Published Jul 14, 2021
by Roger Byrd, Church Revitalization Team, CSBC
Usually, depending upon how “part-time” the position is, the focus of the music leader’s ministry can be on a “segment” of the music ministry. If a music leader is hired to spend 10 hours weekly in that ministry, then worship planning, working with the choir, praise team, soloists or small groups is where they should be focused. If you add more time toward full-time ministry, more expectations can be added.
Four areas of work might be considered and include.
- Worship
- Children/Youth
- Music & Worship Development
- Ministry
Then they can be added together as the worker time increases. For instance …
Level 1. Worship. (10 hours/week)
The first area of music work in the church will probably be in the worship services. The focus here is on everything having to do with worship and music. The choir, praise team, soloists, sound, instruments, media, planning, directing and evaluating.
Level 2. Children/Youth (add 10 hours/week; 20 hours total)
Add developing children and youth musical ministries. Along with developing leaders for children’s choir, youth choir, drama, youth bands, kids’ musicals and preschool choir. These groups will fuel the church’s musical abilities in the future. Lack of development now, leads to struggles in the future.
Level 3. Music & Worship Development. (Add an additional 10 hours/week, 30 hours total)
Develop your music leaders, drama leaders, creative team, sound technicians, lighting personnel, determine musical development, teaching, enlist people to serve the church and increase the musical ministry. At this level you can ask for increased special programs by choirs and teams; introduce mission trips and focus on discipleship development.
Level 4. Ministry. (Full-time. 40 hours/week)
The ministry level adds any responsibility not achieved in the first three. You can have complete staff and ministry/visitation responsibilities; complete church musical involvement to the level the church has need and desire; complete office responsibility for musical or worship needs such as weddings, funerals, revivals, conferences, ministry, visitation, etc.
At each level, there is a different expectation about office responsibility and ministry involvement. The various meetings they must attend will increase as their hours increases. A quarter time worker may only need to attend a once-a-month staff planning meeting. And, where it is not terrible to expect that a “10-hour” worker visit someone in the hospital or at a home occasionally, it is hard to demand they be at outreach each Tuesday night if their time is spent on music ministry. If you expect outreach as part of the job, then it needs to be included in their time and expectations.
While these levels are rough outlines for stages of increased music ministry, churches should evaluate what their needs are and select a suitable level for music ministry.