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Hymns for Family Worship to Begin With

The best hymns for family worship have plain words, clear truth about God and a tune the whole family can learn. Start with one hymn a week, sing it every day, and add another when the first is known. Our hymn library has 107 hymns, free to read and sing along with, with the words and the story behind each one.

Singing has always been part of the worship of God's people. Moses and Israel sang to the Lord after crossing the sea (Exodus 15:1), and on the night He was betrayed, Jesus sang with His disciples. “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:26). This guide helps you choose hymns, teach them and sing them without an instrument, and keep Christ in every verse.

What makes a good hymn for family worship

Look for a hymn that speaks of God truthfully, in words your children can learn. Many old hymns do this well. Paul tells the church to speak “to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). A good hymn teaches as well as praises, and it points to Christ and what He has done.

Hymns for family worship to begin with

These are hymns in our library that suit a family beginning to sing together.

  • “Holy, Holy, Holy,” by Reginald Heber, 1826, for praising the one God in three persons.
  • “Amazing Grace,” by John Newton, 1779, about God's grace to a sinner.
  • “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” by Joseph M. Scriven, 1855, for praying and bringing our troubles to the Lord.
  • “Jesus Paid It All,” by Elvina M. Hall, 1865, about what Christ did on the cross.
  • “Joy to the World,” by Isaac Watts, about the coming of the King.
  • “Be Thou My Vision,” an old Irish hymn, for asking the Lord to be our first desire.

You can read the words and find the story behind each of them, and many have chords, in the hymn library.

How to teach a new hymn

  1. Read the words aloud first, one verse at a time, and explain any hard word.
  2. Sing the first verse together, slowly. A parent can lead.
  3. Sing the first verse each day, and add the next verse every few days until the family knows the hymn.
  4. Ask what the hymn says about Jesus, so the children are thinking as they sing.

Singing without an instrument

You do not need a piano or a guitar. A family that sings with its own voices is doing what the church has done for centuries. If you want a guide for the tune, many hymns have a video to sing along with, and many have chords if someone plays. Do not worry if no one sings well. We are told to sing “with grace in your heart to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16), and the Lord hears the heart.

The stories behind the hymns

Many hymns were written by people who suffered or who wanted to say something they had learned about God. Telling the story of a hymn in one sentence before you sing gives children a person to remember. Each hymn in our library has a short story of this kind.

Christ in every verse

Choose hymns that speak of the Saviour, who died for sinners and rose again, and ask your children as you sing, “Where is Jesus in this verse?” Singing the gospel is a good way to hear it again. A child who sings every word has not for that reason been born again. Salvation is the Lord's gift, so we sing, call our children to trust in Christ and ask Him for the new heart that only He gives.

My friend, open the hymn library tonight and choose one for the week. You will also meet hymns in the Sing step of each family worship session. If you would like to help other families sing together, you can give here. May the Lord put a new song in your home.