Christmas Songs for Christ

Traditional Christian Carols

A number of holiday songs sung in honor of Christ have been passed down through the years. Often sung throughout the Advent season in churches, the religiously-based Christmas music is familiar to most people of the Christian faith. Churches often use these songs during choir cantatas or as hymns throughout the season.

Traditional Christian Christmas songs include:

• O Come All Ye Faithful
• Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
• Angels We Have Heard on High
• O Little Town of Bethlehem
• While Shepards Watched Their Flocks
• The First Noel
• It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
• Rise Up Shepherd and Follow
• O Come, O Come Immanuel
• Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine
• Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
• O Holy Night
• What Child Is This?
• Good Christian Men, Rejoice

Read the lyrics on various public Internet sources or check your hymnals and sheet music. Instrumental versions of several of these songs can be found at Carols.org. Select the song you want, and click on “Play Music” if the song you selected has the accompanying melody available.

Children’s Christmas Program Songs for Christ

Holiday favorites for the Christ child usually have easy-to-remember lyrics and simple tunes, making them perfect for even the youngest of children to learn. Older kids may be able to memorize several versus of a song, whereas small children can master the first verse and chorus.

Popular Christmas songs for kids to learn include:

• Away in a Manger
• We Three Kings
• Joy to the World
• Silent Night
• Go Tell It On the Mountain
• Do You Hear What I Hear
• Little Drummer Boy

To help children learn the lyrics to Christmas songs for Christ, make up hand gestures and actions. A finger can be held up to the lips whenever kids sing the word “silent” in Silent Night; a cradle can be formed with arms for Away in a Manger; and hands can be cupped around ears in Do You Hear What I Hear.

Any of these songs would be appropriate for use during a youth church program. Start teaching children songs at least a month in advance. Programs held on Christmas Eve or the Sunday church services the week before Christmas are often well attended by friends and family members.

Use songs along with a reenactment of the Nativity. The congregation can sing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing when Mary learns she will have a baby. Have the arrival of the three wise men coincide with the signing of We Three Kings by the children.

Ask the adult choir, pianist, and hand bell choir to take part and make the evening an event for everyone, not just the kids.

Contemporary Christian Christmas Songs for Christ

Although the traditional Christmas hymns are well-known and loved, contemporary Christian artists are coming out with new faith-based songs every holiday. Check out your favorite faith based artist’s repertoire to find out if she/he has original holiday songs. If you do not have a favorite artist, ask your local Christian bookstore or record store for recommendations on holiday CDs.

Another contemporary practice is to take traditional songs and provide an original take on the classic song. A number of artists put their heart and soul into singing popular Christian holiday songs with their own take on them.

Records with new and modern Christmas carols, or new versions of old classics, include:

• Christmas Songs by Jars of Clay
• The Voice of Christmas CD by Sandi Patti
• A Timeless Christmas by Israel and New Breed
• Oh What Joy, Christmas by Eva Fry
• All I Really Want for Christmas by Steven Curtis Chapman

Even children’s music has a contemporary twist. Find new holiday tunes from the popular Veggie Tales characters, alongside traditional Christmas tunes.

Hear Christian Christmas Songs

To hear Christmas songs for Christ performed, you can tune into your local religious radio station, or find a holiday Internet radio broadcast. AccuRadio’s Religious Christmas Classics station provides year-round listening enjoyment.

Additionally, check out local churches for choir and hand-bell concerts. Other ideas for places to hear holiday songs for Christ include:

• City symphony concerts
• Visiting choirs
• Performance artists live
• Christian high school concerts

Even though you may get caught up in the hustle of Christmas shopping, baking, and visiting, Christians can use Christmas songs for Christ to get back to the religious roots of the holiday.