Music Leaders - Ideas for teaching Called To Serve

Picture Courtesy The Friend July 2008

1. Have a missionary backpack. Put things inside that have to do with each line.

Called to serve him Heavenly King of Glory… an envelope to represent mission call,

Chosen Ere to witness for His name... missionary tag showing name of the church ,

Far and Wide… Book of Mormons in a couple different languages,

Far and Wide love proclaim.. a Heart,

Onward Ever Onward… a pair of shoes,

Forward as a triumph song we sing… a trophy,

God our Strength… small dumbbell.

2. Have some return missionaries come in to introduce the song to the kids in the language they served their mission. This will help the kids get familiar with the tune and get them excited about the song.

3. As the children are more comfortable with the song bring in some missionary attire to dress up a child as they sing each line correctly.

4. Have the ward missionaries come in to help lead the song.

5. Make a missionary on a bicycle picture. Have 2 kids hold a string and guide the missionary along as they sing. He rides his bike to success as they sing with the spirit!

6. Make a large posterboard picture of a missionary. Make the chest area large enough to fit a growing, burning bosom of sorts. Start with a small heart then add a larger layer heart behind, then another larger heart behind that as the children sing. Explain that as they sing sometimes you can feel the warmth of the spirit in your heart. When they learn the song, try singing without the visual, have them close their eyes and see if they can feel that warmth growing in their hearts.

7. Have different pictures of fun shoes, about 5. Post them on the board and have a child come pick one. Each one will have a different action involving feet to do while you sing. Ahhhhh repetition! That's how we learn! (The actions could include, marching, tapping toes, kicking lightly, jumping on certain words, walking slowly, drawing the letter M with your foot for Mission!, rolling your foot in a circular motion, standing on one foot...etc.) Remind the children that you don't have to have church shoes to spread the gospel. Any shoes will do! We are to be witnesses at all times and in all places!

And of course, throwing my two cents in, Music time should be a time when children are excited to sing! This should be a time where they learn to love the songs! I've OFTEN heard such expressions :
Nobody's singing!
Why aren't you singing?
That wasn't good enough.
If nobody is going to sing, then we're going to sing again till we do it right.
Oh, that wasn't very good.

BOOOOOO!!! Garbage!!! Keep it positive!!! First of all, they can't learn the songs in one sitting. They need lots of practice at home! Everyone forgets! Encourage the love of the song through your excitement and memorization and you'll have better results than using the above mentioned phrases that need to go straight to the can! The more positive words you use, the better the singing will be.

A couple common phrases I love to use with our primary friends are:

Wow! Am I at a Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice?

Thank you. Now I know what the angels in heaven sound like!

Do you guys have a CD out at Deseret books I could buy?



Also, Singing time doesn't have to be glitz, glamour and buzzers. Make it simple. Focus on the song and actually singing it. Does anyone ever notice how much we explain the song rather than singing it? Let us sing, the song will explain itself to the children by the spirit felt. (Except of course for defining hard to understand words...)