We are told in Galatians 6:9, “Not to lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”
Throughout my 40 years of working in Music Ministry and with Student Choirs, I’ve learned a whole lot – I’ve listened to those with experience and tried different things (some worked, some didn’t), I’ve developed new ideas (some worked, some didn’t), but at the end of the day, I’ve tried to share my knowledge with other Student Choir Ministers.
I’m certain everyone has their go-to person for advice and tips, but the one place I treasure learning from is the Ministers of Music in the east Mississippi area. Once a month, we get together to share ideas and enjoy times of fellowship. It’s during these meetings that we’ve taken our collective knowledge and put together a few “Survival Tips” for working with student choirs.
We pray you will find these “Survival Tips” to be highly beneficial:
- Enlist adult section leaders for your student choir.
- These experienced singers can help your students learn their parts, and you have a fuller sound when leading in worship.
- Join up with other student choirs in your area.
- Rehearse and sing together at each church. The students enjoy the times of fellowship with other students, and excitement is generated when each congregation gets to worship with a large number of students leading.
- Sing with other choirs in your own church (Multi-generational).
- Our student and children’s choirs joined forces in a Duck Dynasty meets Operation Christmas Child musical with the older students doing drama parts. Both groups benefitted from this combined effort, and our church gave more shoeboxes that year than ever before.
- Our student choir sings with the adults in special presentations. This provides an opportunity for the students to learn more challenging music while also helping to bridge the generation gap.
- Put Lifeway’s SONPOWER on your summer calendar.
- SonPower is held each year in Orlando, FL. We attend this event every other year, but every time we go, we come back, as a group, feeling renewed as a choir. Nothing energizes our group more than singing praises to God with hundreds of other students from around the country. SONPOWER provides opportunities for:
- Relevant Bible study sessions
- Worship times led by outstanding leaders, such as Meredith Andrews
- Mission projects with students from other churches
- Rehearsals and a LIVE CD recording with Dennis Allen
- Free time to come together as a group to do something fun like visit a theme park, explore the city or whatever your group would like to do
- SonPower is held each year in Orlando, FL. We attend this event every other year, but every time we go, we come back, as a group, feeling renewed as a choir. Nothing energizes our group more than singing praises to God with hundreds of other students from around the country. SONPOWER provides opportunities for:
- Be a mission-minded choir.
- In Matthew 25:45, God tells us that when we minister to others, we are essentially ministering to Him.
- Go on a mission trip to other countries. Some of our students have been to:
- Atlanta for a long weekend trip to feed homeless people and sing at a Spanish mission church,
- Tegucigalpa, Honduras to work with Forgotten Children Ministries,
- Harthill, Scotland to partner with a church there.
- Go on a mission trip to other countries. Some of our students have been to:
- Participating in mission trips can help students appreciate the many luxuries we all enjoy, give them an opportunity to minister to others, share the gospel through music, and allow them to grow closer to each other and to the Lord.
- Find mission projects close to home.
- Our students enjoy singing at local nursing homes.
- Find mission projects close to home.
- In Matthew 25:45, God tells us that when we minister to others, we are essentially ministering to Him.
Throughout my long tenure, I have been blessed to see many of these students grow up to become leaders in their own churches, on the mission field and in other church-related vocations. I’m thankful that God has allowed me to use the gift of music in serving Him.
“Not to lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”
Cissi Majure serves as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church in Quitman, Mississippi. She operated a private piano studio and then taught elementary and choral music before becoming a full time church staff member. She and her husband Stan have two adult children.
Great list of suggestions. Might I also add participation in regional or state events for Youth Choir and Youth Choir Leader Training? Like us here in Tennessee (ours begins tomorrow), several states have events for students that help to fan the flame of youth choirs, encourage continued use of talents in the life and ministry of the local church, and give students opportunity to sing with other singers from around the region or state. Here in Tennessee our annual events are connected to our Baptist colleges, Union University and Carson-Newman University, and we include exposure to hearing collegiate singing groups. These events foster new relationships and energy for students participating in their church’s youth music ministry.
You have impacted so many lives… Without you I would have never found my voice!! Love you!!