Creating a Kid’s Worship Band

Recently our Campbellsville Vineyard Kids Band (Fire) performed at the annual Christmas Talent Show.

This link was shared on many different pages on Facebook and someone asked the question, “How did you start a kid’s worship band?” My first thought was, “we started it like you would start an adult band.” Then I realized something important. The key to starting a kid’s worship band is believing that kids can do what adults can do.

How do you start a Kid’s Worship Band?

1. Vision. My husband and I have a big vision for family ministries. We believe that kids are not just the church of tomorrow, but they are the church of today. Kids can do the stuff. Kids can do what adults can do. Kids don’t have to wait to be released when they grow up, they are capable of contributing to the church as a whole today. Many times they just need someone to give them a place to release their gifts.

2. Parents. Another piece towards starting a kid’s worship band is the parents. The parents invest their hard earned money on expensive instruments and hours upon hours of private music lessons, not knowing whether or not this investment will bring a return. They sacrifice their time to bring their kids to weekly practices and their ears to many wrong notes.

3. Church Values. We are lucky at Vineyard Campbellsville to have a staff that values the kid’s wing. Just this year they did a complete overhaul in the kids wing to create bigger classrooms for the kids. They gave us a great sound system, built a stage with lights, put pretty sound panels on the wall, and asked us what else they could do. Vineyard Campbellsville values training the kids and they invest in the success of this ministry.

4. Time. Another key to the success of our worship band is lots of hard work. Just like any other band, practice makes perfect. We practice on a regular basis together. We practice at home alone. I offer group guitar and piano lessons and private lessons for other instruments. We work hard. The kid’s band leads worship for the kids on Sundays and any other time they can. They love it. They beg for more and more times to play music together.

5. Expectations. One of my great mentors, Ray Hollenbach taught me that we don’t have to be afraid to let people fail. Even if the kids are still learning how to play chords and they mess up sometimes, put them on the worship team and let them do their best. Perfection is not the standard. The right heart of worship is what we are looking for. I would rather have a teachable reverent kid on stage than an amazing musician who is full of himself.

6. Reproduction. I have a vision to multiply this band many times over, because as you know, kids grow up. I laugh about how I am just training them to be the best teenage band ever because next year they will all move up to youth group. I have to keep starting over, but that’s ok. Multiplying yourself and your gifts is what life is all about.

7. Adult Band. Our kids look up to our adult band so much and they really want to be like them. Mentorship is always a vital tool. We need to have the adult team work with the kids in private and corporate practice sessions. This partnership will take the kids band to a whole new level.

8. Start Simple. When we began our kids worship team, we only played songs in the key of G. The kids picked “He Loves Us” by John Mark McMillan and we played that song one billion times. We played it Sunday after Sunday and that’s ok. It was our simple and sweet beginnings.

I have a lot of vision for our FIRE Kid’s Worship Band (they named themselves FIRE, by the way.) I believe we will have 2 bands by the end of the year because we focus on training kids who train other kids. I believe we will be asked to play at other churches and venues. I believe the kids will write and record some incredible music. I believe our kid’s band will be a beacon to others. I know that each of these kids will be extraordinary adult worship leaders one day, because I know they were extraordinary worship leaders last Sunday.