Kids in music ministry

A friend of mine recently asked whether I thought it was OK for primary aged children to minister to other children by playing in a worship band. Here are my thoughts.

My own experience is that I started playing in church bands at about age 14. To be perfectly honest, I really wasn't much good... some would probably argue that I'm still not! Initially I started out singing (actually, now that I think about it, I actually started out managing the overheads!) and over time began playing guitar and then piano.

Being asked to be involved meant a great deal to me, and music was a great source of self-esteem for me. I loved to be a part of a team, to be contributing towards the workings of the church.

Less positive, however, I started to develop strange ideas about being valued for what I did, rather than who I was. This meant that I felt threatened by better musicians, unwanted when I wasn't asked to contribute, and unable to focus on God when I was 'sitting in a pew'. I think my understanding of worship was somewhat stunted because I was all too aware of the mundane aspects of praising God in song, and so frequently distracted from what I was really doing. I was too busy worrying about what serving others in that way to understand that God wanted me focused on him first and foremost.

Personally, I am inclined to err on the side of caution. I believe that, in most cases, the risks - or, more accurately, the consequences - outweigh the benefits. As with most 'rules', however, there are likely to be exceptional kids for whom the above risks are demonstrably minimal.

Your mileage may vary ;-)