I get asked this question all the time. Does a children’s choir fall under the worship ministry, the kids’ ministry, neither, both? And the answer is: Yes. Really. It can be under any of these. There is no right answer. It depends on how your church is set up and what giftedness is available.
KidMin Umbrella
The choice to have a kids’ ministry choir under the direction of the KidMin department is a pretty natural solution. The kids’ ministry knows the kids, worships with the kids, and understands kids. They also know the parents and know which kids show up routinely. They probably even know which kids would want to be part of a choir.
BUT. The director of KidMin might not be musically gifted. They might not understand the unique needs of a choir. They might already be overwhelmed with planning other events. They might not be familiar with what goes on in the planning of services. Or maybe having a choir never even occurs to them because it’s just not in their wheelhouse.
Worship Umbrella
Having a kids’ choir under the worship ministry can be fantastic because the director or creative team is usually in charge of the services. They understand the service flow and they understand music.
BUT. They might not understand kids. They might even think kids are beneath them.
No Umbrella
In a small church, the pastor might ask a volunteer to start a choir. This can work great.
BUT. They won’t have a lot of support.
Multifaceted Umbrella
Having both the children’s ministry and the worship ministry partner to create a kids’ choir is probably the most cohesive and efficient.
BUT. There must be communication. And there can’t be egos.
Choosing an Umbrella
Any of these umbrellas can work. If you are holding any of these umbrellas and want to start a kids’ choir, do it. If you wish you had a choir but know you’re not the one to be in charge, talk to someone about it. Respect how your church is organized and go to the appropriate people. Designate a choir director and who they will answer to. Keep communication open with the other staff and volunteers. Facilities needs to know about rehearsal rooms and chair set ups. KidMin needs to know scheduling. Don’t overlap a kids’ event with a rehearsal. Worship/creative ministry will probably schedule so keep in talks with them. Having a kids’ choir committee including all these areas is a fantastic way to get things done.
If you’re interested in starting a choir, check out Five Steps to Starting a Kids’ Christmas Choir or you can download my free Ten Steps to Starting a Seasonal KidMin Choir.
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