Worship Music Director

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Worship Music Director, responsible for planning inspiring worship services with our pastor, coordinating with fellow staff, and building up musical quality and musician participation. The added complexity—and fun—is that we worship in two different musical styles, currently alternatingeach week month.

1. Guitar-led contemporary Christian music, 4+ piece band, pop-rock of all stripes, global, secular covers, or whatever connects God’s message of grace with real-life messages and a heart for the world passion. (2nd & 4th Sundays)2. Traditional, liturgical Lutheran that's piano-led, led by lead vocalist(s), often with choir, bells, strings, and occasionally horn ensembles— inspiring us in the present with the faithfulness of days past. (1st & 3rdSundays)

Incoming director should be a servant-leader with

• excellent musical and vocal talent, • easy people skills and • good sense of humor, • experience developing leaders, and • recruiting and nurturing new participants to use their gifts.

Incoming director will be lead instrumentalist and vocalist, will support existing ensembles and choirs, and along with other recruited volunteers or staff, also develop new ones for youth and children. Understanding and comfort with variety of musical instruments, worship planning software, and AV and tech elements of worship production are critical. And of course, planning holiday services, creative outreach events in-house and in the community are also part of the mix.

Because all of us are all unique, details of job description and work expectations will be finalized as conversations progress. Our long-tenured, gradually retiring PT Music Director will be available to assist on a regular schedule of Sundays (with a great voice and major piano talent), but she is eager to have the freedom to travel and to support a gifted successor.

CHURCH CONTEXT

Messiah Lutheran Church (ELCA), is a mid-sized but growing congregation in Chicago’s north suburban Wauconda, IL, where our vibe is “casual on the outside, serious on the inside.” We have new pastoral and faithful lay leadership committed to building a more inter-generational congregation, raising the energy and impact of the church— and lowering the median age of worshipers. There’s increasing excitement, visioning, and financial strength as our systems get better, our guest count gets larger, our staff gets bigger, and our dreams get bolder.

We’re grateful to God, kind to each other, curious about change, gracious about goof-ups, eager for improvement, and willing to work hard to change lives with Jesus’ love–and grow this long-faithful, humble, and holy Body of Christ that He’s entrusted to us.

Messiah has a long history of….

1. wonderful music (contemporary and traditional)2. strong children’s ministries 3. a large and dynamic preschool4. a commitment to full inclusion of all God’s peopleregardless of labels5. a beautiful 20-year-old exposed-timbered sanctuary with amphitheater style seating, and 6. a multi-use campus right off US Rt 12, with great spaces for ministry that serves the community in diverse ways.

With a gifted office team, an energetic new program-building Children & Family Director to support them, thisWorship & Music person will have the full support of our pastor, a long-serving band of gifted musicians and vocalists, creative staff and lay teammates, as well.

COMPENSATION: $30-35/hour for 10-15 hours/week, with room for growth as the music program and other employee responsibilities increase.

Email: [email protected]

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $30.00 - $35.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Work Location: In person