What If Your Next Worship Leader is 12-Years-Old?

Article by: Stephen Jones

Director of Discipleship Ministries

Cornerstone Conference IPHC

Are you looking for more volunteers, or more leaders?

Do you have a system in place to equip and empower people from your church?

Have you thought about those children and teens in Kids Church and Youth Group?

What if those children and teens could form a new army of volunteers to help you reach your community?

Before you dismiss the possibility, let me share an idea with you.

There’s not a crazy scheme or as-seen-on-TV-product, nor is there a take-three-pills-and-call-me-in-the morning solution. BUT, there is a time-proven method of investing in young leaders in your own church and raising them up to fulfill their God-given.

Yup, I’m talking about Fine Arts.

Fine Arts is more than a program.. It’s a discipleship process where children and teens discover their passions for worship and service, develop their skills with mentors and leaders, and deploy their gifts in the Kingdom and within the local church.

If the whole idea of creating and staffing a new program in your church seems daunting, don’t let the enemy talk you out of a tremendous opportunity. These children and teens represent our very best investments of our own lives and ministry. This is our leadership pipeline!

If you’re looking to get started, here are some small steps you can take to begin raising up those leaders and stewarding those young disciples.

1. Pay attention to their personal expression. Note what they’re probably already doing in some measure—whether in school, at home, or in their community—and encourage them in those pursuits.

2. Partner with parents. Engage families as they “train up their child(ren) in the way they should go,” show them specific ways they can leverage their gifts and passions, and help them see the greater picture of how God can use them.

3. Platform them as soon as possible. Whether you display a work of art they’ve created in the foyer, schedule a solo on an instrument they're learning to play, plan for a song they’ve practiced, or incorporate a dance they’ve perfected, look for an opportunity to let them publish their work. Give them constructive feedback, introduce them to a good mentor, and encourage them to keep working.

4. Point them back to Jesus. Help families see that our performances are all created to be tools in the hands of our Savior for His great Plan—that our acts of worship, regardless of their category, are just our way of showing gratitude to a King Who loves us and gave Himself for us. The platform is not the ultimate destination, nor is applause our primary pursuit. We’re merely giving back to Him what He’s given to us.

Parents and Pastors, encourage your children and teens to give Fine Arts a try. If you’re looking for practical ideas, books, articles, or even leaders who can help you grow your young leaders, give us a call. We want to help you encourage and equip this generation!

Consider sending your teens to Camp DaySpring in the Summer, and our IMPACT Student Leadership Weekend in the Fall. These are great opportunities to connect our students with mentors and professionals who can help them discover, develop and deploy their God-given gifts! For more information about any of these events and processes, contact Stephen Jones at sjones@ccrdc.org.

The Cornerstone Fine Arts Festival is a wonderful weekend to celebrate what God is doing, but in the end, it’s just a celebration of what’s already present in the local church. Let’s focus on leading these young people to see themselves as God sees them—useful and effective in His Kingdom. They’ve been created to be part of the body, to contribute their gift, and to glorify God with their lives. Let’s help them find the avenue where they’ll excel and set them on the path to His Purpose!