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Top New Christian Worship Songs Each Month
Worship leaders, check out my top picks for new Christian worship songs each month of the year, especially for small churches.
A New Worship Song Doesn’t Have To Be Just Released
My goal each month is to give you one fast, one medium, and one slow song. And hopefully, songs that are new to you.
“New” sometimes means “newly released,” but other times I find a great song that never got much airtime on the radio and isn’t widespread in the church worship circuit.
Some powerful worship songs that are a few years old may have never touched your congregation. Those are a treasure to find!
4 Things I Look For When Choosing Worship Songs For My Small Church:
- Lyrics & word choice that relate to multiple generations
- Singable melody ranges
- Songs that can be led by guitar or by keyboard
- Worship songs that are NOT dependent on certain instruments or a larger band
For more tips on leading worship in a small church, including what to look for in choosing songs, check out 4 Keys To Wake Up Your Worship.(Also includes tips for team development, worship elements, and your personal worship.)
July 2019 Edition: Top New Worship Songs For A Small Church
Worship songs come in cycles, and I have to admit, I’m not discovering too many 2019 releases that will work as fast songs in my church.
I’m finding lots of driving songs with a younger, college-age vibe. But our congregation is a big mix of generations. So, relatable lyrics with a clapable beat are a current challenge.
While July’s fast song choice is just a couple of years old, I’m pretty happy with my find! (Click here for more top worship songs.)
1. Never Gonna Stop Singing (Jesus Culture)
- Tempo: Fast
- CCLI Song # 7054533
- Matt Vaughan | Randy Jackson | Tom Smith, 2018 Brand Vaughan Music, Jesus Culture Music
- My chosen singable key: G
This is a simple, fun song. Easy to learn and quick to catch on to.
“Never Gonna Stop Singing” Is Perfect For Easy Vocal Harmonies
This a great choice if you are teaching harmonies to your worship singers. Help your vocalists learn to make up their own harmonies just by playing around with intervals on this song –– high and low.
Because this recording is acoustic and clearly heavy on vocal melody, it is a nice backdrop for vocal exercises.
Singing along with this clip and experimenting with harmonies is great training!
Easy To Clap Along, “Never Gonna Stop Singing” Is An Ideal Choice For Opening Worship
Every tribe – Every tongue
Every heart will sing
Every knee we will bow to the risen King
Lift Him up – Lift Him up
We’re never gonna stop singing
The sticky melody and simple lyrics create a can’t-miss fast song.
The contagious melody line is going to work overtime and pop back into people’s minds long after the worship service, which means this worship experience extends beyond Sunday morning!
My favorite kind of worship.
Benefits Of This Live Acoustic Video For Worship Team Training
With the numerous versions on YouTube, I chose this live acoustic one, on purpose.
Train Your Worship Team To Watch Live Videos And Observe The Musicians Playing And Singing
It’s easier to isolate the instruments and techniques when seeing the worship team in action.
If you have a developing keyboardist, have her watch just to pick out a keyboard line. Even though it’s only for a few seconds of time, it simplifies the feat.
Many church musicians overcomplicate and get frustrated.
A singular descant or unrelated harmony line can be more impactful than too much fill.
If you are training team members on percussion to add fuller stage sound, you can watch the shakers and the tambourine in play in this video. For many developing musicians, this is valuable.
Note: Everyone does NOT play/sing through the entire song.
During verse 1, the camera even focuses on band members who are NOT playing. And a vocalist who is NOT singing into her mic. THANK YOU! This is so key in building dynamics.
Showing this to your team validates this concept!
This is a professional band. And they don’t all play/sing the entire time.
The goal is to develop sensitivity in dynamics when everyone “feels” the music more. Musicians should not be offended when you ask them not to play at the beginning. They may learn to prefer it!
2. Surrounded (Fight My Battles) (Elyssa Smith)
- Tempo: Medium
- CCLI Song # 7098758
- Elyssa Smith, 2017 UR Global Publishing
- Key: G
“Surrounded” Is More Than Just A 2-Line Chorus
Although Michael W. Smith has taken the chorus of this song viral over the past year, most people have no idea there is so much more to this song!
We have a mass of worshipers today singing “THIS is how I fight my battles” over and over again. But they can’t explain what “THIS” is.
You need the rest of the song to answer that question.
If you haven’t heard the verses and pre-chorus, check this out:
Verse 2 sings out:
In the valley I know that You’re with me
And surely Your goodness and Your mercy follow me
So my weapons are praise and thanksgiving
This is how I fight my battles
There it is! “THIS” is the weapon of praise and thanksgiving.
The pre-chorus builds beautifully with:
And I believe You’ve overcome
And I will lift my song of praise
For all You’ve done … This is how I fight my battles
So, teach this song in its entirety, and you have a broader experience of the writer’s original intent.
“Surrounded” is singable, easy to lead with a small band, has a limited (singable) vocal range, and has a positive message.
On Being Surrounded (By You)
Adding extra significance for me, songwriter Elyssa Smith cites 2 Kings 6 as part of her inspiration for this song. I’m familiar with the story, as I just wrote a post based on it as well!
2 Kings 6 tells the drama of Elisha and his servant when they were surrounded by enemies. Elisha asked the Lord to open the eyes of his servant, and what he saw, well … that’s this song. It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by you. Elisha’s servant saw an angel army, bigger and stronger than the enemy. Surrounding them. Ready to fight for them.
When tough stuff arises, including the difficult people that my post addresses, we can remain grounded because we are surrounded by Him.
3. Still (Amanda Lindsey Cook)
- Tempo: Slow
- CCLI #7126270
- Amanda Lindsey Cook | Jason Ingram | Paul Mabury, 2018 Amanda Lindsey Publishing
- My chosen singable key: C
Let’s just start with the lyrics of this gorgeous slow song:
I lift every fear to the heavens
Watch them disappear in Your presence
One by one they fall into perfect peace
You know everything – yet You listen
Through my anxious thoughts with compassion
One by one they fall into perfect peace
This Message Hits The Hearts Of Today’s Society
Anxiety runs rampant. We have a crisis of fear for our future.
So, let’s address our own fear and anxiety with the truth of God’s perfect peace. The peace that transcends all understanding.
Bridge:
If You are with me – what can overwhelm me
You render silent all of my worry
If You are with me – what can overwhelm me
You end the war and You set my heart free
…
I know you are God
Transpose “Still” To The Key Of C To Make It Singable
Amanda Lindsey Cook has an incredible vocal range. Meaning, she can sing beautifully very low and high.
Your average worshiper does not have that wide of a singable range.
Many times when melody lines span several octaves, those songs just don’t make my list. Sometimes you can’t eliminate the octave flipping without crushing the dynamics of the song.
Not so with this one.
Set the song in the key of C. And sing the entire melody between middle C and high C. When the recording flips octaves, just remain in place.
“Still” retains its beauty and its power within the one-octave range.
Summer Attendance Struggles For Worship Teams & Worship Leaders
If you are struggling with summer attendance, I am with you!
On top of dragging ourselves out in a thousand-degree heat, we have so many interruptions.
In addition to family vacations, several of our team members are teenagers. So add in school trips, summer plans, and high school marching band. That makes summertime our most irregular time of the year.
With inconsistent attendance, both with the worship team as well as the congregation, I tend to not introduce as many new songs over the summer.
My summer advice:
Stay Flexible And Enjoy Some Laid Back Worship
If you end up with some thin Sundays with less musicians on stage, just rest in it.
Variety wards off apathy.
So the shake-up in our routine is good for our dependence on Him.
Calling us back to the heart of worship.
Some of the most genuine worship I ever experienced was in the slums of Mexico decades ago on a mission trip. No sound, no tech, no wires, and no fluff. Just singing hearts.
So, no matter what your worship team looks like this summer, keep on keeping on! And if the only thing that sings is your heart? God is very pleased.
Read More On Leading Worship:
I love everyone of these songs. Thank you!