Impulsive Joy

How do you launch a Youth praise team that will lead well in your children’s ministry?  It starts with an audition.  Auditions can make leaders and kids nervous but with a little planning, you can make it a fun, positive experience that won’t look anything like the brutal audition process of American Idol.

Promote and Enlist

This time period, 3 weeks to a month before your audition day, is all about getting the word out and giving kids a chance to sign up for the audition.  Create print material, make announcements and put a sign up sheet in a place where kids can sign up while at Church.  All kids, 4th grade through High School, are eligible to audition.

Assign Audition Time Slots

Assigning time slots reduces the chaos that can happen if you ask everyone to “show up and wait”. Divide kids into groups of 3 and assign each group a time slot for your audition day.  Each group should have a 10-15 minute block of time so that the judges can discuss and assign kids as you go throughout the process.  Email assignments to parents and kids. You can determine when to assign your time slots but typically I assign them the Monday before audition day.

Informational Meeting / Learn Audition Song Day

Parents are required to attend the beginning of this meeting with their children.  Present an overview of how the audition process will work.  Give parents important information such as a sample schedule for a typical Sunday, commitment expectations, and how often their child will be scheduled.  After questions are answered, dismiss parents and teach kids the audition song.  Chances are, a few parents will stick around to video tape the audition song to help their child practice at home.

Make sure your audition song is new so this is a level playing field for everyone.  I typically hold this meeting on Wednesday evening.

Audition Day

Select 3 people to help judge the auditions.  Provide spreadsheets with names and judging criteria.  Generally speaking, the most important element is that kids smile and are not rattled if they mess up.  I never looked for super stars — I always looked for stage presence and effort.  Saturday has been my day of choice for Auditions.

Notifications

Send acceptance letters. (I loved the stories from parents of their kids running to the mailbox to see if their letter had arrived.)  If you have a child who didn’t make the cut, always give a head’s up to mom and dad and have alternative serving roles for them to consider that would honor the child’s gifting.

Orientation

Bring your new Youth praise team together with parents for an official orientation.  Do an activity that will allow your teams to get to know each other.  Collect contact information, t-shirt sizes, and — while you have everyone there — teach a few songs!

Team Captains

This is very important.  Speak to your high schoolers about the role of Team Captain.  Team Captains review motions, provide encouragement and often lead prayer and devotional times with the kids.  It’s a small group in the making!

How do you audition your praise teams?  What has worked well or maybe you have some lessons to share?