Exploring five children’s experiences of charismatic worship activities in kids band rehearsals

ABSTRACT

Researching children’s experiences of charismatic worship activities was relatively uncharted territory until recently. For the purpose of this intrinsic case study, activities to cultivate children’s own developing worship styles were implemented through engagement with music during kids band rehearsals in a charismatic church. These activities included vocal and instrumental training, immersive activities, spontaneous worship, intercession and reflection on experiences. Data was collected through observations and interviews with five children who reported on their experiences in a children’s band in a charismatic church at weekly kids band practices. The findings suggested that participation in worship activities in kids band rehearsals alongside others could nurture the ways children experience spirituality and connection with a higher power, the music, and each other.

KEYWORDS:

• kids band
• charismatic church
• worship activities
• connectedness
• children’s spirituality

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The children’s band at the charismatic church where data was collected was called kids band.

2. Small (1999,12) defines musicking as participation in a musical performance in some form. That includes not only performing but also listening, composing, rehearsing or practising, dancing, or participating in activities that may influence the nature of this style of human encounter. For Small, musicking is an event in which people explore, affirm and celebrate a system of multi-level relationships between sounds, people and the physical field of musical action (Odendaal et al. 2014,172).

3. Christians affirm the existence of a higher power, understood to be God: God as Creator and ground of all being, a theistic not a deistic God; a mystery beyond comprehension; and a force embraced not only by Christians (Armstrong, 1993).

4. Intercession in charismatic Christianity involves the act of praying to God for either oneself or on behalf of another person (Wellmann 2015, 2).

5. The first author conducted the research and wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. The corresponding author was a conversation partner who provided vital feedback throughout the process of finalising the article.

6. Listening to worship music with the intention to engage in a spiritual experience.

7. The word ‘soak’ in this context refers to immersive activities.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Calsey Schroeder

Calsey Schroeder practices as a music therapist at Eduexcellence in Pretoria and is a youth worship leader at Kerk-in-Suid, Centurion. She worked as a children’s ministry worker at Every Nation Faith City Potchefstroom, where she facilitated weekly services, the children’s ministry worship and the overall curriculum. She completed her BMus degree at the North-West University in 2018 and obtained her Master’s degree in Music Therapy in 2020 from the University of Pretoria. She engages in and facilitates a variety of local and international church-orientated community programmes and enjoys writing songs in her free time.

Mignon van Vreden

Mignon van Vreden is associate professor in music education at the North-West University’s School of Music. Her research interests include music education in childhood, nurturing socio-emotional learning through music, undergraduate music teacher education and project-based service learning in higher music education. She facilitates various project-based service learning projects in her local community, that include conducting a junior choir, organising ‘Ukulele Cubs’ and facilitating ‘Anke Djé, Anke Bé’ – African drumming at a school for learners with special needs.