The music of faith is integral to shaping children’s faith and helping them participate and lead in worship. Here are some ways to strengthen congregational resolve to help children worship through the gift of music.

Recent research into the human brain and into various kinds of intelligence has led to fascinating reports about the importance of music in the development of young people. We all have read news stories about studies finding that children given musical training score better in math. As a director of children’s choirs at our church, I am not shy about sharing such stories with parents, in the hope that they will be sure to register their little singers for one of our choirs. That way I’ll look better as a choir director.

But as I do so, I know that’s not the real issue. The real issue is, How do we help our young people to worship through the gift of music?

The assembly of the baptized around the central gifts of Word and Sacraments (to use Gordon Lathrop’s phrase) certainly includes our children. That assembly gathers together to sing God’s praises. If the children are not joining the song, something is wrong — with our teaching, with our leadership, or with our songs.

There is another question besides the inclusiveness question (that is, are the children singing?). It is the question of forming and nurturing faith, in which the church’s song surely has a part. The ELCA’s Principles for Worship put it this way: “The assembly’s song contributes to the spiritual formation of the assembly itself and its individual members. Used carefully and consistently over time, the song forms communal and individual memory and serves to nurture the faith from one generation to another.” ¹

Music is a wonderful gift which we can (and do) use to include children in the worshiping assembly and which we can (and do) use to nurture the faith from one generation to another. But how do we do this?

Here are some suggestions, gleaned from friends and colleagues who are wiser than I am and from my own practical experience.

Remember the Children
First, and most important, remember the children when planning the assembly’s song. This seems obvious when stated in this way. But do we actually do it? What are some markers of an assembly’s song if the leaders remember the children in their planning?

1. The song would include texts that children can handle (while not excluding texts they need to grow into). Young children can understand and appreciate texts such as “This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia!” or “Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. ”As they grow older, they can learn to sing the verses that go with “This Is the Feast.”
   
   When considering texts and children, it is important not to underestimate their abilities. My third- and fourth-grade choir members love to sing “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” especially these words:
        Crown him the lord of years,
        The potentate of time,
        Creator of the rolling spheres,
        Ineffably sublime.
   Of course, I taught them in rehearsal what those wonderfully poetic phrases “potentate of time” and “ineffably sublime” mean. Children enjoy texts that lift them out of the ordinary, just as they enjoy stories that do the same (Harry Potter, for example). What is necessary is to teach, teach, teach.
    
2. The song would include music that lets children sing as children. Children have naturally beautiful singing voices. They can produce a clear, unforced sound that adults cannot make. Choir directors who work with children talk about this as a child’s “head voice.” Melodies that allow children to use this voice lie somewhat higher than many hymns and songs that adults like (especially many newer songs). Too many low notes will not be rewarding to children, and so they will not sing as well.
   
   Children respond well to melodies with an engaging rhythm and will move their bodies to the music as they sing. One way to tell if a melody is engaging the children is to look at them and see if they are moving.
   
   Children respond well to songs that are more lyrical and flowing in style. They can learn to love a beautiful, slow melody. Often what is initially engaging wears out, and the song that needs to “grow on you” becomes the one more loved. What is necessary is to teach, teach, teach.
    
3. The song would include sufficient repetition so that pre- and early readers can take part. The liturgy of the church is a great gift here. Consistent use of these texts will allow all worshipers, including children, to memorize them. Pre- and early readers will be able to join with adults in the parts of the liturgy as they use them week after week.

Those who plan assembly song need to think seriously about how many musical settings of the liturgy they use. Too many different melodies for that “Lamb of God” will discourage music nonreaders from taking part.

Finally, songs that include repetition in the song itself are very helpful for children. Thus, pieces with refrains (“This Is the Feast”), simple chants from Taizé, or Alleluia settings such as “Halle, Halle, Halle” will engage children and allow them to add their voices to the assembly’s song.

Best Possible Program
Second, develop a strong children’s music or choir program. What are some markers of a program that takes its children seriously and prepares them to participate in — and lead — the assembly?

1. The children’s choirs would be given the best leadership the congregation can provide. Congregations try to have the best musician available to play for worship and work with the adult choirs. A similar need for quality leadership exists with children’s choirs. In fact, because they often are just learning to sing, children need a good teacher even more than adults do. So if dear old Solveig volunteers to do the children’s choir or lead music for the Sunday school, accept her offer with deep gratitude — but only if she is actually gifted as a children’s music teacher!
    
   Good leaders prepare for every rehearsal the same way, and choose music the same way, whether the singers are children or adults.
    
2. The choir director would spend significant time at every rehearsal teaching the children the assembly’s song. Are the children adding their voices to the assembly’s hymns and songs when they sing in choir? If not, meet with the director and find out what percentage of each rehearsal is spent on hymns and liturgy. (I spend about 50 percent as a minimum, and frequently more.)
    
3. The children would be given the opportunity to lead worship, not just sing an anthem for the assembly’s edification or, worse, its entertainment. When a children’s choir or a Sunday school class sings for worship, they could sing a classic hymn, or teach the assembly a new song, rather than just sing a cute song.

Even very young children can sing the appointed Verse for the Gospel Acclamation (set to a simple melody) while the assembly sings the alleluias.

Children’s choirs or individual singers can sing hymn stanzas in alternation with the assembly. In our congregation, it is a tradition to have a child (or two or three) sing the first stanza of “From Heaven Above” on Christmas Eve.

Older children and youth can sing descants for hymns, just as adult choirs do. One of my youth choir’s favorite hymns is “Abide with Me,” because I wrote a descant for them to sing on the last stanza.

Older children and youth can lead an entire special service. Each year our youth choir and youth bells lead an Epiphany Vespers.

Teach, Teach, Teach
Third, take other opportunities to teach children the assembly’s song. What are some markers of a church that takes children’s singing seriously?

1. Sunday schools would include time in which children are taught music that will be sung in the assembly. This requires a coordinated approach between Christian educators and teachers and those planning and leading worship (usually pastors and musicians). It would also require recruiting someone or -ones to do the teaching. And remember, where children are concerned nothing but the best music teachers will do. This might require a congregation to increase the work and pay of their parish musician.
    
2. Children’s Christmas plays would include the children singing hymns and carols that are part of the standard repertoire, ones they will sing throughout their lives.
    
3. Catechetical classes would open or close with devotions that include singing music used in the assembly.
    
4. The church’s publishing house would include music customarily sung in the worshiping assemblies of the church in their curricula for Sunday schools, vacation Bible schools, and catechetical classes.

To sum up, the singing of children in our assemblies is an important issue for the church, both for the sake of the assembly itself and as we seek to nurture the faith in our young people. Fortunately, children naturally enjoy singing and will participate with enthusiasm in the song of the assembly. But in order for this to happen, adult leaders in the congregation must do three things: teach, teach, and teach some more.

Endnote
1. Principle M-5, Principles for Worship, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 2002.

Michael E. Krentz, an associate in ministry, is director of music at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, Emmaus, Pennsylvania.