Bringing Worship to Life in Your Disability Ministry This Christmas

Do you struggle to engage students in your disability ministry during worship? You’re not alone! Worship can be a challenging yet incredibly meaningful time, and finding ways to involve every student, no matter their abilities, can feel overwhelming.

You might be wondering:

• How do I get students interested in worship?
• What does worship time look like for non-speaking students?
• How can I make worship more interactive and meaningful for everyone?

If these questions resonate with you, I have a strategy that I’m SO excited to share with you today! It’s called the “Worship Box.” This idea is a creative adaptation of something called a “Song Box” (I haven’t been able to track down the original creator, but I’m so grateful for their inspiration!).

What is a Worship Box?

A Worship Box is a simple yet powerful way to engage all students during worship. It lets students choose a song to worship to, and each song has a set of props that help bring it to life. The combination of student choice and sensory props makes worship time more interactive, meaningful, and fun—especially for students in your disability ministry.

Christmas-Themed Worship Box Ideas

Here’s how you can use a Worship Box to celebrate the Christmas season:

• Joy to the World: Hand out mini-globe stress balls for students to hold and shake during the song. These can represent the world receiving the joy of Jesus’ birth! Another option? Mini shakers to symbolize joy.
• Away in a Manger: Give each student a mini baby Jesus figurine to hold as they sing or listen to this song, symbolizing His humble birth.
• Silent Night: Pass out small, safe tea lights. These add a calming glow while students sing or listen to this peaceful song.
• Go Tell It on the Mountain: Students can use mini microphones to “tell” the story of Jesus through song.

This simple strategy brings new life to worship time, especially for students who engage best through hands-on or sensory activities. Plus, it’s adaptable! You can create a Worship Box for any theme, holiday, or set of songs for youth worship.

Ready to Get Started?

I’ve put together a list of props to help you build your Worship Box—check it out here (#ad). With just a little preparation, you can transform worship time into a vibrant and inclusive experience for every student in your disability ministry.

For access to the song choice boards, join our 12 Days of Freebies, where I send you one free Christmas resource each day for your disability ministry (only available until December 20th, 2024).