Article
by Dan Lovaglia
Today’s kidmin worship is sometimes limited to music. Children need to know there’s so much more to praising God than singing. We do a disservice when we hype up KidMmin worship with super cool songs and rocking bands without sharing what’s behind it all. Yes, music matters. Yes, it’s a great way to express our thoughts and emotions. And yes, it’s part of worship. But there’s more. The heart of kidmin worship is the same as worship anywhere in the body of Christ:
We honor God for who He is, what He’s done, and how He relates to His children.
- Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. Psalm 29:2 ESV
- For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God. Psalm 86:10 ESV
- Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28 ESV
You’re coming up on the close of another school year and ministry season. It’s important to look back, recognize how God moved in the past months, and celebrate this together as a children’s ministry family. Consider this reflective perspective from the Psalms: Upon You I have leaned from before my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. Psalm 71:6 ESV
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to watch kids of all ages honor God with an understanding that He was shaping their hearts from the very beginning? Could this kind of worship be expressed in more ways than just songs? What types of opportunities could you create for children, families, and leaders in your ministry to praise the Lord together?
Here are ideas that can strengthen the heart of children’s worship in your ministry:
Idea 1: “Where We’ve Been With God” Worship Wall
Cover a wall in your children’s ministry area with banner or butcher paper. Label it “Where We’ve Been With God…We Praise You!” and provide plenty of markers or crayons. Invite kids, families, and leaders to write or draw something they are thankful to God for in the past 3-6 months. Encourage them to write down answered prayers, names of friends they brought to church, meaningful Bible lessons they recall, and more.
Idea 2: “We Have a Great God” Story Time
Bring kids, families and leaders together for a large group gathering. You may want to include food or host a potluck. At some point during your time together, ask everyone to think of at least one story about who God is, what He’s done, or how He relates to His children. Give people a chance to share their favorite story from the recent past by finishing the statement, “We have a great God because…”.
Idea 3: “Look What God Can Do” Art Attack
Provide every kid, family, and leader with a poster-sized piece of paper. Instruct them to draw, paint, or make a collage of pictures that tells the world about one amazing thing God can do. Let them know you will be putting these pictures up for all to see. Give them at least one week to create their artwork and then collect the masterpieces. You might consider using Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest to post or have people post their submissions.
What’s at the heart of children’s worship? At the center of it all is God Himself. Singing is a significant part of praising the Lord, but there are so many more ways to honor Him. In fact, we’re called to worship Him with our whole lives (Colossians 3:17; Romans 12:2). I didn’t understand this as a child, but being part of a family of faith helped grow my heart and shaped my God-honoring trajectory.
Song lyrics may start us off on the right foot, but ultimately our whole being comes to praise God in the shadow of His presence and provision.
God is worthy because of who he is, what he’s done, and how he relates to His children. You can raise the bar with your kids, families, and leaders by stretching their ways to worship!
