Songs that you could use over and over again for kids during the Pentecost season. There are also songs listed for specific readings in the weekly posts. In this list are songs with fairly general themes that fit the season.
If you don't regularly sing an Alleluia in your service, these are also particularly good for short children's songs. Here is a list of some favourites.
Songs about the Holy Spirit:
- Online Resource / VT054 Come Holy Spirit / Kindle in us your love (Deanna
Witkowski, USA) A jazzy and upbeat refrain which could be used at
multiple parts of the service for Pentecost, and other Sundays too. Sound sample. Sheet music for purchase. Good for kids.
- CH613 / WoV687 / ELW401 / GtG287 Gracious Spirit hear our pleading
(Wilson Niwagila, Tanzania) Good simple song about the Spirit. Lyrics. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / Tune In Spirit of the Father, Spirit of our Mother / Alive in me (Sheree
Anderson, Australia / Canada) Catchy boppy pop song about God's spirit within us and within
the world. Music sample, sound sample and lyrics. Good for kids. Free downloadable songbook.
- AoV2-061 / ATE 249 As a dream receive your hist'ry (Andrew Tanner, Australia)
A big favourite. There are actions too! The
chorus is particularly excellent “We will rise up on wings like eagles,
run and not be tired, show us your dreams and visions, warm our hearts
with tongues of fire, tongues of fire”. Good for kids. Lyrics.
- Online Resource / AoV1-043 Breathing now the life of God / Warm Our Hearts (Jane Marshall, USA)
Simple round. "Breathing now the life of God the Spirit in us singing,
come light up our hearts with joy! Heal and clear our eyes to see! Warm
our hearts with peace. Warm our hearts with peace.” Short songs like
this are great for kids. When teaching a song that breaks into a round,
it’s best to work with as little accompaniment as possible; no
accompaniment is best. Sound sample, lyrics, sheet music sample and purchasing options. Good for kids.
- TiS 711 / ATOK 334 / Iona (M&G) / WoV681 / VU383 / SFFS 2124 / GtG283 / G(II)330 / StF038
Come O Holy Spirit / Wa Wa Wa Emimimo (Unknown, Nigeria)
This song is just fun. And very easy. Try to sing it in its
original language (Yoruba), it sounds a bit inane in English and it’s
not hard!! Encourage your congregation to dance a simple side-to-side
step to this; they will enjoy it even more. If we can’t go a little
crazy on Pentecost, what hope is there for us, really? A good song to
help us remember that our faith is global, and to think of the church
and all people in Africa. Youtube of John Bell teaching it Good for kids.
- MV015 / GA186 Holy Sacred Spirit (Monica Brown, Australia) Gentle chant. Can be used without the cantor part (in fact, that is what we normally do in our congregation). "Holy Sacred Spirit, breathe your breath on us". Lyrics and sound sample. Good for kids.
- TiS 421 Where the Spirit is there's freedom (Per Harling, Sweden) Fun and good; excellent fun for the pianist! Lyrics.
Good for kids.
- TiS 412 / AHB 324 / ATE 251 / GA184 / G(II)328 / GC468 / CP651 / W&R130 God sends us the Spirit to befriend and help us (Tom Colvin / people of Ghana) I
like this song from Malawi, but the lack of inclusive language for God
sometimes drives me a bit crazy. In Tom Colvin's book "Come Let us walk
this road together" he uses more inclusive language than many hymnals
that include this song. That is, he writes “God sends us the Spirit”
instead of “God sends us His Spirit” and "Spirit of our Maker" rather
than “Spirit of our Father”. Lyrics and sheet music. Good for kids.
- Taizé / AoVNG125 / GWA223 MV146 / GC(II)637 / G(3)740 / PfAS024D The Kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the holy spirit (Taizé Community, France) "Come, Lord and open in us the gates of your kingdom". A nice joyful chant. Sheet music and sound samples of parts for practice. Good for kids.
Songs about hope in the future and trusting in God: - ACS903 / AoV1-061 / ATOK 355 / GtG359 / SFFS 2194 / G(II)521 / GC723 / GC(II)707 / G(3)814 / ZSS110 / SgTJ1035 Freedom is coming
(Unknown, South Africa) Excellent and lots of fun, especially if you have a
keen African-style drummer in your congregation. It's really worth
teaching the parts to your congregation before the service. It can get a
bit confusing for the congregation otherwise. A range of sound samples (Youtube). Sheet music samples. Good for kids.
- AoV2-003
/ ATOK 313 / CH543 / StJ / GA404 / A&M042 / ELW715 / GtG314 /
GC(II)512 / G(3)590 / SP13 / URW114 / Lau883 / StF706 Longing for light we wait in darkness / Christ, be our light
(Bernadette Farrell, England) One of my favourites, especially if someone can sing or
play the descant line in the later verses. Sound sample and lyrics.
Good for kids.
- Online Resource / ATW
463 / Iona (T1AU) / ELW721 / SFFS 2219 / A&M835 / GtG750
/ GC(II)451 / G(3)528 / W&R296 / URW436 Goodness is stronger than evil (Desmond Tutu, South Africa) "Victory is ours, victory is ours, through him who loves us". Some congregations change the last
line to "Compassion is ours, compassion is ours...". I think it's just fine to be victorious over evil, frankly. Sound sample, sheet music sample and purchasing options. Good for kids.
- AoV2-070 / ATW 496 / MV090 / StJ Don't be afraid (John Bell, Scotland)
Excellent. I love this song of reassurance. "Don't be afraid, my love
is stronger. My love is stronger than your fear". This song can be used
as a response to intercessions. Sound sample. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / AoVK-58 We wait in hope for the Lord
(Nathaniel Ford, Australia) Simple a cappella round "We wait in hope for the Lord, God is
our help and our shield. And so our hearts rejoice, for we trust in
God's holy name". Sound and sheet music sample and purchasing options. Good for kids.
- Iona / CH788 / MV104 / GtG659 Know that God is Good / Mungu ni mwema (Unknown, Congo) This traditional African refrain is just lots of fun and very simple to sing. Good for kids and adults! Sheet music sample. Sound sample. Sound sample in Kenyan languages.
- Taizé / TiS
739 / AoV2-041 / ATOK 404 / VU290 / GA269 / SFFS 2054 / GtG820 / G(II)451 /
GC639 / GC(II)626 / G(3)733 / CP568 / W&R421 / URW388 / Lau947 / LUYH444/ VF088 Nothing Can Trouble / Nada te turbe (Theresa
of Avila, Spain / Taizé Community, France) Excellent and quite well known Taizé chant. Spanish
lyrics are not too hard for non-Spanish speakers. Sheet music, sound samples, lyrics and translations. Good for kids.
- Taizé / TiS
741 / AoV1-017 / ATE 282 / LBW368 / ELW407 / GA431 / SFFS 2200 /
GtG471 / G(II)410 / GC586 / GC(II)566 / G(3)666 / W&R484 / Srce519 / URW390 / Lau929 / PfAS013A / PfAS102A / MP908
O Lord hear my prayer
(Jacques Berthier, France) A simple and very well known Taizé chant. Works well during
intercessions. You could read the Psalm between repeats of this chant,
or just use as a chant as is. Sheet music samples. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / Iona (M&G, T1AU) / MV099 / GC(II)673 / G(3)763 / Lau996 Stand O Stand Firm (Cameroon) I love having an excuse to sing this simple and powerful song.
Very easy for your congregation. You can make up cantor parts too “Oh my
sisters…. Oh my brothers… Oh my children….” or you can name countries
you are praying for in your intercessions. Good for kids. Sound sample (with an extra Litany of the Saints on top, which I just find confusing), and sheet music links for purchase.
- Online Resource / AoVK-29 Remember we are your people (Tony Barr)
Simple three part chant "Remember we are your people, your people O
God". This would work really well as a sung refrain during the prayer of
confession. Sound sample, sheet music sample and purchasing options. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / AoVK-12 God is our shelter truly a friend indeed (Chris O'Hara) Groovy little round / more like a call and response really. Sound sample, sheet music sample and purchasing options. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / GC(II)651 / G(3)755 / TLUS103 You must never give up / Sizo Bambelela
(JL Zwane Memorial Church, South Africa) An excellent song from an
amazing church in Capetown, South Africa. The phrase Bambelela means
"Hold on". It would be fun to get a few singers
together to sing the parts to this. If you purchase the music on this
link, all royalties go to support the JL Zwane Church and their
programs. Sheet music and sound sample, and purchasing options. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / GWA080 / MV45 / SP&P051 / VT023 Hamba nathi (Unknown, Zulu, South Africa) There
are many sets of English words to this tune, which is best sung in its
original language (isiZulu). I like "Come walk with us, the journey is
long", even though the original
language simply means "Go with us Lord", so versions using "Go with us
Lord, and set us all free" are also good, particularly as a sending song.
VT has a more
interesting cantor line than most sources, and nice additional verses. Sound recording (concert version for inspiration). Lyric video (slowish version for congregations). Sheet music. Good for kids.
- TiS
666 / AoV2-113 / AoVK-126 / ATOK 409 / NCH526 / Iona (Common Ground,
Freedom is Coming) / CH516 / VU646/647 / WoV650 / ELW866 / A&M483 / SFFS 2235 /
HPP153 / GtG853 / G(II)357 / GC513 / GC(II)516 / G(3)594 / Cha442 / SP235 / Srce737 / StF483 / MP954 We are marching in the light of God / Siyahamba / Caminando (South
African) A very popular chorus, with possible alternate verses,
depending on your source. Sometimes people get anxious about the word
"marching", but remember that this song comes from apartheid-era South
Africa, where people were protesting so that they could vote in their
own country. And the marching is toi-toing, much less militaristic than
what you may imagine. Sound sample. Good for kids.
- Online Resource Holding up the light (Christopher Grundy)
A great song for all about being brave enough to hold a light, no
matter how small, when all around seems dark and difficult. Sheet music purchasing options. Sound sample. Good for kids.
- NCYC'97 Insansa ku mwamba
(Traditional Zambian) A good African song. Joy in God's Kingdom, Joy in
God, Joy in Heaven. NCYC'97 has an extra vocal part which is really
simple and effective.
Good for kids.
- NCH085 / SFFS 2082 / Cha623 / ZSS105 Woke Up This Morning (African-American Spiritual) A great Spiritual. If you don't have one of these sources, you can just make it up from this video. This could be a good Sunday to make use of those choir stalls...
Good for kids. Oldy-but-a-goody.
- Worldmaking.net Brother Jesus right beside me (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan)
This is a great rock song, good for little kids and a favourite of much
older kids too. We haven't sung this for a couple of years, and it
would be good to do it again. Lyrics and a very silly sound sample that does no justice to the song at all.Good for kids.
- PfAS092B Mah Gadlu / Oh how great are your works
(Shefa Gold) A good short song that can also be sung as a round, with
optional echoing Hallelujah as your congregation gets to know it. Lyrics
are in Hebrew and English. Sound sample as a chant. Good for kids.
- ATA 200 / CH530 / VU639 / A&M757 / CP(E) 548 / URW109 One more step along the world I go
(Sydney Carter) A good fun kid's song from Sydney Carter which many of their
parents will remember. "And it's from the old I travel to the new, keep
me travelling along with you". Lyrics. Good for kids.
- AoVK-113 Thank you O Lord for this world of ours (Tony Barr) A good kids song in two parts. Good for kids.
- TiS 728 Jesucristo reina reina ya This
fun chorus from Argentina is just lots of fun, and our congregation
hasn't sung it for a while. Sound sample. Good for kids.
- BUC New Songs Sing sing with me (Julia Potter)
This fun new song from a member of our congregation is great fun,
and includes the verse "Dance, dance with me; feel the music, feel the
beat, Move, move your feet, keep it on repeat." Good for kids.
- TiS 670 / SiS569 / AoVK-138 / ATE 258 / CH692 / Srce385 / MP376 Jesus put this song into our hearts
(Graham Kendrick) A fun Yiddish tune that gets even more fun if you get faster
and faster as you go. Try teaching your congregation a simple side to
side “dance” step; give them an excuse to join in! Good for kids. Youtube.Lyrics.
- VU128 / A&M162 / GtG597 / W&R269 / SP54 / VT079 / World Council of Churches Assembly 1991 Sanna sannanina (Unknown, South Africa) An excellent Xhosa processional, which simply means "Hosanna". GtG has
the option of singing the Holy Holy to this tune, but I think that just seems a bit odd. Great for drumming. Sound sample. Sheet music sample. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / AoVK-119 We're God's family God's children / One for Others (Trish Watts / Monica O'Brien) Good words. Catchy tune. Sound sample, sheet music sample, purchasing options. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / AoV2-037 Children of God in one family (Christopher Walker) Great for kids. Sometimes we mess up, but God forgives. Sound sample, sheet music sample, purchasing options. Good for kids.
- MV157 I am a child of God (Bruce Harding) A simple song with powerful words. Good for kids and adults alike. Very easy to learn. Sound sample. Good for kids (just the first verse probably).
- Online Resource / ATE 216 / CH126 / CP417 / ELW555 / G(II)365 / GC527 / Iona (SBL) / PH472 / RS 671 / W&R15 / StF042 / StJ / VT113 O sing to the Lord / Cantai ao Senhor / Cantad
al Señor (Unknown, Brazil) A good, fun and simple song that is also
easy to learn in Portuguese or Spanish; note that not all versions
are inclusive. Public domain sheet music. Sound sample. Note how it is a call and response song in that sound sample! Good for kids.
- Online Resource / MV007 Gather us in ground us in you (David Hann) A simple chant which would be great for a quieter invitation to worship. Sheet music. Good for kids.
Songs about being God's community and doing God's work - Online Resource / ATFG561 / Tune In: Part of a fam'ly interconnected / Community (Dave Brown) A song about being welcomed and how to work together as part of a community. "Part of a family interconnected, this is community; Welcoming strangers, visiting neighbours, this gives us dignity". Very singable song about building community. Works well for kids as well. A big favourite at Brunswick Uniting. Good for kids. Downloadable song book, lyrics & sound samples.
- AoV1-021 / ATOK 402 / StS114 / G(II)488 / GC682 / GC(II)669 / G(3)761 / Lau858 / MP830 God Has Chosen Me
(Bernadette Farrell) Energetic, and great words of justice. We used to
sing this a lot, but not so much lately. Can be rocky or
smooth, however you like it. Good for kids. Sound sample and lyrics.
- NCH497 / SFFS 2208 / GtG741 / PH354 / G(II)508 / GC707 / GC(II)684 G(3)780 / CP513 / ZSS141 Guide my feet while I run this race
(African-American Spiritual) Another excellent civil rights song. Would work well as a meditative prayer
for guidance or as an uplifting call to action at the end of the
service.You could also make up your own lyrics. Lyrics.Good for kids.
- Online Resource / AoVK-28 / ATOK 376 Faith hope and love
(Trish Watts) This is so easy, and so cool. If you have some groovy
musicians, this can even be a very funky rock song. Very easy, and great
for kids and non-readers. Sound sample, sheet music sample, and purchasing options.Good for kids.
- Online Resource I will sing of your love, love, love (Christopher Grundy) This is just so joyfully happy, and very catchy. Lyrics and sound sample. Sheet music for purchase. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / SP&P062 You shall love our God (Ruth Sandberg) An excellent round, which could be sung in unison, as a round, or in 4 parts. I really quite like this. Sheet music for purchase. I think this would be Good for kids.
- GtB / On the Road God is love and love is giving (Ross Langmead)
A simple kids' song about God's love. A round. Sound sample. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / AoV2-068 / VU695 God is passionate life / Passionate God (Colleen Fulmer) Good simple round with a peace / justice focus. Sheet music, lyrics and sound sample. Good for kids.
- ATOK 412 / Iona (SBL, Common Ground) / CH250 / MV212 / A&M482 / GtG747 / SFFS 2184 / Lau855 / StF239 Sent by the Lord am I / Sent out in Jesus name / Enviado soy de Dios (Traditional Cuban) Great rhythm, good words and not too hard to sing
(provided you sing it a little slowly the first time!) I prefer the MV
translation "Sent out in Jesus' name". Good for kids. Lyrics.
- Online Resource / TiS
749 / AoV1-154 / AoVK-131 / ATE 305 / NCH360 / Iona (SBL, Freedom is
coming) / CH800 / UMH497 / VU572 / WoV773 / ELW469 / ELW809 / GA493 / A&M481 / HPP340 / GtG746 / G(II)484
/ GC677 / GC(II)674 / G(3)776 / W&R713 / Cha447 / SP234 / StF782 Send me Jesus / Thuma mina (South African) You all know this one, right? If you don't - it's great - simple, repetitive, and meaningful.Good for kids. Sound sample and purchasing options.
- Taizé / CH801
/ MV170 / StJ / GtG205 / WoV665 / ELW642 / SFFS 2179 / GC408 /
GC(II)430 / G(3)500 / CP553 / W&R399 / Cha523 / URW394 / StF783 / Lau244b Live in charity / Ubi Caritas (Jacques Berthier, France)
Usually sung in Latin, but can also be sung just as beautifully as "Live in
charity and steadfast love, live in charity; God will dwell with you."
Sheet music and sound samples for practice. Good for kids.
- ATOK 390 Put on love every day, never hide your love away (Mary Lu Walker) A fun song for kids! It's a while since we've sung this, but it's fun. Sound sample. Good for kids.
Songs about peace- MV149 / CoC35 Peace for our children (Doreen Lankshear-Smith)
A simple and quite repetitive (in a nice way) song that prays for peace
for children, women, men, families, nations… and the soul. Lyric video. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / AoV1-106 /
UMH376 / WoV774 / ELW753 / GtG752 / G(II)528 / GC730 / GC(II)724 / G(3)822 /
CP562 / Cha297 / URW443 / 82Hml-712 / Lau904 / LUYH073 Dona Nobis Pacem (American folk song) This is very well known, and would fit well with this reading. History, sheet music and sound sample. Good for kids. Oldy-but-a-goody.
- Online Resource / CH659 / MV173 / StJ / A&M566 / G(3)824 / W&R389 / SP251 / StF712 Put peace into each other’s hands
(Fred Kaan, USA) Good words for communion. This can be sung to many
different tunes. MV has a tune by Ron Klusmeier which is simple to sing
(and
has a nice descant, if desired). Thanks to Allan Baer for letting me
know - here's a song sample and options for purchasing the Klusmeier tune. There is also a nice choral version with a tune by Joel Raney, which can be heard and purchased here (thanks to Tessa S for this suggestion). Or it can be sung to the familiar hymn tune ST COLUMBA. Lyrics, sheet music sample. New words to old tunes.
- Taizé / GtG814 / CP563 / PfAS062D In God alone my soul can find rest and peace / Mon âme se repose (Jacques Berthier, France) A beautiful healing chant from Taize. Words and music and sound samples for learning the parts Good for kids.
- Iona (M&G) / ATAR609 / CH359 / MV033 / GtG137 / ZSS54 / StJ / ELW253 / GA293 / SFFS
2085 / G(II)276 / GC370 / GC(II)364 / G(3)429 / CP368 / W&R402 He came down that we may have love / Jesus came bringing us hope
(Traditional Cameroon) A lovely simple song - you can make up words and
have a lot of fun with this if you also use some drums. For Brunswick
this year, this will be a nice reminder of Advent, when we sang this
every week. Lyrics. Good for kids.
- MV31 Pure love (Linnea Good) A
simple two-part chant that picks up the Psalmist’s idea of the purity
of God’s law “Pure love, pure truth, pure justice, God”. Would be great
if you can teach it to some of the congregation before worship starts. Sound sample. Good for kids.
- Online Resource Peace, Salaam, Shalom
(Pat Humphries) This is a beautiful and simple chant with two optional
obligato lines. The congregation could easily sing the basic round as a
meditative focus, or (more quickly) as a round for kids. Good for kids. Sheet music for purchase. Sound sample. We usually sing it more slowly, like this.
Updated in 2024 on a train in Sweden, then in 2025 in Melbourne Airport, and in 2026 at home in Fitzroy.
