The Best CCLI Songs for Christmas 2021

With Christmas fast approaching, there is no better time to begin incorporating songs into your church curriculum and weekly worship schedule. What does CCLI have to offer?

Grant Glas
October 5, 2021
Kids Ministry Leadership

Why You Should Introduce Church Songs Into Your Service

If your ministry doesn’t already incorporate singing into your services, it could be time to give it a try and experience one of the ultimate forms of worship and rejoicing that will help unite church members together in a chorus to celebrate God’s love. 

Singing is particularly effective if you work in a kids ministry, as while bible lessons can be challenging for young people to understand, learning about faith through music is a form of fun and easy worship that is more tangible for young Christians who are just beginning to explore their relationship with God.

Furthermore, there is great joy in knowing that your Sunday school members will be singing in praise alongside thousands of other church attendees across the world as our community is connected through the universal language of song and music. 

By making an account and using CCLI’s Song Select tool, you can see all CCLI licensed songs, including free public domain songs that you can use in your ministry alongside chords and notes for your pianist or organ player to follow.

With Christmas fast approaching, there is no better time to begin incorporating songs into your church curriculum and weekly worship schedule. If you’re searching for Christmas songs to sing in church that are appropriate for all ages, the Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) offers copyright licensing of songs that can be used in worship, and now has thousands of songs used by 250,000 ministries. 

Here’s our pick of the best family-friendly, elementary school, and preschool Christmas songs for church which are sure to inspire your December services! 

Church Christmas Songs from CCLI 

By making an account and using CCLI’s Song Select tool, you can see all CCLI licensed songs, including free public domain songs that you can use in your ministry alongside chords and notes for your pianist or organ player to follow. Christmas songs available from the CCLI include…

Hark The Herald Angels Sing 


A classic Christmas song loved by generations, this song is perfect for the entire family, and is sure to be one that everybody is familiar with. Based on Luke 2:14, it tells of an angelic chorus singing praises to God after his son was born. This high-spirited song has a clear message about celebrating the birth of Jesus, making it ideal for Christmas worship.


O Little Town Of Bethlehem 


Another classic Christmas song, O Little Town Of Bethlehem is available from CCLI and is a centuries-old Christmas carol that has been sung in church for years. It details many of the key events of Jesus’s birth, making it ideal for children learning the Christmas story for the first time.


Go Tell It On The Mountain


Although this is a lesser-known Christmas carol, it is loved by gospel churches and is plenty of fun for the whole family! It’s more upbeat than many traditional Christmas songs, and tells of how the Shepherds learned of the birth of Jesus while encouraging everybody to celebrate the miraculous event. 


Come Thou Long Expected Jesus 


If you’re searching for alternatives to traditional Christmas carols, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus is a lesser-known yet equally powerful worship song that will help explain to children how Jesus would help liberate everybody of sin. With simple yet emotive lyrics, this heartfelt song is sure to bring church members together in praise at Christmas.


O Come All Ye Faithful


O Come All Ye Faithful is a favorite among many churches across the world, so it’s the perfect song to add to your Christmas church line-up. It is thought to date back to the early 17th century but continues to resonate with modern church members who want to celebrate the birth of Jesus, summoning all those who are faithful to share the event together. 


Joy To The World 


Another highly popular and joyous Christmas carol, this song is perfect for concluding your church service, as it is sure to be known and enjoyed by everybody. The lyrics derive from Isaac Watts’ famous hymn which is based on Psalm 98, and will remind church members that there is so much to be thankful for and jubilant about this Christmas, despite the difficulties the pandemic has brought about. 


Church Software to Store and Share Your Songs


Once you’ve decided on your selection of church Christmas songs, it’s important that you can store and share all of your media files in one place without the need for dozens of USB sticks.


If you’re struggling to choose your church software provider, our guide can help you find the perfect fit for your parish. For effortless media sharing, Playlister provides kids ministry presentation software that allows church workers and volunteers to create and instantly import the curriculum and access it from any classroom, allowing for easy file sharing and video streaming with all the materials you need in one place.


Playlister is ultra-simple to use: simply drag and drop your media - such as music audio files and lyric videos - into a playlist, and then schedule when you want the playlist to appear on your TVs, meaning your song material will be ready for you when you come into the classroom.


Because Playlister is easy for staff and volunteers to use, it means that they can focus on what is really important: sharing the word of God with kids and helping them to understand and embrace their faith through song and music. To understand more about how Playlister works, and how it can help improve the efficiency of your church (particularly during the busy Christmas period!), find out about the different packages we offer today and begin preparing your festive services without any stress!


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