Help Me Please

[LadyG]

Hello all. First of all I love this site, it is such a blessing. I'm fairly new on here so I'm getting use to how things work. Well I was wanting to know if there is a difference between a Minister of Music and a Musician? I've been playing the organ for this church for almost a year(in January) and I have no say over anything. All I do is sit there and play songs that the director tells me to play but I'm suppose to be "Minister of Music". Maybe its just me but I know that with this position I should have more responsibilities than I do. I do know that one issue is that I'm young and I am working with people 35 and older so all they see me as is a 21 year old little girl that needs to be taught how to welcome the Holy Spirit in and bring forth worship. I would understand if I were new at this but I'm not. I've been playing at church since I was 15 so I've gained alot of wisdom from then to now. Can someone please help me!!!!!

[jonesl78]

Hello all. First of all I love this site, it is such a blessing. I'm fairly new on here so I'm getting use to how things work. Well I was wanting to know if there is a difference between a Minister of Music and a Musician? I've been playing the organ for this church for almost a year(in January) and I have no say over anything. All I do is sit there and play songs that the director tells me to play but I'm suppose to be "Minister of Music". Maybe its just me but I know that with this position I should have more responsibilities than I do. I do know that one issue is that I'm young and I am working with people 35 and older so all they see me as is a 21 year old little girl that needs to be taught how to welcome the Holy Spirit in and bring forth worship. I would understand if I were new at this but I'm not. I've been playing at church since I was 15 so I've gained alot of wisdom from then to now. Can someone please help me!!!!!

In a nutshell:  The musician just plays what he/she is directed to play...
           The MOM has the final say over the entire music department

[ApostolicFemale]

Your title seems to be just a title and not an actual job description.  I am actually wishing I could find a church where I could just sit and play...lol

You should consider going somewhere that your skills are needed.

[momuzik]

In a nutshell, the MOM is responsible for all things musical (the vocalists, band, songs, rehearsals, arrangements, etc...). The MOM should have the last say (other than the pastor). The MOM doesn't necessarily have to play and instrument.

Here's an ad for an MOM position that someone recently posted on this site; I kept it to help me examine myself:

Specific Responsibilities: (Music related)
• Provide opportunity for gifted musicians and artists to utilize their giftedness from a ministry platform
• Provide teaching for the church that challenges them in the area of personal as well as corporate worship so that they will be consistently encouraged to intentionally meet God
• Shepherd and disciple Worship Ministry members
• Prepare music for Sunday morning, Tuesday evening, and special events
• Conduct and rehearse vocal groups and instrumentalists
• Write arrangements for services, vocalists and instrumentalists
• Select music and orchestrations for vocalists and instrumentalists
• Audition singers and instrumentalists

Specific Responsibilities: (Non-music related)
• Help plan a yearly calendar and budget for the Worship Ministry and monitor expenditures, setting goals for growth
• Organize maintenance and repair of all music and sound equipment
• Arrange and coordinate use of music, sound, lighting personnel and equipment for services and special events
• Order new equipment
• Provide ministry data and reports as requested

Education
• Bachelor’s degree in music and/or Church Ministries preferred

[LadyG]

Thank you all the info I recieved was helpful

[JustBritt]

I like this!

[betnich]

In a nutshell, the MOM is responsible for all things musical (the vocalists, band, songs, rehearsals, arrangements, etc...). The MOM should have the last say (other than the pastor). The MOM doesn't necessarily have to play and instrument.

Here's an ad for an MOM position that someone recently posted on this site; I kept it to help me examine myself:

Specific Responsibilities: (Music related)
? Provide opportunity for gifted musicians and artists to utilize their giftedness from a ministry platform
? Provide teaching for the church that challenges them in the area of personal as well as corporate worship so that they will be consistently encouraged to intentionally meet God
? Shepherd and disciple Worship Ministry members
? Prepare music for Sunday morning, Tuesday evening, and special events
? Conduct and rehearse vocal groups and instrumentalists
? Write arrangements for services, vocalists and instrumentalists
? Select music and orchestrations for vocalists and instrumentalists
? Audition singers and instrumentalists

Specific Responsibilities: (Non-music related)
? Help plan a yearly calendar and budget for the Worship Ministry and monitor expenditures, setting goals for growth
? Organize maintenance and repair of all music and sound equipment
? Arrange and coordinate use of music, sound, lighting personnel and equipment for services and special events
? Order new equipment
? Provide ministry data and reports as requested

Education
? Bachelor?s degree in music and/or Church Ministries preferred

This is good - IMO the difference between a MOM and a musician is that the MOM has responsibilities over other musicians - to rehearse them and coordinate with the vocalists. A MOM may also be over the Choir, or in some churches there may be a Choir Director/Praise leader and a MOM (frequent source of conflict)

MOM's also do a lot of organizational work in the background, like scheduling, making lists, arranging, preparing songs and charts, making sure they are organized and filed properly, calling people to fill in when others aren't there, and generally keeping the Music Dept. running smoothly...

[churchyreal]

This is good - IMO the difference between a MOM and a musician is that the MOM has responsibilities over other musicians - to rehearse them and coordinate with the vocalists. A MOM may also be over the Choir, or in some churches there may be a Choir Director/Praise leader and a MOM (frequent source of conflict)

MOM's also do a lot of organizational work in the background, like scheduling, making lists, arranging, preparing songs and charts, making sure they are organized and filed properly, calling people to fill in when others aren't there, and generally keeping the Music Dept. running smoothly...

Dealing with that right now but the problem in our church is that roles are not clearly defined so everybody getting in other lanes. But right now we don't have a pastor so nothing can really be done until a pastor is put in place.