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Top New Christian Worship Songs For Small Church Worship Ministry
For worship leaders in small churches: Check out 3 new worship songs for August that work with smaller bands or no bands at all. We love saving you time by finding gems that work for you!
Before we jump into our three new songs for August, here’s a smidge of wisdom when planning your worship order.
Fast & Familiar Isn’t Watering Down Worship
I’ve known worship leaders who see no need for fun songs. They want to skip the clapping and celebration and go straight to open-your-heart-raw worship. They have clearly defined lines between “praise,” “worship,” and “performance.”
I’d love for you to consider the following with an open mind: Everyone isn’t ready for deep worship when they walk in those doors.
Yep, I said it.
Everyone isn’t ready for deep worship when they walk in the doors.
And, not only is that okay, but it’s normal.
While you and your team have been gearing up for the worship service, most people walk into your worship center with other things on their minds.
- They’re stressed from the morning of getting their family out the door on time.
- They’re entering half-torn, knowing they could have stayed at home in their jammies.
- They’re worried about work, illness, and their to-do lists.
Help Them Transition: Don’t Throw Them Flailing In The Deep End
Helping them to transition isn’t just a nice thing to ease the path; it’s your job. I’ve said this lots before: Your job as a worship leader isn’t just to worship in front of people. Your job is to lead people IN worship, which includes leading them INTO worship.
Just like children who need to get their wiggles out, adults need a little help down-shifting from their cares. It doesn’t mean they are spiritually immature or not devout. It’s just a natural human thing.
Starting with a high-energy song and/or something very familiar can make the transition into worship so much easier for those walking in the door. A very familiar hymn, although not high energy, can serve this same purpose.
- While you’ve been praying over the service all week, they are walking in cold.
- While you’ve been rehearsing new songs, listening to them over and over, they are hearing them for the first time.
- While you got there early and are settled into this space, they are just arriving.
If you practice before your worship service on Sunday morning, consider how you and your team members arrived. Did you walk in and say hi? Warm up? Chat a little? Take a few minutes to transition? Chuckle a little over your weekend plans, mishaps, and encounters?
Consider Individuals This Sunday As They Walk In One By One
Unlike you, those coming in for worship may have rushed out their doors hoping not to be late, grabbed a protein bar because they were out of time, and cleaned up a mess at home, or left one there! Maybe they could use your help regrouping from a morning of …
- Getting yelled at (by spouse, kids, siblings, parents … )
- Getting rained on (physically or metaphorically)
- Getting peed on (by kids or pets) (sorry if that’s uncomfortably graphic, but I currently have a puppy, and this is our reality!)
This is one of the reasons why each month I try to give you one fast song, one medium song, and one slow worship song. All have their place in worship.
For a Spotify playlist with all my top picks for 2021 click here: Spotify Playlist: New Worship Songs for Small Churches. Make sure to follow us on Spotify so you can see all the monthly playlists too!
August Edition: Top New Worship Songs For Small Churches
1. Freedom Is Coming (Hillsong Young & Free)
- Tempo: Fast
- CCLI Song #: 7179212
- Ben Fielding | Ben Tan | Mi-kaisha Masella
- My chosen singable key: C
“Freedom Is Coming” Is Perfect To Open Or Close Your Worship Service
Don’t let the slow start of this song throw you off; this is a song you can clap to!
- the chorus is super catchy
- its verses are clear and easy to sing
- this song is solidly based in hopeful scripture
Your worshippers are gonna love it!
The keyboard is the lead instrument on this recording by Hillsong Young & Free, but you can absolutely lead this with a guitar. As you listen, notice the simple instrumentation. You can totally pull this one off with any size band, even one instrument. If you don’t have a percussionist, a steady clap will do just fine.
Chorus:
Freedom is coming
And it has a Name
Oh no room for my chains
Oh You take them away
Freedom is coming
And it has a Name
And it is Jesus
How sweet is the Name
What If It’s Too High To Sing?
There’s not too much worse than listening to people try to sing outside their vocal range. It’s a cringe-worthy experience for sure, and that goes for trying to sing too low as well as too high.
So what do you do when part of the melody really is too high or too low for your own voice?
First off, I only choose songs for this blog that are in a reasonable range for most people. Which means that any songs I pick for small churches are going to be doable. This is one of those songs that could need a SLIGHT adjustment. And I really do mean slight.
(Notice my chosen singable key listed in the intro bullets of each song choice.)
I try to put all worship songs in a key for you that puts that melody range between middle C and high C, just one octave.
If you practice “Freedom Is Coming” in the key of C, you’ll notice a few melody notes on the chorus going a little higher. If you can’t comfortably sing the high E note on the second syllable of Je-sus, simply sing the same note on “sus” as you did on “Je” … it’s totally fine and sounds great.
It’s so much better to adjust a melody line than to try to sing notes you really can’t reach. You can keep the integrity of most songs and still adjust ultra-low or high melodies to suit your vocal range.
A Creative Reading Of Scriptures About Freedom
Instead of reading a scripture yourself to introduce this song, or having the congregation read it together on the screen, consider doing something a little creative for this one.
Plan an instrumental interlude in the middle of this song, and while the music is playing, have people scattered throughout your worship center read these scriptures out loud!
(Print each on cardstock ahead of time, and ask 5 different readers to join you in this project! Instruct them to read loud as a declaration! Have them silently count for 5 full seconds between the different readings. It will be remembered!)
Galatians 5:1 – It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
John 8:36 – So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Ephesians 3:12 – In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Acts 13:39a – Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin …
Romans 8:1-2 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Isaiah 61:1 – The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners …
2. Known By Love (Chris McClarney)
- Tempo: Medium
- CCLI Song #: 7180665
- Chris McClarney | Hank Bentley | Mia Fieldes
- My chosen singable key: D
“Known By Love” Puts Hands & Feet To The Church
Please teach this song to your church.
Of course, we all love certain music more than others. Personally, I’m not in love with the melody on the chorus. But wow, I love the verses and the bridge, and I love this message.
This song is for today .–– for now –– in our culture that is so full of bickering over little things, and digging in our heels over very big things.
Read this …
Verse 1:
I don’t want to be known for what I hate
I don’t want to miss the things
That make Your heart break
I don’t want to say things You’d never say
Come have Your way in me
These lyrics … wow … are you tearing up too?
Memorize Micah 6:8
In a time filled with so much conflict, disappointment, fighting, and shame, I have been returning time and time again to this verse from Micah 6:8. I hope it touches your heart as it touches mine.
” … And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8b)
P.S. Please Don’t Do The Octave Flip
On the last chorus of this song, Chris McClarney shows off his amazing range by flipping a full octave higher. Please don’t do this in worship.
Even if you have the vocal range, the majority of your congregation does not. Flipping octaves literally interrupts their worship because they can’t follow you. Yes, you look amazing, but they feel inadequate. Not the goal, right?
(“But Laurie … Hillsong does it! Elevation does it! Bethel does it! … and the octave flips are powerful and work great!” …. Yes, they do, and they are, and it does work for them –– with trained vocalists, full bands, tons of musical talent, and an auditorium full of young fans who love them. I’m teaching you what works in small churches with an intergenerational mix, many of whom do not listen to worship songs all week long.)
3. Come Now (Mack Brock)
- Tempo: Slow
- CCLI Song #: 7163725
- Ben Fielding | Hannah Hobbs | Mack Brock | Mitch Wong
- My chosen singable key: F
The “Come Now” Cafe Version Is Brand New This Season
Although “Come Now” appeared on YouTube at the tail end of 2020, Mack Brock recently released this cafe version. It’s the first time I’m hearing it, and it’s on my playlist!
The “Come Now” lyrics should be a daily prayer in all our hearts. Can you imagine starting your day with this prayer every morning?
Chorus:
Come now Spirit of God
Stir in our hearts light up revival
O Spirit come have Your way
Rain down heavenly flame
Here in this place unleash Your power
O Spirit come have Your way
“Come Now” Is Perfect For Novice Bands Or For Churches Dipping Their Toe Into Contemporary Worship
Although many who read this blog worship with contemporary bands on Sunday mornings, others sing mostly (or all) hymns.
If your congregation is just dipping its toe into the pool of contemporary worship, this is a perfect song to introduce.
It’s melody is simple, lyrics are compelling, and mood leads beautifully into prayer.
For Learning Guitarists, Play In D With A Capo
Although I’ve put this song into the key of F for a singable range, those newer to the guitar might flip out if you keep giving them songs with bar chords!
Print this song in the key of D for newer guitarists, and have them capo on the 3rd fret –– this raises it to the key of F.
When you print it in D, you’ll notice a Bm chord which is also a little tricky. If you’re new to guitar, just skip that chord! You’ll see –– it might lose a tiny bit of flair, but it still works!
More Great Worship Songs:
Worship Leading In A Small Church: 4 Keys To Wake Up Your Worship
