FAQ (continued) What does offering a multi-belief community choir say about us?
• It makes a statement about who we are. By offering a choir that finds common ground among individuals of different faiths, it shows that we have humility, we listen to others, and we are willing to work creatively to contribute to the community. Aren’t there other community youth choirs? • There is not a thriving, equitable youth choir in Greensboro. One currently exists; however, it costs $750 a year, a price too high for many high schoolers in the Triad. Does this replace choir for our high school youth? • This community is not an addition or replacement, but a broadening of the work we already do for high school youth music. INSPIRO would be the new musical formation offering for high school youth. Will our high school youth continue to sing on Sunday mornings? • Yes, but likely with less frequency. INSPIRO will not be considered a Sunday morning choir. But of course, community youth are welcome to join our FBC youth when they sing in church. Why just high school youth? • INSPIRO is for high school youth simply for the ease of program manageability at the outset of this project. Should it be of interest to the church, there is certainly potential for middle school and elementary school to join Triad Youth Choirs in the future. What will be offered for our middle school youth? • Creative programming for middle school youth and children at FBC will always remain a priority. This Fall, weekly music opportunities for all ages continue with two new offerings for older children and youth: Youth Creative Arts (6th–12th grade) and Crossroads Choir (4th–8th grade). Is this a church membership drive? • No. The goal of INSPIRO is to offer an intersection for the powerful ways choral music forms and unites us. Church membership is always a welcome invitation, but not the heart of this mission. How is this intersected community choir offering spiritual formation for our high school Youth? • INSPIRO still offers the healing and spiritual formation FBC youth have experienced in church choir, but in a unique context that has the potential to foster even deeper formation in their walk with Christ. • Intersected community is fertile ground for questions and conversations that challenge us and refine our beliefs while fostering a broader world-view. Through involvement with this community choir, our youth will gain rich perspective that makes all other church activities and worship even more meaningful. PROPOSAL PROCESS
ADVISORY TEAM
1 draft of proposal completed and shared with Pastoral Staff 1st draft briefly introduced to Personnel and Deacons Advisory Team formed; 2nd draft of proposal completed 2nd draft shared via informal presentations/conversations with Missions, Deacons, Personnel, and Sunday School classes Sep 2022: 3rd draft and budget completed using feedback from August conversations. Missions committee voted to support this proposal.
The Triad Youth Choirs Advisory Team has been central in refining this proposal. Membership includes Margaret Crawford, Matt Messick, Lorie Rainey, Amelia Barnes, Gayle Wager, Robert Angell, Cheryl Angel, Elizabeth Hoellman, Kara Cox, Brad Wall.
Apr 2022: May 2022: July 2022: Aug 2022:
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INSPIRO
Triad Youth Choirs
A Mission Proposal for First Baptist Church Greensboro.
VISION
MISSION
A high school youth choir for First Baptist and the community. An intersection for youth of varied belief-systems that meets a profound community need while better serving the needs of FBC’s own youth.
Inspiring an intersected community in mind, body, and spirit through the power of choral music.
WHY The model of church missions is ever evolving. 30 years ago, it was common for established churches to place an emphasis on planting new churches. In fact, in its long history, First Baptist Greensboro started many churches: Lindley Park Baptist, Brandt Oaks Baptist, and College Park Baptist, to name a few. But today, rather than looking to break fresh ground, many churches are looking to open their doors to invite missional opportunities into their existing spaces. In this model of missions, the church looks at their resources – finances, building, and staff - and considers what more they can offer the community. First Baptist has the opportunity to do just that. Currently, there is a need for a re-imagined youth choir in First Baptist as well as the community. FBC has the resources to offer such a choir, better serving the needs of its own youth while simultaneously serving the needs of other youth in the Triad. NEEDS OF COMMUNITY
NEEDS OF FIRST BAPTIST
In the wake of pandemic shutdowns, youth are in need, now more than ever, of deep and meaningful connections with their peers. A youth choir has the potential to meet this need. And while it does so, it fuels students’ love for singing. Energy like this has the capacity to travel out from one choir and into others – potentially bolstering school choral groups also set back by the pandemic.
Singing in small groups requires a high level of vulnerability that can be discouraging and uncomfortable. In a choir like this, moments of confidence and connection don’t come easily. Inversely, singing in a large group can be a source of great comfort and grounds for relationship-building. Such community creates the potential for powerful moments of music making and spiritual formation. Youth at FBC deserve this kind of music ministry.
CHOIR AT AN INTERSECTION
HOW (continued)
In creating a choir for both FBC youth and other youth in the community, an intersection is formed. At this intersection, much is found: varied faith, identity, race, culture, class, polity. In this diversity, there is valuable opportunity to learn from others, hear their stories, and share one’s own. An intersection, particularly one centered on singing, is a sacred place for experiencing transformational love. Love so powerful that brokenness finds healing, injustice finds equity, and hatred finds repentance. Such love is experienced so deeply in choral music, such love will be experienced so deeply in INSPIRO.
PROMOTIONS: Beyond physical and digital media, three face to face mediums would be used for promotions: THINK TANK IN PERSON VISITS STUDENT LEADERSHIP Regular visits to school and church To cast a wider net for member- No one recruits better than choral programs is one of the most ship, seeking input from leaders students. By starting a student effective ways to share about this throughout Greensboro is a key leadership team in the first year of choir. By visiting face to face, key task. Individuals in various circles this project, students get to share relationship building with students would be invited to 2-3 meetings their input on important planning and directors will build excitement to share their unique perspective on decisions. This will garner “buy in” youth in their communities. and credibility for INSPIRO. before registration even starts.
DEFINE “INSPIRO”
The word “inspiro” is found in many languages meaning “to breathe” or “to inspire.” In this choir at the intersection of varied beliefs, the name INSPIRO seeks to represent the diversity of humanity and the ability of choral music to spur this motion in oneself and in others. To breathe is to have life. To sing is to breathe this life into ourselves and back into the world. To inspire is to recognize that this breath ignites healing, unity, and change. Breath and inspiration. This is what we seek in INSPIRO: The Triad Youth Choir.
CHOIR STRUCTURE WHO: High schoolers WHEN: August-June REHEARSE: Weekly at FBC Greensboro PERFORM: A varied repertoire from sacred to contemporary. Texts that proclaim the power of love in the world. Perform at local events and concerts. JOIN: Register for a voicing to meet the director and identify your voice part. TUITION: $250. Scholarship available.
TUITION
CHURCH RESOURCES STRUCTURE: FBC already has many resources in place to offer INSPIRO: communication systems, instruments, rehearsal spaces, staff, and more. STAFF: FBC has a history of large youth choirs. Directing them has always been a parttime job or part of a full-time job. Longterm, INSPIRO would only require parttime work. However, it will take two years of full-time work to get it started. FUNDING: The finance committee and endowment trust committee are considering funds outside the annual church budget on which INSPIRO would rely.
HOW OVERVIEW: Added to the regular responsibilities for Director of Music for Children and Youth, it will take two years of fulltime employment to lay the groundwork for INSPIRO’s success: one year to organize, and a second year to continue logistical work and direct the choir in their inaugural season. ORGANIZATION/LOGISTICS: Groundwork includes tasks such as building the registration process, finding performance opportunities, exploring potential partnerships, and building the scholarship program.
TRIAD YOUTH CHOIRS COMMITTEE: For accountability and support, a committee would need to be formed to oversee INSPIRO. Foreseeably, this committee might have tasks such as helping envision events for the scholarship program, reviewing registrations and scholarship applications, approving members of the student leadership team and community think tank, and acting as a sounding board in other planning processes.
BUDGET OVERVIEW: To start, INSPIRO would require up to $150,000 over 5 years. After that, INSPIRO would rely on a scholarship program, partnerships, and small additions to the church budget. SPECIAL FUNDING: The proposed total would include salary supplement for the Director of Music for Children and Youth to make the role full-time for two years, student transportation to in-town events, an accompanist, stipends for the the INSPIRO community leader think tank, scholarship seed, and more. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: To ensure a long and equitable future, INSPIRO needs support from a scholarship program. This program would collect funds via scholarship events, likely one event per year at First Baptist, and possibly more throughout the Triad. A seed from special funding would be essential in the scholarship program’s early years, but would require less each year until 2027, at which point it could foreseeably raise enough funds to cover all scholarships on its own. ANNUAL CHURCH BUDGET: After 2 years of preparations, responsibilities for the community youth choir would fit within the part-time position of Director of Music for Children and Youth, already a part of the church budget. Depending on the growth of the program, by 2027 there may be need for other items in the church budget, such as INSPIRO promotions, transportation to in-town events, and an assistant director. PARTNERS: Partnerships with other churches and community organizations would be essential in the long-term future of INSPIRO. These organizations could help bring to fruition in-town transportation, tour funding, and special music. Additional collaborative opportunities could include joint concerts with other community groups and schools, and partnerships with collegiate music programs such as UNCG and NC A&T.
Why would a church like First Baptist have interest in offering an intersection for different faiths?
• The stories of our faith frequently place Jesus and the Disciples at an intersection with diverse community. By sharing common ground with others in songs of transformational love, we look more like Jesus, not less.
FAQs