Viewing the experience in ministerial terms first and foremost, and only afterwards in musical terms, is a great place to start. She also suggests a diagnostic self-examination that covers a variety of areas that might not be readily apparent to the casual observer.

"Ask yourself these kinds of questions," she begins. "What is your purpose? What talent do you have available? What ages will you work with? What are your space limitations? Schedule limitations? Budget limitations? Are there volunteers ready to help out? What repertoire or resources do you have available, and how will the style of worship at your church affect the music you select? Will you use choreography? How will that sit with the church leadership?"

Still want to give this kids' choir thing a whirl? "Make sure you're called," Hill exhorts. "And if you're called, then commit" Here's how.

Step 1: Prayerful Commitment (James 5: 17, 18)
Children's music ministries function like all other ministries of the church; behind those which bear fruit you will find a prayer network supporting both leaders and participants. Worship leaders intent on starting a kids' choir would do well to begin praying for discernment and guidance months before the actual start-up date, especially if you plan to involve others in the leadership.

"Too often music ministers and worship leaders begin by thinking about filling a position," notes church-music educator Dr. Rhonda Buescher, "instead of asking, 'Whom is God calling to do this work?' It has been my experience that if I'm praying, the Holy Spirit will lead me to the right people."

Once the right people are in place, the focus of your prayers might change, but not their importance. Buescher has made prayer an integral part of her choir rehearsals in her 20 years of service.

"We will have a prayer time with the children, and allow them to share a request, and have found that many of them have very real concerns. Sometimes the prayer is 'My cat ran away yesterday,' and other times it's 'My parents are getting a divorce,' that you sadly hear." Children need to know that their concerns, whether big or small, matter to God. To that end, Buescher acknowledges that it's "important for us to take time in the rehearsal to share prayer concerns."

Other methods Buescher suggests for incorporating prayer into the context of your ministry include having prayer partners among the choir members and asking adult helpers to pray for specific children by name on certain days of the week (see Jesus' prayer for His disciples in John 17 for inspiration).

While we worship leaders like to say that we who sing pray twice, this implies that we who sing pray first. However you accomplish it, making prayer a priority in your children's music ministry will reap great rewards.

Step 2: Parental Involvement (Proverbs 29:15)
Pam Andrews puts it bluntly: "Some parents look at choir as child care." But in the next breath she states, "If you ask the parents to help you, they will." No, Andrews isn't suffering a stress-induced cognitive disorder from her 15 years of working with children's choirs. She's simply making the point that wise choir directors recruit the whole family. When she says, "You've got to have your 'hooks' You've got to grab them" she is talking about parents along with their offspring. And the way to "hook" both is to invest in the kids.

The basic concept appears in Matthew 10:42; the idea that a good deed done for a child brings good results. The "cup of cold water" in this instance might take many forms: giving a prominent speaking role to the tone-deaf child who might otherwise never have an opportunity to shine; assigning the rambunctious kid (whose bravado masks a deep-seated lack of self-esteem) the task of calling role at the beginning of each rehearsal; writing a short, upbeat note about the child at the bottom of each informational letter sent home to the parents. These seemingly minor actions let the parents know that you really care about their children.

Andrews went so far as to create a choir newsletter which was sent to each child's home. "I made a point of saying something special about each kid," she recalls. "In some cases it was as simple as 'I like your smile,' but later just about all the parents came up to me and said how much they appreciated my taking the time to say something nice about their child."

Andrews tries continually to keep the doors of communication open between herself, as director, and the parents. "I will ask them to send me special ideas they have for the choir, to commit to praying for the kids, to volunteer to chaperone on trips, or to furnish food for special events. It is a way of breaking down walls, so that I am not communicating, 'This is my thing; don't interfere.'"

Oftentimes Grandma and Grandpa have a little more time on their hands (and a little less stress in their lives). So, as you solicit volunteer help, don't forget them. Especially if they've been in the church a long time and have fond memories of carting their kids to musical events.

Step 3: Professional Arrangement (Col. 3:23)
When Herb Owen, whose The Complete Kids Choir Video Guide is a terrific primer for children's music ministry, came up with the first of his 35 tips for kids' choir directors, he used a scant three words: Make It Sharp. Whether we like it or not, our kids are growing up in a video age with no shortage of multimedia wonders at their disposal. That puts a pretty serious onus on children's ministers to provide technologically savvy alternatives whenever possible. "Kids want to be part of something as sharp as what they see on TV," Owen says.

If you don't have an extra couple thousand in the budget for pyrotechnics, don't fret. "Sharp" is, in large measure, an attitude. According to Nan Allen, who, along with her husband Dennis has composed over 50 musicals for kids' choirs, says "though it sounds trite, you start with what you have."

Desiring to begin a kids' choir at a small church, Allen found, instead, a trio. "We had only three sixth-grade girls," she remembers, "but they sang beautifully. I taught them to sing three-part harmony, so we'd take hymns out of the hymnal and arrange them for three parts. It was gorgeous."

Whether you have three kids or 103, part of creating an aura of professionalism centers around maintaining high, but realistic, expectations. "You can help foster group morale," Allen adds, "by carefully selecting your material to challenge, but not overwhelm, your singers. Kids need to be able to learn something pretty quickly," she notes. As they are learning, help them keep focused by scheduling performance opportunities frequently. She continues, "Always have a big event ahead of them, something to look forward to, Kids need something to work toward."

And whether you have a huge budget or none at all, some basic attention to detail can go a long way toward creating the kind of sharp image that is inviting to children. Owen suggests videotaping every performance (to help reinforce the importance of stage presence), dressing the kids in matching or similar outfits and spending time in rehearsal practicing how to walk to and from the stage. "If we look sharp, folks will think, 'Oh, look at those lovely children' instead of 'Where did these brats come from, and who invited them?'"

Step 4: Playful Deportment (Luke 18: 16, 17)
Step 3 notwithstanding, understanding that a children's choir should be a fun experience is perhaps even more important. Not surprisingly, Owen's second tip is a succinct: Make It Fun. "Make your practices fun, make your performances fun, make the trips fun. This ultimately means that you have got to be fun," he notes.

Some of us come by fun more naturally than others, so for those who have to work at it a bit, here are some practical suggestions. "Have a large bag of tricks as you come to rehearsal," recommends Buescher, who acknowledges that the attention span of even older children is often no more than five minutes at a time. "Keep a quick pace and vary your teaching methods."

Ever the educator, Buescher uses positive reinforcement to help the kids stay on task. Her choir members can earn parties for good individual and group behavior.

Andrews suggests beginning your practice session with some of the music that is most fun to sing, and rewarding the kids at the end of rehearsal (assuming they've done well) with more opportunities to sing "the fun stuff" after you've gone over all the music you needed to cover that day.

Andrews even advocates making discipline fun. "As much as I really want to yell at them, I try to use rhythm games to get their attention." She finds that dropping what she's doing momentarily and engaging the group in various movement activities often diffuses a potential problem.

Owen tries to set the tone before the rehearsal begins. "We try to create a warm, loving atmosphere as they're walking in. We'll have some music playing, and I let them know how glad I am to see them."

"Will You Play with Me?"
Rob Evans, better known as The Donut Man, agrees. He exhorts worship leaders not to overlook the seed-planting potential in children's music ministry. To the kids, I'm a friend. And for most kids, all they want to know is, 'Will you play with me? Will you be my friend?'"

Evans admits that grabbing the attention of such a young audience has little to do with being culturally relevant. "I don't have to sound like Point of Grace, get my ears pierced or look contemporary. It is the perfect job for someone who wants to minister without having to worry about being cool. I'm a dork, and I'm proud of it. And the kids love it."

The bottom line, according to Hill, is relationships. "I try to build relationships with the children, because until they know me and love me, they're not going to obey like I want them to. They want to know that I care about them not as a singer, but as a kid. When they know that, they'll perform well, because it's a way for them to show their appreciation and affection for me. Your relationships with your children are far more important than your ability as a music teacher."