A brand-new choir year – how exciting! You may be early in your ministry as a children’s choir director, or perhaps you have served for decades. For this choir year and this group of children – you matter! Choirs are vitally important to the spiritual growth of our children. Here are some things to consider as you begin this remarkable new journey:
Teaching Children to Sing – Teaching Them How to Worship
What if the most important thing children learn in choir has nothing to do with their ability to sing the right notes? In a school or community choir, the focus is on musical excellence, performance, teamwork, developing a lifelong love of music, and other valuable goals. In a faith-based choir, we offer the same things – plus something more eternally significant: We aren’t simply teaching children music; we are teaching them to use their God-given gifts to worship God.
That difference should shape our vision, our goals, and even our rehearsal practices. We still teach healthy vocal techniques, rhythmic precision, music reading, listening skills, expression, and musical excellence. But we also ask, “What am I teaching them about God through this music? What will they remember long after they leave my choir?”
When our vision is clear, rehearsal becomes more than preparing for a program. It becomes an opportunity to develop musicians, build community, teach biblical truth, and nurture worshipers – not simply performers. The goal isn’t simply to teach children how to sing, but to help them discover why their voice matters to God.
Becoming a Confident and Inspired Children’s Choir Director
You don’t have to know everything to lead a children’s choir, but you do need a willingness to keep learning!
Leading children’s choirs requires more than musical knowledge. It takes an understanding of child development, teaching strategies, classroom management, vocal development, worship, scripture, and the unique calling of ministry. The good news? You don’t have to figure it out alone!
Training can give you practical tools and renewed confidence. Attend workshops. Learn from experienced children’s choir directors. Explore new music and teaching methods. Watch how others lead. Ask questions. And perhaps most importantly, find a mentor who can encourage you, share ideas, and help you navigate the challenges that come with children’s ministry.
Confidence doesn’t mean having all the answers. It comes from preparation, experience, and knowing where to find help. An inspired children’s choir director is also a lifelong learner. Your enthusiasm will be contagious, just as your lack of enthusiasm would be. When children see your excitement about music, your love of God, and your interest in every choir member, they will believe that choir really matters! Keep learning, growing, and leading – your work is of primary importance.
Growing the Choir: Reaching Beyond the Choir Room
Building a children’s choir isn’t just about getting children out of the hallways. It involves building relationships with children and families.
Start with the children who are already coming. Love them well by knowing their names, learning about their interests, celebrating their growth, and making choir a place where they want to be.
Next, ask a critical question: Why aren’t other children coming? Maybe the schedule doesn’t work, parents don’t understand what happens in choir, or families simply haven’t been invited. Don’t be discouraged by who you don’t have. Instead, reach out!
Send mail – the kind with stamps! A personal invitation can make children feel remembered and wanted. Reach out to parents, too. Help them understand the value of choir – not just as another activity, but as an opportunity for their children to grow spiritually and relationally as well as musically.
Think beyond the children. Consider offering a gathering or activity for parents during choir rehearsals. Enlist an empty-nest couple, grandparents, or adult choir members to lead these gatherings. Create community for the entire family!
Building an Effective and Joyful Choir
The bulk of your time and energy will focus on your primary purpose, developing joyful, confident singers. It may seem simple: just start singing! While that is true, most of us also want to develop strong vocal and choral skills and help children grow toward musical literacy and deeper musicianship – all wrapped in the spiritually enriched setting of a church choir. Planning is the essential element to staying on track; winging it is not effective. Your singers will reflect your attitude: if it’s important to you, it will grow in importance to them.
How do we grow joyful singers? The answer goes back to the attitude of the choir director. If you love to sing, let your choir see, hear, and know about it. I sometimes hear people say their child doesn’t like to sing, or that their choir music is boring. There should be balance and variety in choral selections. I know many wonderful choral directors who have engaging rehearsals regardless of the anthem choices. Mixing in fun rehearsal techniques and activities will win over even the most reluctant singers!
Planning for a Successful Year
Looking toward a full year of choir rehearsals can be overwhelming. Where should you begin? What should you teach? What resources do you need? Asking questions like these is exactly where you begin! As you find answers, a plan will emerge. Build on that plan. Here’s an outline to help you get started:
- Take inventory of available resources. Include human resources as well as needs for the physical learning space.
- Compile a list of additional items to be purchased or created, keeping in mind any budget constraints.
- Decide on a biblically focused theme or emphasis for the year, coordinating with children’s ministry, music ministry, and others within the church if possible.
- Select developmentally (musically and spiritually) appropriate anthems from your library or from trusted vendors.
- Set goals for the year, including worship-leading opportunities and other musical projects within the church and community.
Think of other steps to include for your specific setting. Once you have a basic framework, weekly rehearsal plans will logically fall into place, creating a yearlong plan for success.
May your choir room be a place of love, joy, and nurturing – a place where every child feels safe and accepted. Plant the seeds and watch them grow – it’s going to be a great year!
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Help! I Have Rehearsal Tomorrow! is a new resource from Jubilate Music Group. Co-written by Susan Eernisse and Karen Gosselin, it offers rehearsal tips, teaching techniques, purposeful activities, and great advice for building a strong children’s music ministry.
