If you are anything like me, you have a lot of songs and videos of kidmin music! It's hard to remember all the songs and it is even more difficult to remember what type of songs you have. In order to help you choose a good balance of songs for Sunday morning worship, put all your songs into categories. Categories are helpful because they give us a way of organizing music that help us create balanced sets for worship times.
Here are the song categories I use. The first three categories are for specific kinds of songs – Christmas, Bible verse, Hymns. The next five categories are more related to the style of song – pace or theme. You might want to use something similar or add to it for your own situation:
This category is for all songs that relate to advent and Christmas. We tend to only sing Christmas songs at Christmas, so it’s helpful to put them together.
Some examples of songs that would be in this category include:
These are Scripture songs; Bible verses put to music. These songs may fit any of the next 5 categories but I find it helpful to put them together.
Some examples of songs that would be in this category include:
These are hymns or any song found in a hymn book.
These songs are usually high-energy songs with lots of actions. Kids love to sing these songs because it’s an opportunity to maybe be a little silly and to get some wiggles out.
Some examples of songs that would be in this category include:
These songs are usually high-energy songs that are accompanied by clapping or actions. The difference between fun songs and active songs is the content. Fun songs can be silly whereas active songs are more serious in their content. They are about who God is or they are songs of praise.
Some examples of songs that would be in this category include:
These songs are not as fast or high-energy as active songs and are used as a bridge to slower, more worshipful songs.
Some examples of songs that would be in this category include:
These songs tend to focus on who God is. God is holy. God is great. These songs are generally mid-tempo or slow. Songs that are full of this content yet are fast paced are probably better in the active category.
Some examples of songs that would be in this category include:
These are songs that speak of our commitment to obey Jesus and to follow Him. These songs talk about what we will do. They are our response to God and have messages like: “Thank you;” “I will serve you;” and “I will follow you.”
Some examples of songs that would be in this category include:
Now that you have categorized your songs, it is easier to put together a set of songs for your Sunday morning worship time.
How do you evaluate the music you use for worship with kids? These 6 questions will help.
What's your goal when leading kids in singing? Stir reverence and evoke worship.