The Next Generation of Worship Leaders

You know — for KIDS!

Dear Worship Leaders and Church Leaders,

The worship in your church of 2030 will be profoundly shaped by the choices you make today. If you want to see a new generation leading and loving the worship of God, begin training them. Now.

Today’s worship ministries often focus on the immediate needs of their congregations, crafting services and content for this Sunday. However, this shortsighted approach neglects something important—preparing for the future of worship in your churches.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

The Decline of Comprehensive Music Education

A generation ago, the landscape of music education was vastly different. Schools placed a greater emphasis on teaching students to read music, play instruments, and participate in ensembles like choirs and concert bands. This foundation allowed many young people (like you and me!) to develop musical skills that they brought to their local churches.

Unfortunately, music education has dried up in many schools and communities. And it’s not just schools. Contemporary churches have increasingly prioritized the “artist-in-residence” model, where the worship leader is more of a singer-songwriter than a music educator. Attraction-based ministry models insist on high-quality presentations, and that means no more cringy children choirs or awkward teens on the platform.

But as a result, fewer young people are entering adulthood with the musical training and experience necessary to help the church’s music and worship.

The Need for Intentional Mentorship

To address this gap, today’s worship leaders should take a more intentional approach to develop the next generation of musicians and worshipers. By embracing a long-term approach, worship leaders can help their churches be well-equipped to continue the work of leading God’s people in worship, not just for the present but for generations to come. This requires a shift in mindset, moving beyond the immediate needs of this Sunday’s service to a holistic (and maybe eternal?) vision for the future of the church.

Let me propose three strategic areas that your church could consider in order to take baby steps in this intentional approach: younger children, student ministries, and church facilities.

Teaching Children to Worship: Choirs, Classrooms, and Choruses

For generations, churches have nurtured youthful voices through children’s choirs. That practice may seem old-fashioned, but it remains one of the best ways to teach children how to sing, listen, and participate in the gathered worship of the church. They don’t need to sing every Sunday, but featuring a choir of children on Palm Sunday, Christmas, and Mother’s Day can be wonderful. (Pro-Tip: If you want people to LOVE a brand new song you are teaching, have the KIDS teach it to the church!)

Even if you aren’t the right person to lead a choir of children, someone in your congregation may be. If this plan makes sense for your church, find them! equip them! and let them lead!

The songs children sing in their early years form the foundation of their worship for years to come. If music is absent from your children’s ministry classrooms, introduce it. If it is already present, shape it with care. Provide sheet music, train volunteers, and, when necessary, supply musicians to lead.

Of course the kids can sing songs written for children, but encourage them to learn congregational songs that the church sings together on Sunday mornings—simple, singable melodies that will remain in the church’s worship vocabulary for years. Blessed are the children who connect “the joy of singing with others” to “the joy of lifting their voices with Christ’s church” in worship of the living God!

Developing Student Musicians: Mentor, Band, Investment

Teenagers require a different approach. A young musician with a spark of interest may need a mentor—someone to meet with them regularly, to challenge and encourage them, and to help them grow both musically and spiritually. That could be you. That could be someone that you might connect them with. If your church has some resources, consider providing some scholarship money for some lessons as a strong statement of support.

Other students may flourish in a youth worship band, a setting where they can gain experience leading and playing with others. Even if you aren’t the person to build such a group, someone in your church may be. Find them, and give them the support they need. Is there enough square footage in the youth room for a rehearsal space? An extra sound system that they could use? (And PLEASE encourage that young person who actually LIKES helping with the sound and lyric projection! I know they are strange, but the kingdom needs them!) That might make a big difference.

Sometimes, a simple investment makes all the difference. A young musician might need an instrument, a set of guitar pedals, an amp, or a scholarship for lessons. Just last semester, one of my undergraduate students described a scene to our class where some older ladies gathered around after church and gave him a guitar. It meant a LOT to him. It meant a lot to our whole class. A well-timed gift could be the encouragement that leads a student to serve the church with their musical gifts for years to come. And when they graduate from high school, send your worship musicians to Boyce College!

Come for the classes; Stay for the community

Using the Church Building: Formal School or Simple Lessons

Many sanctuaries and church classrooms sit empty during the week, yet they could be places where skilled teachers could train young musicians for the work of worship. Some churches launch formal schools of music, but the effort does not have to be large to be meaningful. Even a few music teachers offering lessons in the church building could help develop the next generation of worshipers and musicians.

These are not radical ideas. They are the quiet, faithful efforts that the Lord might use to shape the future of the church. Christ will build his church, and the next generation will worship. How they do so will depend, in part, on the work we begin today.

May the Lord bless our efforts to make His praise GLORIOUS,

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Dr. Matthew Westerholm