Teaching Kids Authentic Worship

Many children, as adoring fans, can rattle off all the stats and facts and details about their favorite singer or sports star. Wouldn't it be great if they knew that much about God and were as excited about him? In Teaching Kids Authentic Worship, Kathleen Chapman gives an eye-opening lesson on how worship can spark that kind of enthusiasm. She begins with what it means to truly worship-to focus on God alone. At its core, she says, worship is our recognition of the greatness of God. It is a kind of glue that will effectively lead children into a greater, more permanent love relationship with Jesus. With a contagious enthusiasm of her own, Chapman moves from the "what" of worship to the "how." She includes fifty-two worship moments that help children-and adults-focus exclusively on God and learn about him. These creative moments take the form of singing, hand movements, dance, crafts, games, writing, drama, and more. Teaching Kids Authentic Worship is a necessary resource for every Sunday school teacher, children's church leader, and parent who wants to guide children in making God their greatest hero and lifelong friend.

Guide children toward a lifelong, intimate relationship with God by teaching them what it means to truly worship. Includes 52 unique ideas for powerful worship moments.

SECRETS OF WORSHIP is a teaching manual to help teach children HOW to worship in a sanctuary. Most adults learned how to worship from imitating their parents or other adults in church. We all need to learn the mechanics in a worship service before the spiritual level can be achieved. This is a class for children to learn who, what, where, when, and why behind a worship service. There are explanations for the Latin words used as well as who is involved in each segment. There are secrets for the children to help them relate to worshiping making it more fun for them. Many churches use the junior church concept. Secrets of worship takes that concept to a new level requiring the children to attend the whole church service in order to experience all the aspects of worship. Once the children are familiar as to what will happen in the service they become more comfortable in being in church. There are also ideas for worship materials that dont entertain but allow the children to learn and participate while in the worship service.

What is the nature of true worship? What are we actaully doing when we meet together for 'church' on Sundays? And how does that connect with what we do the rest of the week? Vaughan Roberts answers these questions and more, as he brings readers back to the Bible in order to define what worship is and isn't, and what it should and shouldn't be. While we may struggle to define worship by arguing about singing hymns with the organ, versus modern songs with guitars and drums, or about the place of certain spiritual gifts, Roberts suggests we are asking the wrong questions. For true worship is more than this - it is to encompass the whole of life. This book challenges us to worship God every day of the week, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

In Story-Shaped Worship Robbie Castleman attempts nothing less than to uncover the fundamental shape of worship. Right worship doesn't require a traditionalist return to earlier forms of church, she argues, but a fresh response to God in light of the revealed patterns of worship we find in the Bible and church history.

Many congregations today experience collisions between parents who ant to spend time with their children and age-segregated church programming, as well as between the children worshiping in their pews and the increasing number of seniors in the same pew. Among the questions these congregations struggle to address are these: Should we try to hold the generations together when we worship/ Is it even possible? Led by pastor and resource developer Howard Vanderwell, nine writers--pastors, teachers, worship planners, and others serving in specialized ministries--offer their reflections on issues congregational leaders need to address as they design their worship ministry. In addition, numerous sidebars illustrate the diversity of practices in the church today. Contributors do not propose easy answers or instant solutions. Rather, they guide readers as they craft ministries and practices that fit their own community, heritage, and history. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and group discussion, and an appendix provides guidelines for small group use. The thread that connects these varied contributions is the belief that there is no greater privilege for Christians than worshiping God, and there is no better way to do that than as an intergenerational community in which all are important and all encourage and nurture the faith of the others.

Chronicling the professional and spiritual walk of a church musician, Music in the Church not only follows author Shirley R. Smith’s personal journey, but it also offers relational and musical tools for the position of church musician. This memoir recounts her life as a child through high school, covers her years of education relating to her vocation, and describes the music ministry positions she’s held. In addition, she offers her thoughts on approaches to programming in the church, aspects of effective worship planning, and present-day life through the eyes of a pandemic-induced lockdown and vocational plans for reentry. A memoir, Music in the Church expresses Smith’s sincere hope that God’s faithfulness reflected a positive spirit on the lives of others, bringing them joy and confidence in the promise of God’s salvation and love. She hopes others draw closer to God and discover new and refreshing ideas on the presentation of music in the church and the importance of healthy relationships within those walls.

Children know God. They encounter God in diverse ways as they walk along the spiritual journey. Amidst this diversity, four distinct avenues for connecting with God emerge in the lives of children: word, emotion, symbol, and action. These are the four spiritual styles, broad approaches to spirituality and faith through which children experience God and make sense of their lives in the world around them. Children's Ministry that Fits blends insightful research, relevant theory, and practical ministry into a guidebook for discovering and understanding children's spiritual styles. Drawing from theology, personal experience, and the spiritual lives of children, David M. Csinos offers practical wisdom that will help pastors, parents, and teachers to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to children's ministry and begin nurturing the spiritual lives of children in welcoming and inclusive environments.