NEXT: Powerful New Worship – Late Summer ’17

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I scour the internet for the latest worship songs from independent & label projects for the best of what’s “NEXT”, particularly for those who don’t subscribe to the “one-size-fits-all” mindset of simply pulling from the CCLI Top 25 (though I don’t deny that can be a great place to start). I listen, play along, & analyze to see which ones float to the top. I hope this curated list of new worship songs helps you better serve your congregation in the coming year! I can confidently assure you that this is one of our best collections yet!

I want Jesus to walk with Me (the Valley)” –  Ryan Clair (Chart available HERE)
Sometimes a song manages to be fresh by reaching back instead of forward – like some of Johnny Cash’s best spirituals, Ryan Clair – a newcomer from the 10,000 Fathers circles on Old Bear Records – hits one out of the ballpark. A rewrite (dare I call it a modernization because it is does not sound modern) of this historic spiritual, he added intensity & grit to the already powerful song. I won’t lie – this isn’t for every church, but we led it at mine, in which there are deep familial connections to Lynyrd Skynyrd & the Old South, & they LOVED IT.

Though we usually don’t do this, for this next week we are going to link the loops/tracks for “I want Jesus…”, made available by Sprig Music/Old Bear Records, absolutely for free! This link will only work for the next seven days, so download the tracks now, pick-up the song from iTunes, grab the chart linked above, & give this one a spin at your church. Then they me how it goes! DOWNLOAD TRACKS/LOOPS HERE!

If you need more convincing, here’s a short video about the making of the song…


Canyons” – Corey Voss (Chart available HERE)
A great many people discovered Corey through his unforgettable Easter Anthem, “Praise the King”, penned with Michael Farren, sung at most every church worldwide this past Spring, & “God Who moves the Mountains” written with Dustin Smith & his crew. I first heard “Canyons” the week after he & Krissy Nordhoff had written it while visiting Franklin, TN, & I immediately asked for a chart – it’s one of those! The song is simple to play, easy to sing, & immediately catching – a powerful prayer not unlike the heart behind “Oceans.” If looking to replace that one in your set, this could be an excellent alternative.


Tear the Veil” – Enter the Worship Circle (Chart available HERE)
I  won’t lie – until my wife & I got a call from them last year, I had almost forgotten that EtWC existed – it had been so long since we’d heard anything from them, & their songs which I had once so loved had slipped out of our church’s use. Gone they are not, & “Tear the Veil” is proof! In fact, I had a hard time narrowing down their latest CD, Down Here & Up Above, to pick just one song for this list… it’s really fantastic! “Tear the Veil” is everything we used to love from EtWC, but with a fresh hybrid of loops with the otherwise organic feel – the song would be easy to reproduce with nearly any line-up of musicians, & most any environment. Definitely worth checking out!


Resurrection Blood” – Cody Carnes (Chart available HERE)
What is this?! And was this seriously just released as a CCM single by Kari Jobe’s husband?! Right off the heals of having Newsboys take “the Cross has the Final Word” to the charts, my only guess is that Cody was feeling confident & thought he’d take a leap off of the deep end. I’d absolutely LOVE to hear this song sung in churches around the world – the lyrics are old-school John Mark & the music is some odd train wreck of blues, soul, & electronica, which somehow sounds perfectly natural when he pulls it off! A bold confession of God’s life lived in & through His children!


King Forevermore” – Aaron Keyes w/ David Walker (Chart available HERE)
I have to fight the urge to share something by Aaron every time I post – he is consistently penning the great hymns of tomorrow, & this is no different. Joined by 10,000 Fathers ministry partner, David Walker, “King Forevermore” is perfect for those churches that – though contemporary – still strive to have deep ties to the churches’ past.


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Shannon Lewis is “The Worship Community Guy“. Passionate about helping others respond to God, & training people who are passionate about the same, Shannon also blogs at SaintLewisMusic, where you can grab his free eBook, UNSEASONED: How to see Godly Growth in an Inexperienced Worship Team.