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BCMC JOURNAL 2007

Ministering To the Community Through Children

Terry Taylor, Minister of Music, First Baptist Church, Dothan, Alabama

     In Plans and Plusses, Volume 9, Allison Smith wrote an article titled “God’s Greater Vision.” She asks, “Can we begin to think of children’s choir ministry as a community outreach tool?” She observes that most of our pastors are shepherding their churches from the perspective that "evangelism is the primary function of the church.”

     Allison, like so many of us, observes that it is a “struggle to make that argument” that children’s choirs exist and function primarily for evangelism. Still, Allison challenges us to move our children’s choir ministries beyond our comfort zones. I agree that “outside-the-walls” ministry adds a significant dimension to a balanced children’s choir program. In addition to teaching children to sing beautifully, to read music, and to worship, we can offer children an opportunity to serve and minister in their communities. Our children benefit when we provide opportunities for them to serve others. Many of our privileged children would profit from the “gift of perspective” that comes through ministry to those who are less blessed.

     Expanded ministry to the community can seem overwhelming to those of us who are struggling to maintain the vitality of our children’s choir ministries. Many factors are at work, including:
     ▪ overscheduled families/difficult family situations
     ▪ sports
     ▪ excessive “screen time”
     ▪ less emphasis on music literacy and hymns/exclusive use of
               praise choruses
     ▪ parents undervaluing children’s choirs
     ▪ pastors and ministers of music undervaluing children’s choirs
     ▪ less time and resources for children’s choirs in crowded
               church schedule/budget
     ▪ the challenge to enlist, train, and keep choir leaders
     ▪ fewer opportunities for children’s choirs to perform
     ▪ the development of contemporary worship programs targeted
               for children

These challenges motivate us all the more to use our energies, creativity, and resources to build strong children’s choir ministries that will impact our children, churches, and communities.

LAMMP is our comprehensive Wednesday night children’s program that we adapted from Ruth Lewis, Children’s Choir Coordinator at North Phoenix Baptist Church. LAMMP is a high-energy program that includes children’s choirs, missions, scripture and hymn memorization, rallies, and incentive programs. Currently, our children’s LAMMP ministry is a “partner builder” with our local Habitat for Humanity. Our children collect change, sing for fund-raisers, gather food for new home pantries, and make items to decorate homes.

ENCORE is a unique volunteer ministry that has returned musical experiences to our local public elementary schools for the past two years. Over twenty members of our Music Ministry joined 120 other community/church volunteers to provide weekly music classes for over 3,500 children. Our school administration recently announced funding for professional music teachers for the 2007-08 school year.

Point for group discussion: How can we creatively respond to the challenges listed above, and develop a children’s music ministry that reaches inside and outside the church family?

Terry Taylor is minister of music for First Baptist Church, Dothan, Alabama. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Church Music from Belmont University and his Master’s degree in Church Music and Conducting from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Terry is a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky. He has been a full-time Minister of Music for 25 years, serving churches in Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Terry is currently Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, Dothan, Alabama, where he directs the Sanctuary Choir, LifeSong Youth Choir, and various children’s
choirs. Most recently, he directed a younger children’s choir of 14 boys and 4 girls! Terry is widely known as a children’s music curriculum writer, conference leader, and guest conductor. Terry is also on the Executive Board of Dothan’s Cultural Arts Center, where he chairs the Education Committee. Terry recently led a volunteer initiative through the Cultural Arts Center called “ENCORE,” which has returned musical activities to over 3500 children in Dothan’s public elementary schools.

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