Christian music has come a long way since the days of the Imperials. (Most of you are too young to remember the Imperials, and that’s probably for the best.) The message of Christ is being presented in a lot of different kinds of music today. If you poke around on the Christian music page at iTunes, you find everything from praise music to southern gospel to hard-core garage band. Of course, most of your students are probably barely aware of the music that is available to them. How can you introduce them to great Christian bands?

• Play the music in your car or in the church van when you are going to youth activities. Talk about the music so your students know it is something you are playing for them.
• Plug some speakers into your iPod and let students listen to a song that reinforces your Bible study lesson. Follow up by asking what the song writer was trying to say.
• Use music during Bible study times. Play it as students are coming in or working on group assignments. It’s amazing how quickly students will gather when you turn off the music to get started or to gather the group back together.
• Take students to Christian concerts when they are in your area. Decorate your youth room with posters of the Christian artists your students like.

What are some other ideas? How do you use Christian music in your youth ministry?