Country Club Christian Church seeks an individual to refresh and reinvigorate the existing, high-quality music program to serve the whole church community. We seek a person of extraordinary creative ability and energy who will embrace the Church’s rich and distinguished traditional, classical style of music while also having the experience, desire, and talent to engage others seeking fellowship through more contemporary formats. The person we seek will work creatively with other professional and lay leaders to make music increasingly important in a broad range of church activities and to give access to and involve large numbers of the congregation in the music program. That person will work in a team environment in planning worship and other community activities which will incorporate music as an important aspect of ministry and development of a relationship with God. Our search is for a personable and engaging leader who will administer, as well as participate in, an expanded ministry of music.
At present, the major elements of our music program include:
• Chancel Choir (adults)
• Country Club Singers (smaller subset of Chancel Choir)
• Celebration Singers (Small, adult choir performing at 9:00 a.m. service)
• Organ Music
• Handbells
• Orfesstra (percussion-based ensemble of adult/youth)
• Children’s Choir
• Youth Choir
Music is provided for three (3) Sunday morning services, special seasonal services and programs, Lenten series, funerals, and weddings (as contracted). The Music Council supervises the recording of worship services for broadcast weekly on a local radio station. It handles organ and piano maintenance, the purchase of music, and related matters. Currently, the Minister of Music works directly with the Senior Minister in planning worship services and is responsible to the Senior Minister and the lay-led Personnel Committee, works with the laymember Music Council, and attends weekly staff meetings. The Minister of Music currently oversees the work of the Director of Children’s and Youth Choir as well as the Associate Organist, determines and submits budgets for the music ministry, and oversees the expenditures of the approved budget.
From its present, strong base, the music ministry is poised to grow in effectiveness and numbers of those participating. New leadership will provide his or her own areas of emphasis, but the following are already recognized as providing opportunities for improvement and growth:
• Actively recruiting and welcoming of new choir members and musicians from within and outside the Church in a wide variety of music activities and experiences without demanding a requisite skill level or formal training.
• Developing ways and opportunities to incorporate contemporary and other musical styles and elements into worship services and other events at the Church.
• Developing and presenting special music programs at the Church and developing and rehearsing, as necessary, special music programs in cooperation and partnership with area colleges and universities, other congregations, musical groups, and guest artists.
• Attracting new members through participation in or attendance at music events and programs.
• Evaluating and exploring the Church’s ability to reach and engage others through technologically-advanced means and media.
• Developing music ministry as an integral part of the life of the Church.
We seek not just the continued maintenance of an already strong program of high-quality church music but leadership and creativity which will build upon past accomplishment and update the Church experience using the talents and desires of this congregation and others outside the congregation to broaden music’s impact on the church community and to inspire, engage and reach those who seek and respond to God through different musical voices.
The ideal candidate will be a musician with superior skill and talent in choral conducting, voice and keyboards (piano or organ). We seek a person who has excellent communication skills and who inspires others to share their talents and participate. The preferred candidate will have, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree in music or a graduate degree or graduate work emphasizing sacred music, and prior experience in a church setting. Training in liturgical principles and/or experience planning worship services would be viewed as beneficial.
Qualified candidates should send correspondence, resumes and links to sample performance videos by email to: [email protected].
