(Hear Just As I Am with Lead Me to the Cross below.)
Growing up in the Baptist Church we’d sing Just As I Am literally every Sunday during the “Invitation.” (For you non-Baptists, that’s the end of the service when people would come forward to either get saved, re-dedicate their lives, confess some sin or join the church.)
I think we all must have gotten burned out on Just As I Am because I haven’t heard it in a contemporary church in years. But I’ve discovered an interesting secret about the hymn: it’s really a worship song in disguise!
Praise and worship songs typically talk TO the Lord but hymns typically talk ABOUT the Lord. Just As I Am is a unique hymn because it addresses the Lord directly, like a worship song. To help contemporary churches use this classic hymn I’ve arranged it in a more modern worship style that will match your favorite songs by your favorite churches and worship artists.
Idea #1: Use Just As I Am at the END of your praise set:
Plan your typical praise set and simply use Just As I Am as the final worship ballad (both D and E major are good keys.) The introduction provides ample time for a transition prayer or Scripture. Just As I Am works especially well with salvation-themed songs like:
- At The Cross (E) / Zschech, Morgan
- Cornerstone (D) / Hillsong
- Mighty to Save (G) / Hillsong
Hear how beautifully Just As I Am works with Brooke Ligertwood’s Lead Me to the Cross. Use the hymn as the second-to-last song in your set and end with Lead me to the Cross.
Idea #2: START your praise set with Just As I Am:
For the best worship flow I usually start my praise sets with a few upbeat songs. But once in awhile I’ll open the service with a worship ballad to mix things up! Just As I Am also works great as a call to worship. Follow it with upbeat songs in D or E like
- Open the Eyes of My Heart (D or E)
- Come, Now Is the Time to Worship (D)
Go acoustic: Listen to Just As I Am with Hillsong’s acoustic version of Christ Is Enough For Me:
Or even follow Just As I Am with upbeat hymns from HymnCharts like Crown Him With Many Crowns and Nothing But the Blood. Just As I Am with Crown Him With Many Crowns
Download Just As I Am:
Download sheet music, chord charts, tracks, multitracks and orchestration for Just As I Am 2015 exclusively with a hymncharts subscription. You won’t find this arrangement on any other website.
6 Comments. Leave new
I’ve been using Just as I Am as a worship song for years! It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, yet simple, songs in the hymnody today. It’s also praise band friendly because the chord structure changes with each measure, so your guitar player won’t be frustrated!
I actually made an arrangement last week of Just As I Am with Forever Reign that we’re doing this Sunday! Timely article. With some chord switching there are hymns that combine well with modern worship songs both in feel and song theme. In this arrangement, I’m doing Forever Reign, ending on the bridge, and going into Just As I Am. I put an interlude at the end of Just as I Am that leads right back into the chorus of Forever Reign. So, we’re singing, “Oh lamb of God, I come’ into, ‘I’m running to your arms’. Good stuff!
We just starting doing Forever Reign at our church! I’m definitely going to try this out! Love it!
I too have been using Just As I Am as a worship song and invitation song. Just As I Am has touched more hearts and influenced more lives for Christ than any other hymn ever written.
I was pretty impressed with mercy me’s arrangement of just as I am. It isn’t easy to find but is worth the effort. Look on YouTube.
As a Southern Baptist, I can relate to your “invitation” comment although we didn’t sing it EVERY week. But I still love the hymn.