I Believe-Youth Music Leaders part 6

 

                              What We Should Do If We Are Youth Music Leaders

1.  Bone Up on truth and error in music and what the Bible has to say about music. Also, begin a long and broad study of music.  There is no substitute for "knowing" when it comes to music history, theory and conducting techniques.

2.  Believe it can be done.  In my opinion the "baby sitter" attitude is deadly to a youth music program.  Develop a music praxis that actually gets the job done correctly.  Know just what it is that you are trying to accomplish through your musicing with them.

3.  Build up the Body of Christ. Make sure that your music praxis trains the youth to be life long servants of Christ that can function in the church's worship praxis.  If you train them to love and practice musicing styles that are too esoteric to be used in adult worship, they will leave the church when they become adults.  The fact that they leave will be your fault, not the church's fault.

4.  Bless God with music. Be sure that the youth under your ministry training are learning to worship God and not merely a style or styles of music. Be sure they learn to worship the "creator" (God) rather than the creature (the created thing i.e. music).

5.  Bow to authority and to God. Everyone is born carnal.  However, I believe many youth music pastors sometimes get a double portion of carnality and stubbornness. Deal thoroughly with  self-centeredness and sin in your life.  Ask God to give you the wisdom and good common sense to work under authority.

6.  Be:

          o   a student of the whole of music, not just church music,

          o   a student of Bible music, base your philosophy and praxis on Bible principles of musicing,

          o   knowledgeable of current trends of religious music, know why you do what you do musically, and why you do not do what you do not do musically.  Be ready to give an answer to your teens,

          o   a real pastor to the teens, pray for them,care for them etc.,
          o   a musical minister of teen music. Search for the spiritual meanings in the music and verbally             catechize the teens through the music.