Helping Under 5s Connect with God Through Worship

Powerful Praise

In a crèche programme at our church, chaos reigned. It was one of those days when it felt like everyone was crying or misbehaving. The leaders had tried everything to calm things down, but nothing worked. They had slipped into survival mode, simply waiting for the session to end, praying that the preacher wouldn’t overrun.

Amidst the cacophony, one two-year-old stood in the middle of the room and began to speak. “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus loves us every day. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus loves us every week.” Then she knelt down and sang a new song to God. By the time she finished, the whole room was calm. Her praise had transformed the atmosphere.

Can our youngest children truly connect with God in such a spiritually significant way?

It’s Biblical

This is exactly what the Psalmist refers to in Psalm 8:2, which says, “Out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants God has ordained strength to silence the foe and the avenger.” Jesus quotes this verse, using the word "praise" instead of "strength." In other words, when young children praise God, it is not merely cute; it is powerful. The purity of their praise silences the powers of darkness.

In Matthew 19:14, Jesus uses a small child as a visual aid to illustrate that the kingdom of God belongs to those who can be like children. The Greek word used for children in this passage is paidon, which refers to a young child, typically under the age of seven. It is these young children, not peri-pubescent pre-teens, that Jesus blessed in Luke 18:16. (Of course, He wants to bless the peri-pubescents too, but that’s not the focus of this verse.) Luke 18:15 speaks of the babies that Jesus calls to Him. For those who appreciate a bit of Greek, that’s the word brephos, meaning infants or children still in the womb.

God desires these children to be in His presence. One of the most significant ways we can enter God’s presence is through praise and worship (Psalm 100:4). The simple act of coming into God’s presence through praise changes us.

Children in God’s Presence

Many expectant parents share how they notice their babies in the womb move in response to God's presence during a meeting or worship time at home. I remember one service where prayer was offered for anyone wanting to be filled with God. I went forward with my nine-month-old baby for prayer. Those praying asked for me to be filled and for my baby to grow to know God.

For some reason, this prayer annoyed me. Sure, I wanted my baby to know God, but I wanted more than that. I wanted my child to be filled with God too—not just at some future time, but now! After all, that was why we went forward. As I sat in my seat, feeling irritated, I decided to pray for my baby myself. “Lord, fill my son,” I cried.

At that moment, he began to laugh. It soon became clear that this was God filling him. He reached over and touched the lady next to us, and she was instantly overcome by God’s presence as the Holy Spirit filled her. The two ladies behind us were in shock as they witnessed what happened.

On another occasion, while washing up in our kitchen, I suddenly became very aware of God’s presence in the room. This was unusual during such mundane tasks. When I turned around, I saw my son kneeling on the floor, worshipping God. His worship made God’s presence more tangible in the room.

Several parents told us how their babies were significantly affected by a worship event we ran for the under 5s. They all noticed two things: “After the meeting, my baby spent the rest of the day giggling.” These babies had been filled with God.

So, how can we help our youngest children move beyond merely singing songs and truly connect with God in worship?

Practical Worship Tips

1. Have a Routine

Young children thrive on routine. If they know that playtime comes first, followed by sitting on a mat to hear about Jesus, they will gradually learn to join in. At first, you might feel like you’re herding goats as you gather the children. Every time you turn around to get one child, another has wandered off! But don’t give up.

We suggest having one person lead, whose job it is to keep going, even if there’s only one child in front of them. Other adults can encourage the rest of the group to join in. The children will soon learn the routine, feel secure because of it, and enjoy participating.

Use the same songs repeatedly. As the children learn them, they will be able to join in. Some songs help children learn Bible verses or theological truths about God. These songs are excellent for teaching, but make sure to include songs that express praise, worship, and adoration to God. This will give them an opportunity to worship God through their singing.

2. Join in the Worship

A group of children looks eagerly at you. Meanwhile, you have one eye on the clock (to see how much time is left), one eye on the door (to see who is coming in and check that no one is leaving), and one eye on the child who looks like they are about to cry. That’s three out of two eyes already used! At the same time, you’re trying to be enthusiastic so that the children will join in, but not too excited in case the youngest ones are scared by your exuberance. An eighteen-month-old clings to your leg as if there’s about to be an earthquake, and just as you’re finally about to start, a two-year-old perfectly times their exclamation: “I need a wee.” All of this while singing a worship song to the tune of a nursery rhyme.

I admit this atmosphere is not as conducive to worship as a Hillsong conference. However, if we are simply going through the motions of singing and not genuinely worshipping God with the song, how can we expect the children around us to engage in worship? I have to remind myself to focus on God and actively engage in worship when leading younger children. As I start to worship, they often do too… mostly. Even if they stand there with their mouths hanging open, they have been brought into an atmosphere of worship.

Enjoy the wonder of worshipping God with simple songs, and before long, this will become your favourite worship session in the church.

3. Expect God to Move

At one family camp we attended, the under 5s arrived each day feeling restless. The room was filled with crying as young children were dropped off. However, as soon as we started the worship time, God’s peace would wash over the venue. One day, the children engaged in worship for half an hour—well beyond the natural attention span of the babies and toddlers present.

We had prayed in advance, asking God to come and meet with the children, and He did. Our times of preparation before the crèche begins are crucial. Prayer is not merely the bookends of a crèche meeting; it is the channel through which God can pour His blessings on the children. When we pray, God moves.

One exercise we recommend crèche leaders do, as part of our training course, is to reflect at the end of each session on what God was doing. Sometimes this will be obvious: a child joining in for the first time, or a parent sharing how their child has slept well since we prayed the previous week. Other times, you may need to think a bit more: the way one child calmed after worship, or the facial expression of a girl who was worshipping God with all her heart.

4. Opportunities to Respond

Finally, we encourage you to give the children opportunities to respond in worship to Jesus. This could be a time for them to pray and thank God in their own words. You can provide a model of prayer for them to complete: “Thank you, God, for…”. It could also be a chance for them to blow a kiss to Jesus (and then catch one from Him). Alternatively, it could be a moment for them to listen to God or engage in a creative activity together. Responding to God beyond the time of sung worship allows the children to find their own ways to connect with Him and express their adoration.

After all, God is worthy of all the praise from all of creation. He has ordained for praise to come from the mouths of babes and nursing infants. With such powerful praise happening, our crèche programmes should come with a warning!

Olly Goldenberg is the director of Children Can. Through this ministry, we seek to revive the next generation and connect generations together around the world. He is the author of many books, including The Josiah Generation and Jesus, Your Baby and You. He has also released two music albums, including I Love Jesus and produced Early Steps with Jesus, a six-part training course for crèche leaders.