.

I've seen a trend in children's ministry where the worship leader uses songs that are really geared toward adults and are not age-appropriate.  I can always tell when that happens.  The majority of kids just stand there and don't even try to sing the song.

I believe we should use simpler songs with the kids.  Songs that repeat a few phrases rather than a full blown worship song that has lots of words that kids can't keep up with.

Songs like "I get down and He lifts me up" and "Every move I make" and "Here I am to worship." I know these are older songs but they are songs that kids will engage with.

It only has a few motions.  The motions are easy to follow and are simple.  I have observed kids trying to keep up with all the motions the worship team is doing to the point where they get distracted from worshiping.  Many kids, when they can't keep up, will stop singing and stop trying to keep up.

We must remember that the main goal of worship is to be able to focus your worship toward God. When the song or motions take the focus away from that, then it's doing the kids a disservice.

It is kid-friendly.  It uses bright colors and animation that kids love.  When you choose worship videos, keep in mind what the music video looks like.  Is it kid-friendly?  Does it keep things moving?  Is it fun?

Kids are singing it.  Kids are more prone to sing along when there are other kids helping lead the song.  Make sure you develop a praise team of kids who help lead worship.

Here's the video.  If you haven't seen it, check it out.  Share your thoughts with us.  Why do you think kids love it?  What else can we learn for children's ministry from this song?  You can leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

Our goal when we teach kids should not just be about dishing out content, but about making sure the truth we share transfers into their long-term memory.  Simply put, we want God's Word to get stuck in their head for life. 

One of the most powerful tools you can use to accomplish this is music.  Research shows that when kids are involved with music, more areas of their brains are engaged.  The result is better focus and better memory.

Most of the kids sitting in your room on Sunday have a natural response to music, so when you tap into that response, it makes learning much more effective.  Here's 5 ways you can use music to enhance your lesson, engage kids and help them remember what you teach long-term.

Use music to help kids worship.
This is an obvious one.  Use music to help kids engage in worshipping God.  Worship ushers kids into God's presence and prepares their hearts to receive the truth you will share with them.  Here are some of the music resources I recommend with links.

Yancy
Hillsong Kids
Go Kids - We've Come Alive
Elevation Church eKidz - One in a Million
Gateway Next - Look Up
Amber Sky Records

Use music to help kids memorize scripture.  
Scripture set to music is a great way to help kids memorize God's Word.  Here's an example of how we recently did this in our ministry to help kids memorize Jeremiah 29:11. 



A great resource that sets Scripture to music is JumpStart3.  JumpStart3 creates modern music that hides God’s Word in kids' hearts.  Every song is word-for-word Scripture.  They've created a fun system of memorization that combines visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles to make Scripture stick.  Be sure to check them out. 

Use music to help kids remember lesson truths and Bible stories.  
You can do this by having kids make up songs based on key truths or Bible stories.  Studies show that when kids make up a song using facts they are given, it cements the facts into their long-term memory.  Want a flashback example?  Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he...

Use music to help set the tempo of the lesson.
Music is a great way to adjust the tempo of your lesson.  Fast background music can bring energy and excitement to games.  Medium speed background music can help discussion times be more engaging.  Slow, prayer background music can bring a spirit of reverence during prayer time. 

Use music to give kids opportunities to express their creativity.
Kids long for opportunities to use their natural creative energy.  When you give them the opportunity to participate in singing, express God's Word through songs and create lyrics based on the truth you've given them, they will respond with engagement.

Okay.  The floor is yours.  How do you use music to enhance your lessons?  What are some other resources you recommend for kids' worship music?  Share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comment section below.

My friends at God's Kids Worship are giving away free music.  They have pre-planned worship for the whole year, including Christmas & Easter.  It works with your worship leader, your praise team, or no leader at all. You get songs you know, and new songs that inspire and engage kids. 

God's Kids Worship works with any curriculum, any ministry event, DVDs, mobile devices, and computers.  It’s real worship for real kids.  Plan and prepare with free YouTube videos, or use it with no preparation at all.  It can even be used by your last-minute volunteer who would rather be set on fire than lead singing.

They will be announcing winners everyday through August 2nd.  You can enter the giveaway at this link.