Jun
09
Youth Ministry Basics: Worship
Music is a means to change.
Music leads emotion.
Music can change a room.
Music can change a heart.
Music is one of the most powerful tools in all of humankind to impact and increase the ability of change. Music is and always should be a key component to a student ministry program. It is one of those essentials that needs to happen. It doesn’t have to happen the same way every week. In my opinion, having multiple ways of music worship is a great thing! It allows people to experience music in different ways and it allows them to always be excited.
However, it seems that when we say worship, it means always the same thing. Music. That bothers me. I can’t really think of any place in the bible that worship is explained as only being with a band and singing. There are multiple ways to worship.
Please dont hear that I dont like having a band for worship. Because I DO! I do mean that having a variety of ways that students and adults worship is another piece to the worship aspect of programs.
Worship Music however is one of the largest attractions to programs. I do not disagree with that one bit. Music has the ability to change people’s moods, get them in the right mind set and allows them to listen for God.
But worship as a whole, is much larger than music.
Worship can be:
1) Drama
There are times when I (yes, me) were in drama’s and I loved it! Drama is just another way of worshipping God. There is a video using a Lifehouse song that is one of the most powerful drama’s that I have ever seen! Drama is a way that some people will feel God move in their lives.
2) Silence
If you have ever been on a retreat of any kind, I hope that you have had the chance to experience God in silence. Silence is a powerful way of getting people to listen. To have a conversation with God in the heads and hearts.
3) Creation
We had the opportunity to have a service a few weeks ago, when we did our program for the first time with no lights on. We opened our blinds and sang, listened and laughed with nothing but the Sunset and view from outside lighting our room. It was an incredible night! The vibe was so much different when we took a few moments to just look outside and see the sunset and see the beauty of creation that God has put before us.
4) Conversation
Some of the most influential times in my life, has been when I have conversation with students. Students are seeking and pursuing meaningful words, conversation and purposes in their lives. They are eager to find people that will listen to them, speak into their lives and just have a conversation with them. So let them worship by talking about Jesus.
Worship is a huge tool in any program setting.
Dont become a group that is predictable. Work hard at executing different ways and means of worship. Do not let students get bored or content with one form. The more ways we can teach that worship does not happen in one way, the more excited the students will be and the more exciting the youth ministry can be.
What kinds of ways do you worship in your programs?
I always emphasize that Paul’s term for worship is tied closely to the idea of serving. Service is worship! When we show love to God’s created beings, we show our love and appreciation of the God who created them.
We don’t have a great music worship portion to our youth ministry yet (we will have a good month, then a bad) However, our worship through service is very strong, and I think it may b e one of the most life changing ways to worship. It is not purely emotional, but thought provoking as well.