Anyone that has been in children’s ministry for a while understands just how unpredictable it can be. Literally, anything can happen! But the paradox is that while kids’ ministry is often unpredictable, the children themselves always feel the most safe and secure when things are familiar. Too much change will actually throw them off.
This can really work in your favor as you lead children in worship. Quite often we feel the pressure to have a lot of great songs in our repertoire that we can choose from. Or we sometimes feel like we have to introduce brand new songs each week to keep them interested.
If you are starting out at this, my suggestion to you is to have 5 or 6 fast songs at the most that you can choose from. Select those carefully, and make sure they are catchy and fun so they will be engaging for the children. Then choose three slower tempo songs that you can use to draw your kids into some more reflective, thoughtful worship. If you are leading with a band, rehearse them until you know them like the back of your hand.
On your first week, pick 2 or 3 of the faster ones, and one of the slower ones. Then, next week, do those same songs again, but change the order of them.
By your third week, you will have a picture of how well the songs are connecting with the kids. Take the three that get the best response from the kids, and replace the one that connects the least with a new song. Do this periodically, but never be too eager to change things up or introduce new material.
By not changing things up too often or drastically, the kids will know what to expect. That familiarity makes the kids feel comfortable, and when they feel comfortable, you are more easily able to lead them into powerful interactions with God through your worship times.
--Click here for other helpful articles from Discover Worship about building and growing an effective kids worship ministry.