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10 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Christian Music
group magazine: February, 1994
From: February/March 1994 JR. High Ministry Magazine
Keywords: Christian Music Games Ideas IDEAS ON USING CHRISTIAN MUSIC 10 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Christian Music If your kids balk at Christian music, here's how you can help change their tune! BY PAULA LATCHAW What are fun, nonthreatening ways to introduce your junior highers to Christian music? Good question! Try these 10 noteworthy ways to help your kids "tune in" to Christian music: 1. My Lips Will Praise You-Have fun with a lip-sync or air band contest. Form groups of four to five kids. Give each group a cassette containing a Christian song and a lyric sheet. One at a time, play each cassette and have the performers act like they're singing the song. Afterward, award each performer a pair of wax lips! 2. Tunes for Tots-Have junior highers teach preschool or elementary-age Sunday school kids an easy-to-sing song, such as "Seed to Sow" by Michael W. Smith. After they teach the song, have junior highers use puppets to present the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23). 3. Boppin' Banners-Brighten your youth room with banners inspired by Christian tunes. Supply felt, fabric markers, and glue. Have kids each design a banner with their favorite song's name and message. 4. Name That Verse-Form teams and give each team a Bible with a concordance. While you play a song, have teams search their Bibles for a verse that fits the song's message. Discuss the verses that have been chosen. Then have kids vote on the verse that best tells the song's message. Give a point to the team that chose the verse. Play several songs and tally points. Each member on the team with the most points receives a pencil. (Get the point?) 5. Divine Dramatics-Choose a Christian song that tells a story, such as "Unto the Least of These" by Glen Campbell. Have kids create a skit to portray the story. Take the skit "on the road." Have kids perform at a local nursing home as a youth outreach project. 6. Christian Karaoke-Plan your own karaoke night-kids actually sing the words to accompaniment tapes. Use accompaniment tapes and lyrics for contemporary Christian songs or use The Group Songbook and split-channel accompaniments (for information, call 800-447-1070). Have kids choose their own songs and practice solo, or in duets, trios, or quartets. Perform the songs in a church room with a sound system and microphones. Kids who don't want to perform can be the "groupies" and cheer the performers on! 7. Share the Faith-Have kids each bring a recording of their favorite Christian song. Have them each play a short excerpt of the song and tell the others how their song makes them feel closer to Jesus. 8. Put on Your Dancin' Shoes-Choose an upbeat song, such as "Celebrating Jesus" by Carman. Have kids choreograph the song by using streamers or balloons and adding simple movements, such as making large circles with their arms. Share the dance as part of an upcoming worship service. 9. In Tune With Christ-Play a current hit secular song. Have kids each rate it from one (low) to 10 (high) as to how "Christian" a message it presents. Discuss what Christian song might contain a response to the secular song. 10. The Big Time-Host a concert by a Christian performer and donate the money raised through ticket sales to a local charity. Paula Latchaw is a youth music coordinator at a church in Colorado. Copyright© 1994 Group Publishing, Inc. / JR High Ministry Magazine |
