Welcome back to Part 2 of Karen’s interview at Consuming Worship.
Karen Reill
What’s the greatest “worship risk” you’ve ever taken?
Well, since it’s for kids, it’s easier to take risks than with the adult service. We can easily introduce new songs, change things up… actually, a degree of risk is always recommended, because we want to keep the kids’ attention.
Any risks you wish you had taken but did not?
I don’t think so.
Describe your process for planning a worship service.
Usually, on the Friday before the Sunday I’m to lead, I pull out my book of songs. I pray over the book, then I just flip through the songs and see what catches my eye or heart. I have my guitar out, and I’ll strum samples of each song. I usually pull 10-12 songs out this way. Then, I pare it down, because we only have a three-song set. I keep it to one or two keys, so that there’s a nice flow. I always start very upbeat, then bring the tempo down to medium-slow by the end of the set, usually. For the kids, worship is held near the end of the service, and right after worship, it’s ministry time, so the lead teacher will take over from there, and direct the kids in prayer. During the time of prayer and ministry, sometimes the band does another worship song, but usually, I’ll release the band, and stay up on stage, and just play a gentle chord progression, and sing quietly, spontaneous prayer and worship…
Please include a sample worship set list and/or service order:
- Our Love is Loud (David Crowder)
- More than Ever (Robbie Reider)
- You Never Let Go (Matt Redman)
Do you write music for your congregation?
I do a little, but we haven’t introduced any.
When you look back decades from now, what do you hope to see you’ve accomplished as a worship leader?
I just want to bring kids (or anyone else I lead) into the presence of God, so that they value worship, and understand its purpose. That’s the goal.
What pointers or ideas do you have to create greater interaction between adult and children’s worship? How could the two be more cooperative?
I think it’s essential to have excellent communication between all pastors and leaders. I only have experience in my own church, but I know that it makes a huge difference that my pastor, associate pastor, and children’s pastor are involved in making worship better for the children; it’s not just a priority for me, it’s a priority for our whole church and its leadership. Our goal is to develop the same values for and “destination” of worship for our kids, as it is in the adult service. In other words, the pastor is interested in what we’re doing with the kids, and supports our efforts. Yet, I also feel like a lot of trust is extended to me. Songs are suggested to me, that I learn and teach my team, but I’m also given a lot of freedom; they trust my leadership, and that makes a huge difference.
You know, I’ve wondered about that. My oldest two sons (ages 10 and 
are definitely worshipers. But, where does that come from? I think, more than homeschooling, that it stems from us valuing and modeling worship. With both my husband and myself leading worship, so much of our family revolves around private (here in the home) and corporate (in church) worship that it just comes naturally to them; they value what we value, they’re involved in the things that we’re involved in. Up until recently, my 6yo son was unfortunately completely uninvolved, and a bit of frustration for me, during times where I lead worship. Your own kids should be the best behaved, right? Well, he was one of the ones talking, disrupting, or just not participating. But, recently, in SuperChurch, they’ve been teaching a bit more about worship, and I have talked with him, and encouraged him in private. Now, he’s an active participant. He likes to sing really loudly, and asks between songs, “Mom, did you hear me??” He also is my “roadie;” I let him help tear down after church is over, so he feels more involved. I think his new involvement more to please me than to please Jesus, but at least it’s a start.
I love leading worship for kids. It’s all of the joy and none of the stress I’ve experienced when leading for adults. Kids have such a forgiving attitude, and tend not to be put off when things go a bit awry, as they will, sometimes. As a worship leader for kids, there are a lot of fine lines I have to tread, though. I need to be upbeat, but not simply “cheerleader-y.” It’s not just a goal to get them to participate, it’s a goal to get them to understand and value worship. I need to lead and teach the kids, but not coerce them, nor just use tricks to get them to sing. For instance, if there’s a worship song that is very visual (like Tim Hughes’ “How Great is Our God”), I would say to the kids, “This is a great song to close your eyes to, and picture what is being said, to get a magnificent picture of the throneroom of God, and His splendor. So, as we sing, I want you to try it out!” But, I’m careful not to simply say, “Everybody close your eyes. Now.” Does that make sense? I teach and encourage them, but don’t force them into worship. Also, I do mix things up a bit sometimes, to pique their interest, but I also communicate to them that I’m not just up there entertaining them; the idea is for them to actually worship, not just observe. Also, with kids, there’s a fine line between worshiping with abandon, and simply using worship as an excuse to be crazy. We do encourage the kids to dance, to sing as loud as they want, to really give themselves over to worshiping our King. However, we also have a cadre of teachers who roam around the group, both modelling worship, and bring control and order to the ones who get out of control, or who are simply using the stage volume as a cover for play or conversation.
So, there’s a lot of joy in leading worship for kids, but there’s a lot of work, prayer, and preparation for a successful time of worship. To me, though, it’s all good. I have hope and expectation every time we worship together, and I’m very glad to have the privilege of leading the Father’s kids.
Thanks, Karen, for the great interview. I would encourage all my readers to go by and check out Karen’s blog.
