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1) Repertoire Information – Leave anthem lists from the past and plans for the next several months. Even if the church hasn't found your successor in a few months or they don't choose to follow your plans, your preparation for their future will be recognized and appreciated. It is a part of your investment in the ministry that you've worked to build.

2) List of Soloists – A list of soloists from the past and for the coming months will prove helpful. A simple contact list of who has sung and who will be singing provides this critical information in a simple and straightforward manner.

3) Contact information – An up-to-date contact list for each choir and ensemble is very important. This should also include the leaders or officers for each group. The file should also contain a listing of recent activities, repertoire, and other pertinent information.

4) Past orders of worship – Accurate files of past orders of worship allow your successor to gain a sense of history about recent worship. They also give a starting point when the new person begins to plan these and other similar services.

5) Event files – You should leave well-notated files on all annual events within the church. These may include Hanging of the Greens, Advent, Holy Week, Choir Recognition, Choir Tour, Outreach Events, and Children's Choir Kick-off Events.

6) Financial Files – Files containing the current and past budget and recent expenditures are helpful.

7) Personal Notes and Contact Information – You should leave a file with personal notes to the new minister of music. In addition, leave your phone number, e-mail, and address along with permission to contact you when needed.

8) Instrument Files – Files containing information on maintenance of instruments should also be in good order.

9) Other files – These might include library holdings, equipment warranties, service contracts, or other similar material.

10) Commitment File – If any commitments have been made for concerts, major events, or conference leaders, all information relative to these commitments must remain. Sometimes it is appropriate for you to break obligations that the church may not want to continue in your absence. This should be done in consultation with the pastor.

11) Well-Maintained Library – The library should be left clean with all music put away and organized.

12) Clean office and facilities – The office and music facilities should be clean and organized with all personal items removed.

If the church does not have full-time music ministry staff, then all of the above information should be shared with someone such as the music ministry committee chair, the pastor, or someone who will know how to orient the new minister. Often long interim periods follow before a successor is found. A dependable person needs to be knowledgeable about this information.

Summary

The old adage, "never burn bridges", is very appropriate when leaving. A well-planned and executed leaving can offer great memories for the future. Even when circumstances surrounding leaving are negative, there will come a time when the pain of these days will lessen. Eventually you will be grateful that you had the wisdom and grace to leave well.

The New Position: Getting Started

Beginning a new position is an exciting time and yet one that can be filled with loneliness and insecurity. There is so much to do and so much to learn, and deciding priorities is particularly difficult. In this initial period it is normal to wonder if you've made the right decision, for often, in the first days of a new job, your old job seems much better than it actually was! The approach you take in the first days and weeks of your new position will often set the direction and define your tenure in this new location. Starting well is vital, and this section will offer practical assistance in making the most of this important time.

Learn About the Church

In the first days, weeks, and months of a new position, spend considerable amounts of time learning about the church. This time will be beneficial because it will help you avoid costly mistakes later. Additionally, as you get to know the church and its members, they will appreciate and respect you for taking the time to learn about them.

Worship History – Since you will plan worship immediately, learning about the church's worship history is a good first step. Peruse many years of old worship orders to gather an idea of the church's worship history. Go back twenty to thirty years, for many current members will have been in the church for a long time. Through this process you will learn about the liturgies that have been used, the preferences of your predecessors, and the songs/hymns that are familiar. Carefully observe orders of worship that may reflect the preferences of the other ministers with whom you will work.

Church History – Learn as much as you can about the church's history. If a written history is available, read it carefully; however, realize that church histories often don't reflect key information such as splits and unhealthy situations with previous ministers. This information is valuable and can be gained through other sources. Every church has a personality and, as with a child, much of a church's personality is shaped early in its development. Through understanding the church's history, you can often learn about church traditions, sacred cows, and other hidden agendas that will help you avoid changes that could be costly and counter productive.

Music History – Learn as much as possible about the church's music history. Spend time in the music library. Learn about your predecessors and the strengths of their ministries. When discussing this information with someone, use a positive approach by asking, "What are the greatest contributions of Jack Doe to University Baptist Church?" Also, look at correspondence and other files for helpful information.

Organizational Structures – If organizational charts are available, learn who reports to whom. Be sure that you communicate upward, downward, and across. Early in your new position it is often good to bring problems to others to check their reactions. This will test the communication structure and should help you determine the types of problems on which you can act independently and those that should involve others. If you're unsure, ask your supervisor, "Should I bring a problem of this nature to you in the future or act independently?" Also, be aware that while churches have formal organizational structures, they have informal structures that must be acknowledged and honored.

Job Descriptions – Learn your job description and evaluate it carefully in the first months of your job to be sure that it is accurate and that it reflects what you do and what you perceive as your expectations. It is much easier to have a job description altered early in a new job.

The Norms – Learn the norms of your new ministry. What is acceptable dress for work, worship, meetings, and other church events? What time should you report for work? What time should you leave? How long should the lunch break last? What meetings are you expected to attend, which are suggested, and which ones can you miss? If you have a family, to which activities are they invited? Realize that churches have written and unwritten protocol. Seek to learn both! When in doubt, it is always better to ask questions!

Key People – Spend time identifying and getting to know key people. You will want to initiate numerous lunch meetings in the first months of a new job. Spend time with other ministers, choir officers, children's choir leadership, accompanists, and church leaders at large. Set up meetings with larger groups of music leadership as early as possible. Spend time listening and hearing their dreams for ministry.

Get to Know People – Take every opportunity to get to know people, and do your best to remember their names and connect them with their family group. This will immediately endear you to the people of the church. Begin with the choir. As you work on names, spend time with the church directory, studying it daily!

Expectations – Be sure of the church's expectations. Also learn what things they don't expect you to do and what things are considered off limits.

The Honeymoon

Most new positions have a period of getting to know one another usually referred to as the "honeymoon." This period may last for as long as one year. While you need to approach change slowly in this period, you must also choose important issues with which to begin your work. The balance of not initiating change too rapidly and of choosing the best areas to invest energy is critical. This is a time to be sure that both your expectations and those of the church are aligned.

Honeymoons also provide a good time for upgrading physical facilities such as office space and equipment, since the church will be concerned that you have the tools that you will need. However, avoid unreasonable demands.

An important component of this period is setting a workable pace. Many times we begin a new position in a fast run that is unsustainable over the long haul. A steady walk is a much healthier pace and is more desirable. Remember: the pace at which you begin a position is the pace that you will be expected to maintain!

Manage Your Time – One of the greatest challenges of a new position is learning to manage your time. Every position has its challenges; therefore, time management strategies that worked in your previous position may not work here. Meetings will be held on different days, publication deadlines will be different, and rehearsal schedules may not be the same. All of these changes will require that you be flexible and seek to build new routines that will help you to use your time effectively.

In addition, you will be overwhelmed with so many personal and job related changes that it will be difficult to get all your work done. As you manage your time, think in terms of time that is demanded by those above you; time required by those with whom you work side-by-side, and time over which you have direct control.

Personal Transition

In the earliest days of your new position, you will have to make time for items related to your personal transition – housing, unpacking, registrations, licenses, insurance, and many others. I've found that taking care of these items as soon as possible will help you to feel both more a part of the community and in control of something you have the power to complete. Be sure to make an appointment with your church's payroll person to set up withholding, retirement, insurance, housing allowance, and payroll deductions. Don't delay on these important aspects of transitioning.

Setting Goals and Priorities

Prior to accepting a position, you will no doubt have priorities, dreams, and goals; however, these may change in the first few months as you learn about the church. Make careful notes of ideas and begin to formulate plans. Be sure to spend time in prayer and reflection and, if possible, share your ideas with a trusted confidante.

For Personnel Committees Only!

When searching for a minister of music, churches can approach the process in a number of different ways. The Congregation may utilize the existing personnel committee as the search committee, select a separate music search committee, or utilize a ministerial committee that will make recommendations to the church. Although the latter process has received more prominence recently, most churches utilize one of the first two options. A specific music search committee is preferable since a higher portion of its members are actively involved in music ministry. This is helpful both to the potential candidate in answering his/her questions and helpful to the church since issues specifically related to music ministry are more likely to be addressed. An ideal committee might include, from the music ministry, the president of the adult choir, the president of the youth choir, the organist or pianist, and a children's choir coordinator or worker. In addition to representatives from music ministry, the committee should have some members representing the congregation at large. The committee will usually consist of five to seven people.

While some churches give the committee power to bring the candidate without interaction with the church at large, other churches expect involvement in the interview process.

The Committee Process

The search committee will usually meet for an initial organizational meeting. At this meeting the committee should design a plan of action and project a timetable for their work. Initial steps will include:

1)Conducting a Survey – Conduct a survey of the congregation to discover the qualities that they are looking for in a minister of music. The committee can design its own survey instrument, secure one from their denominational office, or obtain one from another church that has recently conducted a similar process. The committee should tailor the survey to fit its particular needs. The survey can be conducted on a specific Sunday, can be mailed to homes, or can be completed during a specific time frame. If the survey is conducted on a single Sunday, the date should be announced in advance, and people who must be away should be allowed to submit surveys. The primary objective is to receive broad input and wide participation.

2)Conducting Listening Sessions – Conduct listening sessions with various groups within the congregation. This may be done instead of the above or in addition to it. Listening sessions should be arranged for choirs, music workers, and key age groups in the church. Additionally, there should be an open meeting during which anyone not otherwise included has an opportunity to respond.

3)Developing a Profile – Once the surveys are in and the listening sessions conducted, the committee should design a profile of the person for whom they intend to search. The profile should be published in church publications so that the congregation understands that their voice has been heard. Church members will begin to accept the possibility that the new minister of music may be different from his/her predecessor.

4)Building a File of Resumés – Resumes can be obtained through denominational offices, universities and seminaries, and networking with other music leaders.

5)Advertising – Until recently very few churches advertised for vacancies; however, many churches now announce vacancies in denominational publications and professional journals.

6)Developing a Short List – Decide how candidates will be screened and how a short list will be determined. Who will make calls and check references? Will each candidate receive a questionnaire? Will references be contacted by phone, e-mail, or postal mail? Committees are encouraged to contact references by phone since this allows them to control the process — some references may take weeks to respond to you in writing. A phone call allows the committee to gain the information that they need immediately. Also, phone calls allow them to hear the person's tone of voice and analyze pauses and other verbal communication that might allow them to gain a fuller understanding of the potential minister. A phone call also allows the reference to learn a bit about your church, which allows him/her to give a more honest assessment of the candidate's potential for success in your setting. In addition, phone calls are usually more respectful of the time of the reference since he/she might receive several such calls in a week. References often dread a request for lengthy questionnaires and original reference letters; however, simple, straightforward forms with various rating scales are not so time consuming to complete. The validity of these simple forms, however, seems questionable. Their use should probably be limited to initial screening of a large pool of candidates.