12 minute read

PerusalCopyPreviewOnly

12) Assist in the preparation of music bulletin boards throughout the church facility.

13) Assist the minister of music in making sure the choir room and music suite are kept neat and orderly.

14)Work with the children's choir leaders and other choir officers in maintaining accurate attendance records.

15) Serve as secretary for the church music council.

Organizational Charts

Organizational charts are effective because they let people know to whom they should report. They protect us by keeping us from being directly supervised by more than one person. The following is a typical organizational chart for paid ministers and staff. Unpaid music staff will be addressed in a later chapter.

Music Secretary

Age-Group Choir Directors

Working with Local and National Organizations

At some time in their career, music ministers may be asked to work with local and national organizations. These relationships may include local affiliates of national organizations such as the American Guild of Organists, the American Choral Directors Association, or a Choristers Guild chapter. They may also include working with a local honor choir, high school chorus, community choir, or any number of other musical activities that may enhance music either in the local community or nationally or both.

All music ministers are encouraged to become involved with various professional groups both locally and nationally (see Appendix 1 for a list of professional organizations). When you become involved and attend meetings, conferences, or conventions regularly, you may be asked to assume a position of leadership. Since volunteer leaders usually run professional groups, you are encouraged to take your turn at some point in your career. Many church musicians choose to serve with various groups throughout their careers.

While being involved with organizations outside your church may be very beneficial to you, this work may also consume valuable time. Before accepting these responsibilities, carefully analyze the amount of time that will be involved, and be sure to discuss these opportunities with your pastor and others who evaluate your work. Know both the amount of time that this responsibility will take away from your work and the expenses involved.

At times in your career, you may be better able to serve in leadership capacities beyond your church. Once you have been in a position for a considerable period of time, you are better poised for service than when you are new in a position. In addition, it is probably better to avoid serving a professional organization while you are working on a degree, starting a new choir, raising a family, newly married, or dealing with other life-changing circumstances.

Hosting Conventions and Other Events

If your church is in a well-traveled city, has good acoustics, and has a desirable location, you may be asked to host a convention or event for a national or local organization. Before accepting such invitations, be sure you know all the parameters of your obligation. In addition, you MUST have the support of your pastor and of the church. Be sure to have everything in writing including space needs, hosting responsibilities, financial obligations, and needs for sound, lighting, dressing rooms, food service, and a great many other things. When considering such an option, you are wise to seek advice and input from a colleague, in another city, who has hosted a similar group. The above also applies when hosting a college choir, professional music ensemble, or other music groups or organizations.

Hosting Local Organizations

Many churches regularly host professional meetings or local organizations such as civic choirs. Whenever possible, you are encouraged to support groups in this way; however, you must understand your obligations and be sure that you have support from all involved. Churches are usually supportive of these activities; but problems can occur with building access, damage to facilities, custodial issues, and liability. It is important to have procedures for these items spelled out ahead of time.

Working with Interns

Throughout a music ministry career, many ministers will be given the opportunity to work with interns and become a mentor. Often this is a formal relationship as part of a student's educational process, or it may be a paid position, such as a summer intern. However, ministers of music often informally mentor students who have grown up in their ministry.

Covenant

Mentoring and working with interns is usually most effective when a learning covenant is in place. The covenant provides a framework for both the mentor and the mentoree. The covenant should state goals for the internship period including personal, ministerial, and professional. It should include subjects that will be discussed during the internship and other activities that should be noted. For instance, if the student is to work with choirs of different ages, this should be included. Time frame, work hours, financial obligations, evaluations, and other items pertaining to this particular internship should all be included, although the covenant itself usually becomes the evaluation instrument.

What Does an Internship Provide?

Ideally, an internship gives the student an opportunity to bridge the academic world with the practical/ministry world and allows the student a glimpse into the career for which he/she is preparing. This is done through involvement in all aspects of church life. The intern should attend staff meetings and committee meetings, assist in worship planning, conduct choirs, file music, visit hospitals, and participate in all other activities in which the music minister is involved. These experiences provide the intern the potential for personal growth, skill development, and career assessment.

An internship provides the supervisor an opportunity to share what he/she knows, to pass on a legacy of ministry, and to see ministry through the eyes of someone less experienced but perhaps more enthusiastic. Through the fresh perspective of the mentoree, a mentor relationship can sometimes help the experienced minister create a new vision for ministry. In order to be an effective mentor, you should share time and experience and have a willingness to become involved in sharing your life and ministry with someone else.

Requirement

An internship or mentoring relationship requires considerable time on the part of the mentor. The mentor must be prepared to slow down his/her schedule in order to explain common procedures and answer questions. If the supervisor does not have adequate time to dialogue regularly with the mentoree, then the mentor should not agree to the relationship. Although students can/will learn much by example, they will also want/need adequate opportunities to dialogue and ask questions.

The relationship will also require the mentor to hold high standards in performance and professionalism as well as spiritual and moral conduct, set a stellar example, become personally involved, deal with personal problems, establish a friendship, become vulnerable, and assist with career development.

Involving Others

Enlisting and Training

In order for a music ministry to function effectively, there must be many leaders. Most paid music ministers are directly in charge of some groups and supervise the leadership of other groups. There must be accompanists for multiple choirs, leaders for children's groups, and directors for ensembles. Most music ministries involve many volunteers. Each of these persons has to be recruited and trained in order to lead effectively. Most full time ministers of music will conduct 4-5 choirs, although multiple scheduling may prevent one person from conducting this many groups. The number of groups the minister of music can conduct also depends on the level of administrative responsibility, number of services to plan, pastoral responsibilities, and other duties.

What workers are needed?

The answer to this question depends primarily on the structure and size of the music ministry and the overall philosophy of the church and music minister.

Children's Choir Workers – All churches should have a children's choir(s), and the choir(s) must have strong leadership to be effective. Normally, you will need one worker for 4-5 preschoolers, one worker for every 5-6 younger children, and one worker for every 6-7 older children. When more than 16-18 children are in the choir, dividing the group into two choirs is suggested since the children will learn best in a smaller group surrounded by children closer to their ages. Each group will need workers. Smaller churches may need a total of 3-4 workers in children's choirs while larger churches will need many more.

Youth Choir Leaders – Although a single director usually leads a youth choir rehearsal, helpers are needed to make the group run smoothly. Some directors use other adults to take roll, prepare snacks, pass out music, assist with trips, coordinate outreach, and perform other tasks. Some directors prefer an SATB quartet to function as section leaders. This quartet will sing with the youth in rehearsal and assist with learning the music; however, they do not sing in performance. Adults who enjoy working with youth are good candidates; however, college students, young adults, and parents are often effective youth leaders.

Instrumental Leaders – Churches with larger music ministries will need leaders for handbell groups and other instrumental ensembles.

Other Groups – Other groups include senior adult choirs, college choirs, worship teams, and drama or other related groups.

Where do you find workers?

An adept minister of music is always searching for people who are interested in serving in music ministry. Adult choir members are usually excellent choices. Look carefully at the rolls of all choirs to find new prospects for leadership. College students and older youth are potential children's choir leaders since studies show that high school and college students spend more time in volunteer work than any other age groups. Additionally, senior adults and retired people can help. Also, get to know new people, conduct occasional surveys, and visit Sunday school departments to find potential workers. Before you enlist someone you don't know well, carefully observe them and find out about their background, and experience. Never get in a hurry in enlisting workers. You are never simply filling spots. You always want to find the best person for the job, and this takes persistence and patience!

Under no circumstance should you ask for volunteers, because someone whom you don't want to do the job may volunteer. Qualified people often don't respond to a call for volunteers except for mundane tasks such as bringing food for an event or service projects. Highly qualified people usually respond when asked by the person in charge!

How do you enlist people?

There are numerous ways to enlist people to work in music ministry. Children's choir workers may be enlisted solely by the minister of music, solely by the children's choir coordinator, or by both. In some churches, the minister of music and the children's choir coor- dinator enlist the directors, and the directors enlist their workers. Unless the program is quite large, I suggest that the music minister enlist children's choir leaders unless the coordinator is skilled at enlistment and has had long tenure in the church. Other workers should be enlisted by the minister of music or by the person(s) with whom they will work directly.

When enlisting people directly, face-to-face contact is preferred. Arrange a time to visit privately with a person before asking him/her. Casual meetings in the halls at church are not appropriate times to talk with someone about service in music ministry. If you are unable to meet with him/her one on one, a telephone call at his/her convenience is the next best alternative. A planned call is better than an unexpected call at home or at work. Always communicate the importance of the position. How you make the contact is important.

In a church where children's choirs are firmly established, a letter or e-mail may suffice for a person who prefers e-mail contact. However, it is easier to say "no" with an e-mail than with direct contact, because with direct contact you can read body language, answer immediate questions, and judge initial reactions. Ideally, talk with the person about the position, highlight its importance, and emphasize qualifications. At the conclusion of the conversation, set up a time to talk with the person in a few days to discuss the options further and hopefully receive a positive answer.

The way in which a person is asked always has an effect on his/her answer. Spend time deciding how and whom you will ask and you will get positive responses. Otherwise, you will make many contacts and receive few affirmative answers. Always explain that this is an important job but not an easy one. Also stress that you are building a team for the long run, and you want them to invest themselves fully in this process. In addition, assure the person that he/she will be adequately trained.

Who needs training?

Everyone who works in music ministry needs training, for all of us are learners. Even when we've been in music ministry for many years, we have much to learn.

How does training occur?

Many models exist for training leaders in music ministry. The type of training depends on the person(s), the church, the responsibility, budget, and schedule.

Mentor – One of the most effective ways to train is through mentoring. A mentoring relationship is established by assigning an experienced person to advise and guide a less experienced person as a way to groom the younger person for greater responsibility in the future. Mentoring is time consuming and must be ongoing to be effective. It must also have the right match of personalities, goals, and values, and must be built on mutual admiration and trust.

One on One – Although much like mentoring, this approach may simply include private sessions that assist the person in learning the needed skills for his/her leadership position. This might include spending a brief period of time with a person or scheduling teaching sessions once a week for several weeks or months.

In-house Workshops – In-house workshops involve securing a resource person or utilizing people within your own church for training. Many churches have a training session in August before the beginning of the new choir year, and another one in January or early February when teachers need a boost to get through the remainder of the year. Survey your children's choir workers to decide what they would like to study or what would be most helpful to their teaching. These training sessions can be held on a weeknight, on a Saturday morning, or at another time that is good for everyone. They can be effective when held in homes where a meal is provided.

Local Conferences – Music leaders may attend a local conference. Different denominations, local chapters of professional organizations, and other music groups hold workshops and are usually happy to have people join them for a nominal fee.

Regional, State, and National Conferences – Conferences are held on all levels by professional organizations, denominations, and universities. Although conferences may be more expensive and may involve travel, they are usually affordable with enough advanced planning.

Budgeting for Training

Money is required for people to receive training. Even when local people lead conferences, money is needed for materials, food, or other items. However, money spent for training is always well spent. When you have a large group of people who need training, it may be more economical to bring someone to your church rather than going to a conference. Even if you have to pay an honorarium, lodging, and travel for an outside clinician, you may save money when compared to paying travel, lodging, and food expense for a large group of people to attend an out-of-town or out-of-state event. You might also team with another church in the city or area (or with several churches) to share costs to bring in a clinician(s).

When constructing the music ministry budget, include money for leadership training. Even if the amount is small, do not eliminate these funds from the budget, for it will be a reminder of the importance of training. Each year, work to increase the budget little by little. When people see that money spent on training is being utilized well and is benefiting others, they are eager to see the budget increased!

Communication

Communication is vital for a music ministry to function effectively. Being an effective communicator requires on-going effort, thorough planning, and flexible communication methods. Many people are involved in multiple activities, and music ministry may be only one priority in their lives. If they are not regularly informed, they will view music ministry as a low priority activity and will be less involved and committed. Effective music ministers become skilled communicators and learn to utilize every available medium to communicate to those involved in music ministry.

What is Communication?

Communication involves sending messages. In order for communication to be valid, it must also be received and understood. We communicate on many different levels and through many forms. Nonverbal – Nonverbal communication involves all aspects of body language. These include body carriage, touching, eye contact, posturing, distancing (the use of space), subvocals (hardly audible agreements and acknowledgements of understanding), gesturing, and vocalisms (words or phrases that express agreement or understanding). When non-verbal and verbal communication conflict, non-verbal communication is believed and remembered. Some studies show that younger people rely more heavily on non-verbal communication than older adults.

Symbolic – Symbolic communication includes the overall impression that we give by our clothes, hairstyle, cosmetics, jewelry, automobile, home, and friends. In order for the message to be optimally communicated, symbolic communication should not conflict with other messages. The interpretation of symbolic communication can differ from person to person; therefore, we may communicate more effectively with groups. We may have to make choices regarding groups that we intend to reach most effectively; however, any minister should avoid offending others.

Verbal – Verbal communication uses words to convey meaning; however, the words must communicate our intended message if verbal communication is to be understood. Words may communicate in the following ways: (1) concrete messages (go, eat), (2) image-related messages (soft, warm), and (3) abstract messages (unconditional, patriotic). Become a student of language so that you are able to choose words that communicate effectively with your target audience.

Sending a Message – When sending a message, be sure that the message (1) is understood by the receiver; (2) uses words that the receiver will understand; (3) is specific, simple, and direct; (4) is clearly received (as evaluated by feedback); and (5) is communicated clearly.

This article is from: