It’s that time of year again! Many of our churches around the country celebrate our youth ministry by asking them to lead worship! Many of us love such a worship experience; others of us recoil in fear! There is good reason for such mixed reactions as well. Some churches do a pretty good job of organizing these days, and there are plenty of horror stories out there…I have some of my own!
This past Sunday our youth led a fantastic worship service (that I did not organize), and our church has been showering them with praise throughout the week. But let’s be honest, not all churches experience the same thing when it comes to Youth Sunday. I’ve been organizing and observing Youth Sundays for over 25 years now, and a lot of work goes into making such an experience a success. So if you are planning an upcoming Youth Sunday, here are a few things you may wish to pay attention to:
- Why? Why are you leading a Youth Sunday in the first place? Examine your motives, and that of the church. This is not a time to grandstand young people so that others will feel better about themselves; this is about worship. In this regard, what a wonderful opportunity to use this experience as a teaching opportunity for our young people. This way you can turn the Youth Sunday planning process into a curriculum on worship while also preparing that doesn’t leave you rushing to finish things up the night before (two birds, one stone!).
- Theology. What a great time to teach about our faith tradition! If you feel uncomfortable about any of the “why” conversation, or if there are questions that you simply don’t know the answer to about “why we do what we do” in worship, then reach out for help! This focused time with youth in leadership allows for great conversation on topics such as beliefs, tradition, theology, and more. It’s okay to say “I don’t know; let me get back with you” if such questions arise.
- Planning/Schedule. I have seen churches try and throw together a service in a week, and I have seen youth groups plan for years in advance. I would suggest getting your Youth Sunday date on the worship calendar at the beginning of each program year, and allowing for approximately 4-6 weeks of preparation and rehearsal time. SIDE NOTE: youth musicians may need more time to prepare.
- “Sunday Best” or Casual? Each church has a different set of expectations around dress. So for Youth Sunday, should we do more of the same or challenge the status quo? What a great conversation opportunity with our youth! Whatever the decision is, the ability to talk about ‘why we do what do’ is important.
- Adult Involvement. While I’m a fan of the youth leading as much of the service as they feel comfortable with, adults can be instrumental in making Youth Sunday a positive experience. Have experienced ushers do some training. The AV team can teach about the sound board for any youth who wish to remain behind the scenes. Adult volunteers can work with the youth writing liturgy and prayers. This is truly an intergenerational experience if we allow it.
- Themes or Scripture. Some churches choose a Scripture verse to build the service around; others choose a larger theme. This helps keep things cohesive throughout the service, which is a challenge when multiple people are trying to plan everything together. I know some churches who decide this months in advance; others not so much. I suggest the planning team deciding on this first, with weeks of preparation before the service.
- Music. People always have something to say about music. Have this conversation well in advance of the service. What style of music is your congregation used to? Would they be open to the youth offering different musical expressions? Regardless, be sure to make the quality of the music a top priority; this is no place to be sloppy, even (especially) when it comes to the youth, themselves, leading music. Our congregation hired out professional musicians this year that were able to lead “contemporary” music with a church that is accustomed to classical/sacred music. Again, not possible for everyone, but this helped introduce people to music in a high-quality, tasteful way, where the youth were happy to have more of their musical preferences recognized.
- Sermons. If you have youth who you think can preach with integrity, then go for it. If you don’t, then I suggest inviting someone else (Youth Director, etc.) to preach. Some churches have the seniors each give a message. This can work, but it can also turn into an awards show mentality, where individuals are simply thanking people for all sorts of things. Prioritize responding to the Scripture, because that is what a sermon should be. We actually sit down with our preachers (we had 2 this year) beforehand to talk about the details of preaching, and I think it paid off.
- Liturgy/Prayers. I love the idea of allowing the youth to select or write their own liturgy and/or prayers. This is also a great way to get other adult volunteers to work with the youth during the preparation. If you decide not to, there are plenty of wonderful worship resources on-line. Yes, even us pastors use these regularly!
- Celebration. Be sure to celebrate with your youth and volunteers following this worship experience. Have a special lunch, go out for a special event; everyone did a great job–celebrate!
Okay, these are just a few initial observations/suggestions. As always, I value your comments and feedback to contribute to a wonderful ministry opportunity for our young people.
If you are responsible for such a service, fear not! As I assure all who are going through such a process, no matter what, on that Sunday there will be worship, the Lord will be praised, and no lives will be lost (Lord willing)!
Rev. Dr. Jeff Binder 