2. Working as a Team
Involving children and young people in church music is not a one-person job. Success depends upon people with different core responsibilities coming together to create opportunities, remove barriers, build new structures and play their respective roles.
Think about what this means in your church. Who needs to be central to planning and delivery? Who do you need to work closely with, who can help make the difference between success and failure? Do you have the support of everyone you need to make the vision a reality? Here are some thoughts to help you consider these questions.
It's not just about the music
Recruiting young people through church music should not be seen as being just about ‘supporting the music’. Any such plan must be about mission: about inviting children and young people on a journey of faith, with music as a way to aid them in developing a relationship with God, and, in time, ministering to others; and about using music as a way of rejuvenating and growing a church. If this missional purpose, with its root in growing faith, is always central to any plan to involve children and young people in church music, it is clear that the responsibility for that plan goes well beyond the music leader.
Get everyone behind the vision
It is essential at the outset to build consensus about the mission and the plan with all those involved; and to ensure their active support throughout the journey. Start a discussion with your ministry team, music leaders, adult musicians, junior church or youth club leaders, churchwardens and safeguarding lead, bringing in the PCC or other representatives of the wider church as a plan starts to emerges. All need to be bought into the ambition and be prepared to do what it takes – even to change how things are done, to carve out appropriate space for children and young people – to help deliver it.
Join it all up
How will the involvement of children and young people in music sit alongside the church’s other forms of engagement with them, such as Junior Church, Messy Church, youth club, youth ministry or serving teams? Who is key to making sure that it is all joined up, with collaboration, options and pathways in place of rival offerings? If you are competing for the same young people, your church will be the poorer for it.
Assemble the team
Are there going to be enough people willing to commit their time and their skills to make your plan work? You may be able to train some young singers yourself, but who is going to look after them and keep them safe and involved when you are doing other things? Who is going to take the leading role in looking after their spiritual education and development in faith? Is singing in the choir going to be enough of an attraction to keep them coming, or do you need a social element to supplement it? Who can help provide that? Do they know what’s expected of them?
More information and resources
Inspiring Music in Worship – A short course of guided conversations for churches