Youth

As I train and coach youth leaders around the country, I am seeing lots of prevailing junior high ministries. Junior high students are more open to serving and worshiping God than ever before. Are we as the church taking advantage of what God is doing in the hearts of young students today — especially in the area of understanding what it means to worship Him? I asked Brandon Grissom, the gifted worship leader of Elevate, Willow’s junior high ministry, to give his thoughts on training and leading worship to this generation.

Worship was never meant to be an “event” or a “service.” Worship has always been something that we do and not something we attend. So why has our view of worship been downsized to an hour-long meeting rather than a life-long journey with the God of the universe? And how might the world be affected if the emerging generations of our communities began to “offer their lives as living sacrifices” as Romans 12 asks of us? As a worship leader in the student ministries of Willow Creek Community Church, I am constantly wrestling with students about what worship really is and what God desires of us. Worship is essential in wrapping our hearts around the desires of God. What if students actually lived out the words that we sing together? In the words of John Piper, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn’t.” I believe that the worship of Christ among the young people of our communities is the fuel that calls and inspires the next generation of the church to change the world.

With this in mind, it is important that youth pastors and worship leaders paint a big picture of worship for their students. These are a few of the key ingredients that I have found to work within our student ministry.

Explain. And Explain Again.

Lyrics to worship songs can be very tricky sometimes. In most student ministries around the country there are students, age 11-18 all in the same room. We miss a huge opportunity in our worship times when we fail to explain what song lyrics mean, what Scriptures inspired those words, and what truths we are trying to understand together.

Search for Songs That Call Us Out.

Worship songs are littered with the pronouns “I,” “Me,” and “My.” This isn’t all bad. I have been guilty of writing a song or two that dwell on God’s love for “me.” However, we need to search for and write songs that call us out to the world. I think of the song “Sending” by Charlie Hall: Send us with fire to go love the world. And I love this lyric penned by Steve Fee: Let what we do in here fill the streets out there. These are the prayers that I desire for our students to pray.

Go Away.

Like many of you, our camps and retreats are always the most intense, worshipful, and impacting days of the entire year. When we give students some space away from the craziness of their everyday lives God always moves. There is something unique that happens when we step out of the busy-ness of our day-to-day and meet with God. Many of our students and leaders point back to these “moments away” as key parts of their story. When we return home we have a bigger view of God, a more expanded definition of worship, and a stronger desire to shine the light of Christ in the world.

Our students are longing for purpose. My prayer is that our worship times with our students would be the starting line and not the finish line. My hope is that the words that we sing would become real in our lives. And when the song ends I hope that our students are just getting started.

Brandon Grissom’s new worship album “Scattered Around” is available now.
elev8world.com | purevolume.com/brandongrissom

Bo Boshers is the executive director of student ministries for the Willow Creek Association

Y>NET Membership

WCA UK & Ireland provides an annual youth membership subscription designed to envision, equip and encourage Youth Leaders in their ministry whilst teaching them on wider church ministry matters. Annual Membership includes:

• Subscription to Youthwork Magazine
• Subscription to Defining Moments, Willow's Monthly Audio Journal for Church Leaders
• Discounts on Resources and Events

Annual membership costs £29 / €55. Join YNET here

Willow Creek Youth Conference 'Shift'

Pack your bags and join with hundreds of other Youth Leaders at Willow Creek for a time of envisioning and equipping for youth ministry. These youth conferences are held every year in april.

• Check out the SHIFT 2008 website complete with blog, podcasts and feedback from this year's event.
• Includes 8 nights accommodation with a Willow family
• Special rates for Y>NET & WCA members
• Simple booking procedure through WCA UK & Ireland office

Des is passionate about impacting young people with God's love and is keen to help those involved in youth ministry. Along with his team at LCC and other churches in Preston, Des has organised several 'Encounter' events designed to stir the hearts of minds of young people for God, and to train up youth leaders.

Other Useful Websites for your Youth Ministry