Jobs

A. Purpose

The purpose of the Choir Master & Conductor is to prepare the choir for their active participation and leadership role in the worship so that the choir and congregation grow as disciples of Jesus Christ through worship and music.

B. Job Information

Classification:            Program Staff; Salaried; Part-Time

Supervisor:                 Pastor Work

Schedule:                   Approximately 5 hours per week. Weekends: Sunday morning rehearsal (9:00 a.m.) and worship(10:30 a.m.) and a monthly worship planning meeting (typically held on a Sunday from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.).Weekdays: rehearsals, planning time, and additional planning meetings as required. Holidays: including, but not limited to, additional worship services for Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, and Christmas Eve.

Salary:                        $10,400 annually

Benefits:                    Four paid Sundays off per year upon approval (cannot request Christmas Eve or Easter as a vacation day).

C. General Job Description for all Program Staff Members

1. Be a disciple of Jesus Christ and seek to continually grow in spiritual maturity.
2. Make disciples in one’s area of ministry.
3. Recruit, equip/train, and empower the laity to do the ministry God has called them to do.
4. Being involved in evangelism and membership care in one’s area of ministry is a fundamental part of the total ministry of the church.
5. Manage budget/financial affairs of the ministry area with the highest integrity and care to ensure entrusted funds are not mishandled, accidentally or otherwise.
6. Work together as a team with other staff members.
7. Make every effort to ensure the safety and security of anyone involved in any activity or ministry of Central UMC, regardless of whether they have direct staff supervision responsibility or not. Particular care should be taken around the church campus.
8. Abide by and enforce the Safe Sanctuary policies of the church.
9. Maintain confidentiality when requested, regarding personnel matters, and in “counseling-type” situations. The only exception is when a life is endangered or violence to self or others is threatened. If there is any question about when confidentiality should be maintained, discuss the general situation with the Pastor.
10. Participate in leadership training and professional growth opportunities.
11. Have a personal/family life that upholds the highest values of the Christian faith and does not detract from one’s ministry or the ministry of the church.
12. Perform all tasks as assigned by the Pastor that are needed to fulfill the church’s goals and advance the work of the Kingdom of God.

D.Qualifications (Education/Background)

1. Bachelor’s Degree, or higher, in music preferred.
2. Previous successful experience in church music.

E.Specific Knowledge and Skills

1. Recruits new members of the Chancel Choir.
2. Provides general music education for choir members who don’t read music and coaches choir on vocal techniques, dynamics, and expression.
3. Weekly Worship. Conducts the chancel choir’s anthem during worship each week. Arranges for substitutes to cover during vacation or in case of illness.
4. Rehearsals. Directs the Chancel Choir for their Sunday morning rehearsal and special rehearsals as needed.
5. Worship planning. The Choir Master & Conductor is a member of the Worship Design Team. This team is led by the Pastor and also includes the Worship Coordinator & Accompanist, and members of the congregation. This team will discuss themes and plans that inform the appropriate music and liturgical elements for the Sunday worship services. The Choir Master & Conductor will use those themes to select appropriate anthems each week. The Pastor is ultimately responsible for the church’s worship program, and the Choir Master & Conductor’s role is advisory. Music selections should be finalized in Planning Center by Monday at 9:00 p.m. each week so that the communications team can make bulletins, prepare digital worship materials, and print outlines and scripts for worship leaders and the tech team. Anthems should have appropriate copyright information included in Planning Center.
6. Special Worship Services. Certain seasons and holidays are particularly significant in the life of the church and may call for special musical activities. Examples of such events would include but not be limited to: Christmas cantatas, Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, or other Holy Week services. For such seasons and events, the Choir Master & Conductor should be prepared to plan in advance with the Pastor for appropriate anthem selections.
7. Provides organization and leadership for special choral events such as Cantatas.
8. Summer Choir Break. The Chancel Choir has in the past taken a break from rehearsals and performances during the months of July and August. It is the responsibility of the Choir Master & Conductor to provide suitable special music during the month by lining up solos, quartets, or other special music during this time if the choir is on break. This schedule is kept up to date in Planning Center.
9. Music, Records Maintenance, and Budget. The Choir Master & Conductor shall be responsible for the purchase, care, and filing of music for the church choir. The church shall provide the Choir Master & Conductor adequate space and filing cabinets, or other appropriate furniture, to store the choir’s music. The Choir Master & Conductor shall be responsible for the preparation of a budget for the choir’s needs. This shall include music purchases and all other associated expenses. This budget request shall be provided annually to the Leadership Board at the date specified by them.
10. Copyright Reporting. Ensure anthem and special music selection falls under appropriate licensing for streaming, provide necessary information for report in Planning Center.
11. Vision. The Choir Master & Conductor will look for ways to expand and enrich the choral music program of the church. This may include new ministry groups like a children’s choir or youth choir. The Choir Master & Conductor will always be on the lookout for people of faith with musical talents and seek to help them find ways to use and develop their gifts in service to Christ and the Church.

G. Expectations

1. Communication. The Choir Master & Conductor will be in regular communication with members of the choir to keep them informed of upcoming worship plans and any information they will need to know as worship leaders. The Choir Master & Conductor may also need to write content for the communications team to promote Chancel Choir ministry events.
2. Musical Skills. It is expected that the Choir Master & Conductor shall have and maintain the skills necessary to accomplish their tasks in the church. They are encouraged to make use of continuing education opportunities, especially those offered by the United Methodist Church, to this end. They may apply to the church for funds to cover the costs of such continuing education.
3. Consultation with the Pastor. The Choir Master & Conductor and the Pastor will necessarily coordinate the planning of the church’s worship experiences. In the United Methodist Book of Discipline, the authority to organize the church’s worship life is specifically charged to the Pastor, thus the Choir Master & Conductor position in such coordination shall be advisory. While the Choir Master & Conductor shall be given the greatest artistic latitude possible in the selection and performance of music for the church’s worship life, the Pastor shall retain the right to request, with appropriate advance notice, that musical performances be changed or eliminated. The Choir Master & Conductor will meet regularly with the Pastor and the worship design team to plan worship.
4. Assist with Other Church Programs. The Choir Master & Conductor should be available to other church groups to give advice and counsel concerning the selection of appropriate music for their activities. The Choir Master & Conductor shall not be responsible for being present or performing any functions at the meetings of specific small groups within the church. All such requests to do so shall be understood as requests only and not a part of the Choir Master & Conductor’s job responsibilities.
5. Teamwork. The Choir Master & Conductor is expected to function in harmony with the clergy and the lay church staff, participating as a vital member of the leadership team.
6. Absences. It is expected that the Choir Master & Conductor will inform the Pastor as far in advance as possible of any absences from the Sunday morning worship service. This includes the scheduling of accepted vacation time, sick leave, personal leave, or any other absences. It is understood that illness and other emergencies may not allow making a notification in a timely fashion; however, failure to give advance notice of absence from the Sunday Worship will be considered cause for dismissal.