skills

Must-Have Skills for the 21st Century Church Musician

Must-Have Skills for the 21st Century Church Musician

I started my first "real" church job when I was 17. It was a small Methodist church in south Georgia with one Sunday morning service, an adult choir of about 12 and a children's choir of about six. I was still learning to play the organ at the time and played most of the service from the upright piano in the front of the church. I dove head-first into worship planning, liturgy, and choir anthems and loved every minute of it.

My next job was as a Music Intern at a large Methodist church in north Georgia. I did administrative work for the children's choir program; accompanied the youth choir and women's choir, and adult choir, on occasion; played hymns and solo music in three weekly services; and substitute taught handbells, children's choir, and children's chime choir. I learned so much and gained so much practical experience during those two years.

Since then, I've served four other congregations as Organist/Accompanist, Music Director, Handbell Director, and now Director of Worship Arts.

All that to say - as church musicians, we wear lots of hats.

How to Prepare for a Church Interview: 5 Helpful Tips

How to Prepare for a Church Interview: 5 Helpful Tips

Preparing for an interview? Wondering where to start?

The interview process is never easy, but preparing in advance can help you feel more confident and relaxed and help you give more thoughtful responses.

Having recently gone through a church interview (and gotten the job - yay!), I thought it might be helpful to share a bit of my process - how I prepared, questions I asked, responses I thought through, and things I reminded myself about in the moment.

Everyone's process is a little different, but here are a few things that helped me:

How to Make Your Next Presentation The Best Ever

How to Make Your Next Presentation The Best Ever

We've all given presentations at one time or another. From classes to conferences, workshops to concert settings, presentations are a proven method for sharing information, knowledge, and resources in a succinct, interesting, and engaging way. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking about that time you sat through a presentation that was so boring, you thought your head might explode. Really? Presentations are interesting and engaging?

Hear me out. Presentations don't have to be stale or boring or by the book - mix it up! Make your presentation style unique and engaging by adding in your own personality and by thinking about it from your audience's perspective. Here are 10 stellar strategies for making your next presentation the best ever: