What Are Today’s Essential Worship Songs?

Beloved readers, I’d like your help with an upcoming project.

Imagine this, worship dudes and dudettes.

You’ve been asked to lead a new “contemporary” service in the gym of a mainline denominational congregation.  Historically, the worship services  have been very traditional – sanctuary, stained glass, pews, printed programs, organ, hymns – not exactly “modern worship.”

Where do you begin?

What songs would introduce first? What songs would you add over the next 3 months?

I’d love to get the advice of you guys reading this.

For inspiration and reference, here’s the latest CCLI Top 25 list.

www.CCLI.com

Help me pick a core group of songs to get started. There’s so many good ones today. Which ones do you think would be essential? Why?

I’d like to curate a list of about 30 God centered, theologically sound songs, keeping in mind  3 Organizing Scriptures of Worship.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your help.

Question: What songs would you choose for your first service? Why? What about after that? Share your thoughts in the comments.