When I asked my beginning student Hannah for ideas of fun pieces, she and her mother answered "worship songs!"
Hannah's mother leads worship sessions and teaches others how to do so. She has a beautiful voice, and Hannah does, too. The two of them decided to choose a few songs, which they would sing together while Hannah played chords.
We started with "Here I Am To Worship." First, Hannah learned to play an open C chord throughout the piece, then to sing while she played the repeating chord.
Next we learned the three chord progression for the verse, then the chorus. Within a few weeks, Hannah could play the entire song while she and her mother sang it together.
Chording skills are essential for modern pianists, especially for those playing worship and popular music. That's why we teach these skills.