Not My Ipod

I think I have excellent taste in music. For someone born many years ago (don’t ask) I can appreciate and even like some music that the kids listen to today. Beyonce is cool right? Jet? Coldplay?

Ok I cheated a bit just then and looked at my daughter’s playlists. But I’m not silly. I know that for young people music is very important. They all have iPods or something similar, and it is not unknown to have earphones as part of your everyday attire, hanging out your collar. I know its cool to post song lyrics on your facebook status, and make jokes from current song titles.

I decided atmosphere at youth is really important. We play music as kids arrive, we play during games, we play it in the break and as they leave.  But they aren’t going to enjoy my crowded house collection or my best of Keith Green.

So I found one of the beautiful Christian girls from my leadership team who has a particular passion for music, and we use her iPod. To sweeten the deal each term I contribute to her song purchases with an iTunes card so she can keep up with modern music trends. I’m encouraging her to only pick songs where the lyrics are uplifting and not dishonouring to God (eg no swearing or anything sexually explicit), and also to intermingle music from Christian artists, to expose the unchurched kids to our wider culture.

We do have a live worship band as well that plays each week, and having live music is a huge draw card. But Meg’s iPod contributes to the atmosphere that is familiar to unchurched kids, draws them in subtly and uses the unique talents of an individual from our team. I’d say that’s a gem.