Festivities, Fireworks, and Fresh Ideas for the 4th of July

June 24, 2019

While the 4th of July is about celebrating America, many churches find ways to utilize this patriotic holiday to focus attention on praying for our country. Are you looking for some fresh ideas for your church to celebrate July 4th this year? With just a little over a week to go, we’ve put together a few of our favorites:

  • God Bless America is more than just a song, why not take a moment during Sunday service to ask people to pray for our country. Honor both God and country by including patriotic music, prayers, and liturgies during worship.
  • Invite military service men and women to wear their uniforms to worship, and ask community leaders to lead the prayer, pledge, or read Scripture on the Sunday nearest July 4th.
  • Work with your musicians, singers, and worship team to host a patriotic concert on your campus.
  • Create a display to honor servicemen and women in your congregation. Ask veterans or family members to contribute photos you can include in the display.
  • Host a free movie night with popcorn and refreshments featuring a patriotic film. Make sure to extend an invitation to worship to all in attendance.
  • If your church offers a great view of local fireworks, post a sign inviting neighbors to bring lawn chairs and enjoy there! If not – don’t plan anything during the fireworks, but plan a pre-show cookout.
  • Invite the children to dress in red, white, and blue and put on an old fashioned children’s parade. Encourage them to decorate bikes, skateboards, and scooters! If your community already hosts an Independence Day parade, enlist volunteers to ensure your church’s participation.

It’s hard to imagine any of these programs without music, but it’s important to make sure you’re covered with the right copyright licenses. July 4th events often slide under the radar when it comes to licensing for music, but here are two important facts to consider:

  1. Special holiday events are not considered a religious service and therefore do not qualify under the U.S. Copyright Law Religious Service Exemption.
  2. Music for patriotic celebrations often includes secular, or non-Christian songs that are not covered by some streaming or reproduction blanket licenses.

It’s quick, easy and inexpensive to get immediate performance license coverage in place to make sure you can legally play and perform songs like “Born in the USA,” “Only in America,” “Some Gave All,” and “God Bless the USA.

CCS’s PERFORMmusic Onsite Facilities License offers the ONLY one-stop solution for legal performance and playing of more than 25 million songs from ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, including holiday and secular songs, for one low annual fee. Your church can have an even greater impact when you share your programs with the world online. Keep in mind that licensing is required to legally stream Internet song performances of copyrighted music. CCS’s WORSHIPcast Online Streaming License provides coverage for many of your online needs.

We hope you will celebrate a happy and safe Fourth of July! If you need any assistance with performance licenses, just call one of our copyright experts at 855-876-5837 or live chat right here on our site!

About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and Christian ministries “do music right.”  CCS is an expert on church music copyrights and our primary focus is providing licensing and clear educational resources to churches. Follow us onTwitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.

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