Description

Position Summary

The Choir Director provides musical, spiritual, and organizational leadership for the adult choir ministry of Roberta Church. This person is responsible for selecting, preparing, and directing choral music for Sunday worship and special services, while helping the choir lead the congregation in meaningful, Christ-centered worship.

The Choir Director should understand that church music is ministry first. The goal is not simply to perform music well, but to help the congregation worship God through music that is prepared, faithful, appropriate, and offered with excellence.

Experience with handbells is preferred but not required. Depending on the candidate’s experience and the needs of the church, the Choir Director may help support or direct the handbell ministry.

Primary Responsibilities

Adult Choir Leadership

The Choir Director will provide leadership for the adult choir, including weekly rehearsals, Sunday morning preparation, and musical direction during worship.

The choir typically sings each Sunday, except during planned time off in the summer and potentially at other times throughout the year. The Choir Director is expected to be present each Sunday, whether or not the choir is singing, unless approved time off has been arranged.

The Choir Director will lead one weekly choir rehearsal and a Sunday morning run-through or warm-up prior to the worship service.

Worship Music Selection

The Choir Director is responsible for selecting choral music for Sunday worship and special services. Music selections should be appropriate for the choir’s ability, the church’s worship style, the Christian season, and the overall worship life of Roberta Church.

Selections should reflect sound Christian theology, musical quality, and the ability to support congregational worship. The Choir Director will coordinate with the pastor as needed to ensure music supports the direction and tone of worship.

Handbell Ministry

Experience with handbells is preferred but not required. Depending on the candidate’s experience and the needs of the church, the Choir Director may help support or direct the handbell ministry.

If another church member provides leadership for handbells as a ministry, the Choir Director will coordinate with that person as needed to support worship planning, scheduling, and communication.

Rehearsal Preparation and Leadership

The Choir Director will plan and lead rehearsals that are organized, productive, respectful of time, and encouraging to choir members. Rehearsals should help singers grow in confidence, learn their parts, understand the message of the music, and prepare to lead worship well.

The Choir Director should create a rehearsal environment marked by preparation, patience, encouragement, accountability, and joy.

Music Library and Resources

The Choir Director is responsible for managing the choir music library. This includes selecting, ordering, organizing, maintaining, and tracking choral music and related resources.

The Choir Director should work within the approved music budget and follow church procedures for purchases, reimbursements, and recordkeeping.

CCLI Tracking and Reporting

The Choir Director is responsible for track and report music usage as required for CCLI licensing. This includes maintaining accurate records of songs used in worship when needed and coordinating with the church office, Pastor, or worship planning team to ensure compliance with CCLI reporting requirements.

Worship and Staff Coordination

The Choir Director will work closely with the pastor, accompanist, church staff, and worship leaders. The Choir Director reports to the pastor for daily activities, worship planning, scheduling, and ministry coordination.

The Choir Director is expected to attend staff meetings and worship planning meetings as requested.

The Choir Director will provide necessary information for the weekly bulletin, order of worship, slides, livestream, and other worship planning needs by the requested deadlines.

Special Services

The Choir Director will help provide music leadership for special services and seasonal worship opportunities, which may include Advent, Christmas Eve, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, funerals, revivals, patriotic services, and other church services.

Funerals and special services are included in the base pay and are dependent upon the Choir Director’s availability.

Choir Member Care and Development

The Choir Director will encourage and support adult choir members as part of the church’s music ministry. This includes welcoming new members, helping singers grow in confidence, encouraging commitment, and maintaining a positive and Christ-centered choir culture.

The Choir Director should lead volunteers with grace, clarity, humility, and confidence.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate should have:

A personal Christian faith and respect for the mission and ministry of the church.
Experience directing an adult church choir or comparable vocal ensemble.
Ability to read music and teach vocal parts.
Ability to select appropriate choral music for worship.
Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
Ability to work well with volunteers of varying musical abilities.
Understanding of traditional church music, hymns, anthems, and seasonal worship planning.
Ability to work cooperatively with the pastor, accompanist, church staff, and volunteers.
Dependability, preparation, and professionalism.
Experience with handbells is preferred but not required.
Formal music education or a degree in music, church music, music education, or a related field is preferred but not required.

Desired Qualities

The Choir Director should be:

Spiritually grounded.
Musically competent.
Organized and prepared.
Patient and encouraging.
Respectful of the church’s worship traditions.
Able to lead volunteers well.
Comfortable giving clear direction.
Willing to collaborate with the pastor and staff.
Committed to the ministry of worship, not simply musical performance.
Time Expectations

This is a part-time position. Weekly responsibilities generally include:

One weekly choir rehearsal.
One weekly Bells rehearsal, if applicable.
Sunday morning warm-up/run-through.
Sunday worship leadership.
Music selection and preparation.
Order of Worship for each service.
Communication with choir members, accompanist, pastor, and church staff.
Music library organization and planning.
Staff or worship planning meetings as requested.
Additional preparation may be needed during seasonal worship periods or for special services.

Time Off and Paid Sundays

The Choir Director receives two weeks of personal time off per year, equivalent to the position’s employment level. For example, a one-quarter-time position would receive 20 hours of personal time off per year.

The Choir Director may take up to two paid Sundays off per year. Additional Sundays away must be approved in advance and may be unpaid unless otherwise approved by the Pastor and SPRC.

All time off should be coordinated with the Pastor in advance to ensure worship coverage.

Working Relationships

The Choir Director works closely with:

The Pastor.
The Accompanist.
Church administrative staff.
Adult choir members.
Bell choir members or bell ministry leader, if applicable.
Worship and music ministry volunteers.
Staff-Parish Relations Committee, as needed.
Accountability

The Choir Director reports to the Pastor for daily activities, worship planning, scheduling, ministry coordination, employment matters, and performance reviews.

The Choir Director is accountable to the Staff-Parish Relations Committee for compensation, and personnel policies.

Purpose of the Position

The purpose of this position is to help lead the congregation in worship through faithful, well-prepared, Christ-centered choral music. The Choir Director should understand that the adult choir is not simply a musical group, but a ministry of the church called to help the congregation worship God with heart, mind, soul, and voice.

Where handbells are part of the worship ministry, the Choir Director may support coordination with the bell ministry so that all music offered in worship is prepared, thoughtful, and aligned with the church’s worship life.

Requirements

See Job Description