Music—where would youth ministry be without it?

Whether you struggle to keep up with the latest flavor-of-the-month band your kids are suddenly gaga over, or if you surf the Net like Kelly Slater through a fiber-optic half pipe, you know fully well the music you bring into youth group settings and share with select kids looms large on the spiritual development meter. It’s a tool not to be trifled with.

Maybe the biggest questions that have perked up between tracks of your latest David Crowder Band release are Am I on the right track? What’s working for everybody else? Even I’m hittin’ ’em out of the park with music—but can I do even better?

So we bent the ears of some of your peers. We got the skinny on what’s phat on their phonographs (OK, OK—iPods), how they stay in tune with their kids’ tastes (and what’s heating up the charts everywhere else), the best ways to use the constantly changing world of technology. And most of all, what’s working.

Atmosphere, Atmosphere, Atmosphere

The most frequent and widespread use of recorded music in youth ministry is for setting the mood. For what? You name it.

“The most prominent use is background music in our youth rooms and vehicles,” says Bob Schuman, associate pastor of Warrington (Pennsylvania) Fellowship Church. “Music sets the mood and the attitude; so if we want the place to jump, we use bands that crank the energy. I notice this happening all the time at indoor sporting events. They use music to create an atmosphere that moves fans to the place they’re hoping they’ll go. If we want contemplative attitudes during a prayer event, we use mellow instrumental music. Phil Keaggy’s The Master & the Musician still does the trick!”

Tom Parker, student pastor at Wall Highway Church in Madison, Ala., agrees. “We use recorded music one hour before we start anything,” he says. “We try to get music that matches the mood we’re trying to set. We also use recorded music during games to give them a ‘fun’ feel. We often use kickin’, upbeat music for announcements and after services; and we’ll at times use quiet mood music for testimonies.”

Sometimes the mood-setting can lead to unintended (but welcome) ministry, as has been the case with Erica Delp, youth director of Calvary Presbyterian Church in Riverton, New Jersey. “Sometimes I’ll have a CD playing when everyone is first coming in to youth group,” she says. “Sometimes they like it, and the kids will ask me questions.”

John Denton, the director of Accept Youth Ministries of Central Community Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., hatches his own, field-tested method of using background music every week. “In our youth ministry, we try to incorporate lots of extra noise,” he notes. “I’m a fan of silence, but I’ve noticed nothing can shut teenagers up faster in a room or van than silence—it creates awkwardness. So, we always have light music playing through our sound system from a simple playlist of random music on my iPod. We use it to set the tone for the gathering or event.”

Not for Geeks and Nerds Only

It’s not just what music you play anymore—it’s also how you play it.

“I try to incorporate new technology in everything I do, because I know most of our students are probably using it, and to them it’s not that new,” Denton explains. “So I use iTunes to purchase all of my music; our youth group has a podcast, and my iPod is my best friend. I don’t think we’ve used CDs for the last three years!”

There you have it. The compact disc’s supreme reign as the platform of choice for the last two decades is no more—in fact, it’s becoming prehistoric. More and more savvy music lovers are getting their music through digital downloads—and the savviest of them all are your kids. Believe it.

As we found out from your peers, the technology page is turning quickly in youth ministries all over. Schuman says he visits specific artists’ Web sites and downloads whatever they’ll let him access. Delp says she uses an iPod for personal listening. Parker, like Denton, has contracted the iTunes-iPod bug—he even has a whole crew of folks dedicated to making technology work for his youth ministry: “Our multimedia staff is incredibly talented.”

Staying in Touch

They say if the volume’s getting too loud for you, then you’re just plain too old. Unfortunately, youth workers don’t get to make that excuse—to diss an artist your kids really love because it’s not your cup of tea is worse than shooting yourself in the foot. No, you have to go the extra mile and find out what your kids like so you can stay engaged; that mile can sometimes prove a challenging trot.

“I’m behind my kids in terms of knowing what’s popular. That wasn’t always the case, but I’m older now,” Schuman admits. “I use interlinc (www.interlinc-online.com) to keep up with Christian artists, and I listen to the radio to keep up with secular artists.”

Denton goes straight to the source. “I normally ask my students what they’re listening to and the artists they like; then I go out and buy the same music. I also check out iTunes’ top songs and albums to see what’s popular that week.”

Keeping up with musical tastes isn’t on Delp’s priority list, however. “It’s impossible because things change so often in youth culture,” she says. “I try to not compete with the hype of life, but instead offer my students fellowship and experiences that will meet their needs and draw them closer to Christ.”

The Challenges Ahead

While gizmos such as the iPod are attractive and user-friendly, their insane popularity with youth can make using music in ministry—even ministry itself—a bit of a chore.

“I think with the iPod we’re seeing more antisocial behavior with our students,” Denton admits. “They can play video games alone, go on MySpace, and IM and text message alone and listen to music alone. I’ve actually seen groups of students hanging out together, all with headphones in their ears, listening to their own music. So how do we make the antisocial, social again? Do we target antisocial behavior, or do we try to get students to turn off their iPods and get involved in discussions or worship as a group?”

Delp says she “doesn’t see why iPods, music phones, or other technology should detract from using music in our ministries. There’s even potential to use that technology to your advantage if you can get good music on your kids’ personal devices.”

For Schuman, the challenges out there are many—but more than worth it to tackle.

“God uses music in a big way. Scripture is filled with it; it’s documented in the Bible that music impacts and moves people. As long as we recognize the fine line between communicating truth well and with emotion and the danger of manipulation, music can be a great tool to minister to students and motivate them to live passionately for Christ.”