Last year before we launched sojournmusic.com, I talked with Chandi Plummer about the new music program for SojournKids, our children’s ministry. We printed the interview in Travelogue, Sojourn’s bi-monthly journal.Â
I recently caught up with Chandi to see how the ministry has progressed.Â
Sojourn Music: Why did you decide to get involved with children’s worship?
Chandi Plummer: I am a musician, with a Bachelors and Masters in music. I sing and teach voice professionally, but I only do those things once a week now and have the incredible joy and trial of being a stay-home mom for two kids and a third baby to be born any day now.
I realized when my first child was about the age where she could start to really sing some songs (a little more than 1 1/2 years old) that I was mostly singing songs from musicals and a few old hymns with words she couldn’t understand. I wanted her to have songs for Jesus she loved to sing as much as “Do Re Mi” from The Sound of Music. That’s when I started seriously thinking about kids’ worship songs and looking for great music combined with great theology. I want to make sure our kids see the beauty and amazing joy of worshiping God in song. We have such a wonderful music ministry at Sojourn, that if our kids didn’t get to “taste and see that the Lord is good” through music, it would be a great tragedy!
SM: When did this new format for SojournKids worship begin, and how often do you utilize it?
CP: We started in April 2007 and we serve on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. Children ages 4-? come into a classroom and we have a worship time with them. The musicians who are serving are terrific and I am so grateful for the love they have for the kids. I am amazed by them.
Michael Morgan has really stepped up and he is doing all the planning on-line and all the communication and organization of musicians. He is doing all the logistical planning with musician’s schedules and also helps to edit the liturgical teaching “scripts” that I write. He also regularly leads the worship time with the kids and does lots of other organizational things. With a third baby due any day, I’m grateful that God has called him and he has stepped up to love the kids at Sojourn!
This is a unique ministry because we are really “teacher- musicians.” The individuals serving love the Lord, love kids, are gifted to teach children and are gifted musicians…. that’s not an easy position to fill! We would love to have more people to serve in this capacity! Anyone who is interested should contact me (chandiplummer@gmail.com) or Michael Morgan (mcmorgan13@hotmail.com).
SM: What is the overall goal?
CP: I hope that we will teach the “littlest ones” at Sojourn the joy of singing to God, and of having the most practical theology taught. Often, what a person sings about God is what he or she really believes. Therefore, we earnestly pursue both scriptural accuracy and God-honoring musical excellence for our kids at Sojourn.
SM: It sounds like you’re very passionate about this.
CP: I am passionate about children’s worship because I want the little ones to remember the Scriptures and truth about God years from now, and songs help them do that. I also want the kids to learn to cry out, worship, enjoy and delight in God through singing. I would hate to think that one day when our kids “grow-up” and start attending Sojourn Gathered or another church service, they would have never experienced or been trained in the joy of corporate worship through singing, while at such a musically talented and truth-preaching church.
SM: How many songs are in rotation?
CP: We are using the same “script” twice a month. There are usually about five songs. And we do no more than two new songs a month so the kids can learn them.
SM: Where do you find the songs?
CP: Most of our kid’s songs come from two CDs: Teach me while my heart is tender, by Judy Rogers and Awesome God from Sovereign Grace ministries. Other songs are written by Sojourners, and there are a few others we have picked from various places. We also use traditional hymns, spiritual songs and some Scripture memory songs written by Mark Altrogge.
We hope to eventually produce a kids’ CD. We are trying to use some elements of the liturgy similar to the adult service. We have different themes each month. For example: December is obviously Christmas, but some months follow themes like: God is our Creator; The Ten Commandments; God’s Grace; God is omnipresent- He’s always with us; etc.
SM: What criteria do you use in selecting the songs?
CP:Â First, biblical accuracy. Songs that are true —Â clearly and accurately reflecting the scripture’s teachings. Certain stories MUST be taught in song to the children, like Creation and the gospel.
2. Musical excellence — the over-all “singability” and accessibility of the songs. I have tried to find songs in a range that is appropriate for young children (pre-puberty) to sing, which is not easy. Unfortunately too many songwriters write for their own low voices and not for children’s voices. I have sought excellent songs in whatever genre they were composed — good music even the adults will like.
3. What we all need. Often when people look for scripture songs for children, they ask themselves, “What do the children need to learn?” However, the same result can be accomplished by asking, “What do I need to learn or remember about God?” Ultimately, that’s what they need to learn.
4. I asked myself after compiling a list of songs: what have we not taught them? It is in this answer that I hope we compile more songs for our kids.
5. Consider their age. Because young children have a difficult time with abstract concepts, I have avoided songs with a strong use of poetic and symbolic imagery and sought songs with concrete concepts. For example, some songs relied heavily upon poetic imagery like: “I look to the cross,” rather than saying more concretely, “Thank you for Jesus, He died on the cross for my sins.”
However, because the Christian faith expresses itself often in poetic terms, this concept is not followed at all times legalistically. The bottom line is that the song’s meaning needs to be as clear as possible for the children.
6. Liturgical diversity. Different types of songs should be incorporated to the kids’ music at Sojourn: praise, confession, thanksgiving, teaching, etc. Incorporating these different types of songs helps the children learn to pray, learn about God, and give them thoughts and words to communicate with Him that they may not otherwise have.
7. Making the most of our time. We only have a certain amount of time to teach songs. So, when evaluating a song, it may be a good song, but I ask myself, “In light of these standards, is this song good, better or best?” I have sought to find the best possible songs for our kids. It would be easy to just pick a bunch of church songs for our kids, to not plan well, and to frankly, “entertain” them as if we are a library kids’ sing-a-long. But singing to God is far better, and so should our standards be. However, this does not mean that we will never sing a fun song before the Lord.
SM: I bet it’s a very rewarding ministry.
CP: This ministry is extremely rewarding. When I hear from parents that their kids are singing the songs at other times, and are even applying the words to their lives, and when I see their excited faces and hear their sweet voices and see their wiggly bodies dancing, I am thrilled.
