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Top New Christian Worship Songs For Small Church Worship Teams
For small churches with small bands, here are 3 new worship songs for May. Each month we search the internet for you!
Tips For Leading Worship, Developing Your Team, & New Worship Songs
With all the amazing new worship songs released every season, we can easily fill our playlists. However, if you’re a worship leader in a small church, you know through trial and error that tons of hot worship songs don’t translate well to small churches with small bands.
The energy we hear on YouTube falls flat when we try to reproduce many songs with less instruments, less experience, and less band. However, with a little bit of hunting, we can find some great ones!
My goal is to save you time and frustration and sort out the songs that are more doable for your band, better received by your worshipers, and great teaching pieces for developing musicians.
May Edition: Top New Worship Songs For Small Churches
From Maverick City Music (& UPPERROOM) & Anne Wilson
Through the months, you’ll find a variety of artists and styles, but this month Maverick City has my attention, as well as a brand new-to-me songwriter/singer: Anne Wilson.
My goal is to bring you one fast song each month, one medium tempo, and one slow. So, here goes.
1. I Thank God (Maverick City x UPPERROOM)
- Tempo: Fast
- CCLI Song #: 7169680
- Aaron Moses | Chuck Butler | Dante Bowe | Jesse Cline | Maryanne J. George
- My chosen singable key: G
- 2021
Fast Worship Songs By My Definition Equal Clapping!
Over the years, as I’ve looked for FAST tempo worship songs, I’ve been so disappointed by lists of recommendations that really aren’t fast at all. As a worship leader, when I look for fast songs, I want songs we can clap to and great openers to bring everyone together with energy.
“I Thank God” definitely fills that need. Don’t let the pace scare you away. If it’s a little too much for your current worship setting, get ready to add it to your playlist as a great morning wake-up song instead!
However, don’t discard it without having some fun with your team.
It’s really great to try out new styles with developing musicians, even if this song is a stretch! You might even find yourself creating your own take on a song, where instead of duplicating the sound of a recording, you create your own version that’s a better fit for your team.
Why Change The Key For “I Thank God”?
Like so many worship songs these days, the recorded key of this song has a huge vocal range. However, with a little adjustment, you can put this song into a singable range for your worshipers.
I chose the key of G because of the chorus. The chorus is the most memorable part of this song that will be playing in people’s hearts all day! Putting the song into G takes the top notes to high C and the D above. This is generally at the top of the singing range for your average group of worshipers.
Chorus:
You picked me up You turned me around
And placed my feet on solid ground
I thank the Master I thank the Savior
Because You healed my heart You changed my name
Forever free I’m not the same
I thank the Master I thank the Savior I thank God
Yes, the boy bands can create great energy in their higher tenor range, but most congregations have a majority of female singers. And, for female singers … well, we don’t need any screeching.
In the key of G, the melody line of the first verse is going to seem too low, but sing it like verse 2 (slightly different melody line) and you’re gonna be just fine.
2. My Jesus (Anne Wilson)
- Temp: Medium
- CCLI Song #: 7174531
- Anne Wilson | Jeff Pardo | Matthew West
- My chosen singable key: A
- 2021
How Do You Feel About Country Music?
With the current hipster music on the scene, I feel like a lot of great worship these days borders on a bit of a country feel. This one might push some of you over the edge!
But, wow, this message is so on point! I’m loving it.
So even if you’re not a country music lover, I encourage you to give this new song by Anne Wilson a listen!
Chorus:
He makes a way where there ain’t no way
Rises up from an empty grave
Ain’t no sinner that He can’t save
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus
His love is strong and His grace is free
And the good news is I know that He
Can do for you what He’s done for me
Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus
And let my Jesus change your life
Have You Heard Of Anne Wilson?
She’s brand new to me, but I hope she sticks around! I’d love to hear more of her heart and more of her music. She’s got a 3-track single in the works with Capitol Christian Music Group and looks like she’s booking some tour dates.
See If Anne Wilson Will Be In A City Near You Or Request A Show
Anne has some tour dates set at churches, festivals, and a university or two in the coming months throughout the midwest and out east to the Carolinas. See if she’s in a town near you or request a show here: Anne Wilson
If you like her sound, let’s give her a boost and share this one!
3. Refiner (Maverick City Music)
- Tempo: Slow
- CCLI Song #: 7142743
- Chandler Moore
- My chosen singable key: E (same as the recording!)
- 2018
Don’t Miss This New Worship Favorite Featuring Chander Moore
If you’re ready for a new slow favorite that’s easy to learn, quick to teach, and goes deep into worship, you’re gonna be adopting this one!
Maverick City Worship released a great album with lots of new worship to add to your playlist, and “Refiner” is one you can take to your congregation.
For some added ease, this one is singable for your congregation in the same key as the popular recording (extra points for that!). This also makes it a great piece for building confidence with your vocalists by learning some clear and gorgeous harmonies. Take a listen here:
Reminiscent Of 1990’s Refiner’s Fire (Mercy/Vineyard) & Purify My Heart (Integrity’s Hosanna)
If you’re as old as I am and you’ve been worshiping for more than a few decades, you’ll be reminded of two popular worship songs, both copyrighted in 1990 with the same theme. “Refiner’s Fire” (by Mercy/Vineyard) and “Purify My Heart” (by Integrity’s Hosanna) tugged at our worship heartstrings back then.
This new release by Maverick City Music doesn’t disappoint.
Chorus:
I wanna be tried by fire
Purified
You take whatever You desire
Lord here’s my life
Take The Opportunity To Share The Theology Behind “Refiner’s” Lyrics
As worship leaders, we have the opportunity not only to draw people to the throne of God with melody and instrument but also with theological depth. “Refiner” provides a wide open space to share the meaning of this song.
It would be easy to flow into this selection and sing it as a sweet worship song without embracing the prayer behind it.
But this imagery is anything but sweet.
Pre-Chorus:
You’re a fire the refiner
I wanna be consumed
Being consumed by a fire isn’t about sitting at the feet of Jesus and soaking in His love. This song is about the choice of a disciple to be refined and purified. And that’s a prayer of submission.
Jesus, Change Us From A Mangled Mass To A Reflection Pool
Picture a mangled mass of metal. It’s a mixture of common and ugly, fractured and full of impurities. The mass may have some precious bits of precious metal throughout, but most people would pass it off as worthless.
One passerby, however, grabs up the mass and puts it under intense heat in order to purify it. To separate the gunk from the precious metal that might be hidden in there is no easy task. One round of intense heat brings some impurities to the surface. Through a series of refining heat, not once –– but over and over again –– the impurities are scraped off the surface. Eventually, the metal will be pure enough to reflect an image from a smooth surface, almost like a mirror.
That’s the picture of a disciple who chooses to be refined. That’s the cry of this song. That God would refine us, over and over again, until we reflect Him, like a pool of still water.
Teach that!
Scripture About Refining Fire
1 Peter 1:7
These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Zechariah 13:9
This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’
Isaiah 48:10
See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Malachi 3:3
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness …
Job 23:10
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
Until Next Month …
I hope one of these picks works for your congregation. Small Church Ministry represents a community of churches from every denomination, culture, and kind. We don’t all have bands or a sound system. Some of us worship with hymns, some a cappella. What we have in common is we love Jesus!
More Great Worship Songs:
Worship Leading In A Small Church: 4 Keys To Wake Up Your Worship
