The Best CCLI Songs for Worship in 2022

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 are our top picks!

Grant Glas
October 13, 2021
Church Software

Why You Should Include Church Songs in Your Service

If you don’t incorporate songs into your church service or children's church curriculum, now is the perfect time to try it out. As the new year is fast approaching, it’s the ideal time to consider and implement any changes that you want to make to your Sunday school lessons, so why not try out music as a form of worship?

Singing in church has many benefits, as this form of easy worship can be enjoyed by all ages. 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 songs for worship is often more fun and tangible for young Christians who are just beginning to explore their relationship with God. 

Teaching young Christians through song is a fantastic way of ministering to kids, and church members often find immense joy in the knowledge that they are singing in praise alongside thousands of other church attendees across the world as we all worship together through the universal language of music. 

If you’re a leader or volunteer in a small ministry with fewer staff members and a smaller budget for educational resources, the task of planning Sunday school lessons and choosing appropriate songs may seem overwhelming. However, help is at hand; 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. Plus, the convenient CCLI song select tool makes it easier than ever to explore the wide range of worship songs available for use. 

For Christmas-specific songs, be sure to check out our guide to The Best CCLI Songs for Christmas 2021. Then, you’ll be ready to head into the new year with plenty of fun worship songs at the ready to inspire your church members to embrace their faith and build their relationship with God. 

CCLI Top Praise Songs for 2022

From traditional hymns to contemporary Christian pop and rock, CCLI is home to the largest selection of church songs, making it the perfect place to look for music to add into your children’s ministry curriculum.

By making an account and using CCLI’s Song Select tool, you can see all CCLI licensed songs, many of which include music sheets for your pianist or organ player to follow.  Here’s our top pick of worship songs for 2022…


Goodness Of God - Bethel Music


According to CCLI’s song select popularity report, Goodness Of God was one of the most-used praise songs in 2021, making it perfect for introducing into your church service if you’re searching for more modern music. This emotive and powerful song is sure to remind your church members to put their trust in God, and has simple lyrics that will be easy for kids to follow along. 


Build My Life - Pat Barrett


Another one of CCLI’s most popular contemporary songs, Build My Life, will help teach children about the importance of staying close to Jesus, even in times of doubt and uncertainty. It is perfect for young children who may find traditional hymns and worship songs challenging to read, as it is simple yet just as impactful.


Great Things - Phil Wickham


An upbeat alternative to older worship songs, Great Things is an uplifting tune from CCLI’s top 40 songs of 2021. This 2018 song is sure to inspire church-goers to rejoice while reminding them of God’s unconditional love, and is excellent for uniting all ages together in song. Plus, free lyric videos on YouTube make it easy for young members to participate and sing along.



Amazing Grace - Public Domain


Just because we’re heading into 2022, it doesn’t mean it’s time to neglect traditional Christian songs. Amazing Grace continues to be one of CCLI’s most popular songs and is perfect for family church services as it is well known by most members.  Furthermore, public domain songs are completely free to use, making them ideal for churches of all budgets.


Blessed Assurance - Public Domain


Another one of CCLI’s most popular traditional hymns, Blessed Assurance is a lesser-known yet equally poignant 19th-century worship song that praises Jesus for redeeming the people of earth. While it is perfect for the Easter holidays, it can be sung at any time of the year, with modernized versions available on YouTube if you want songs with a more contemporary feel. 

Choosing your church songs is one thing, but now you need an efficient method of storing your media files so that volunteers can access them easily without the need for endless USB sticks


Share and Store Songs with Playlister


Choosing your church songs is one thing, but now you need an efficient method of storing your media files so that volunteers can access them easily without the need for endless USB sticks that are likely to make your ministry curriculum difficult to navigate.


Playlister provides kids ministry presentation software that allows church workers and volunteers to create and instantly import media files, such as lyric videos and song sheets, and access it from any classroom. Simply drag and drop your media - including music audio files and lyric videos - into a playlist, and then schedule when you want the playlist to appear on your TVs so that the song material will be ready for volunteers. 


By keeping things straightforward for volunteers, it means that they can focus on what really matters: helping church members to rejoice through song and music while sharing the word of God. Find out more about how Playlister could boost the efficiency of your church today, and prepare for a new year full of praise and worship. 


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