I need help with church choir rules...

[2KlubKlarity]

I'm the 2012 Choir President of my church choir! Myself and my officers are trying to revamp the whole mass choir and figure out why participation has gone down. We would like to also like to set up some new rules. My biggest problem is the pastor going back on his word about missing rehearsal & singing Sunday morning. Personally, if you miss rehearsal, you don't sing on Sunday. But when he sees the choir is to the bare come Sunday morning, he goes and ask the members to come on up. This then isn't fair for us who took the time out to learn new songs and now we must sing OLD to accomadate the members who missed rehearsal.

I am so beyond the other issues going on within the church, but I gotta start somewhere. I know there isn't alot of rules. I just would like to get an idea of what other church choirs have in place.

Thanks in advance.
2KK

[betnich]

As long as he goes back on his word you have a problem.
Maybe if you have pre-service practices you can include the errant choir members in them - if they bother to show up early...

[2KlubKlarity]

That is another problem...they lag in all late and slip in after devotion! We can't even get them there early for prayer before we enter the choir stand! It is really ridiculous how much motivation we have lost! I WILL get down to the bottom of it lol. Thanks

[JoanHall]

The issue I deal with on the "no rehearsal - no sing" rule is that the choir members themselves want me to go back on it.  If there's only one soprano who came to rehearsal and she sees another soprano who just walked in the door, she herself will start beckoning the other soprano to come up so she won't have to sing alone.  That's the thing that's difficult for me to stand up to.

[sjonathan02]

The issue I deal with on the "no rehearsal - no sing" rule is that the choir members themselves want me to go back on it.  If there's only one soprano who came to rehearsal and she sees another soprano who just walked in the door, she herself will start beckoning the other soprano to come up so she won't have to sing alone.  That's the thing that's difficult for me to stand up to.

In this case, tell the soprano who missed rehearsal to go saddown.

[sjonathan02]

I'm the 2012 Choir President of my church choir! Myself and my officers are trying to revamp the whole mass choir and figure out why participation has gone down. We would like to also like to set up some new rules. My biggest problem is the pastor going back on his word about missing rehearsal & singing Sunday morning. Personally, if you miss rehearsal, you don't sing on Sunday. But when he sees the choir is to the bare come Sunday morning, he goes and ask the members to come on up. This then isn't fair for us who took the time out to learn new songs and now we must sing OLD to accomadate the members who missed rehearsal.

I am so beyond the other issues going on within the church, but I gotta start somewhere. I know there isn't alot of rules. I just would like to get an idea of what other church choirs have in place.

Thanks in advance.
2KK

We only have that 'don't rehearse, don't sing' rule when someone doesn't posess a valid excuse for their absence.

Other than that, I wouldn't change my song line-up because of those who weren't in attendance. I'd still sing the new songs and let the others 'flounder' and look foolish. 


One of two things will occur: they'll attend rehearsal or they'll quit. Either way, problem solved. *kanyeshrug*

[VERGER]

I certainly understand where you are coming from.  I have delt with all of what you all have said in one way or the other.  Unfrotunately, I think the biggest problem here is if you dont have pastorial support you make all the rules you want.  He or She will have to support you.  I have had that happen to me as well.  How I resolved it?  I was open and upfront with the pastor and told him or her what the real deal was.  No intimidation, no i am scared to say anything.  I mean straight up this is what it is.  The main thing is you have to be asstertive and also be consistent.  ALL THE TIME....  I have a whole guideline book I created and it did work for the most part.  Let me know if you want me to send it to you.

[musallio]

I certainly understand where you are coming from.  I have delt with all of what you all have said in one way or the other.  Unfrotunately, I think the biggest problem here is if you dont have pastorial support you make all the rules you want.  He or She will have to support you.  I have had that happen to me as well.  How I resolved it?  I was open and upfront with the pastor and told him or her what the real deal was.  No intimidation, no i am scared to say anything.  I mean straight up this is what it is.  The main thing is you have to be asstertive and also be consistent.  ALL THE TIME....  I have a whole guideline book I created and it did work for the most part.  Let me know if you want me to send it to you.

Do publish here plz/ copy some content here.
Thanks

Our rules are:

1. People in the choir must be born again;
2. The rehearsal-sing issue as everyone has mentioned;
3. Be disciplined to join the choir in prayer/ bible study or other activities unless there is a valid reason not to;
4. Report to the choirmaster at least a week or 2 in advance if you plan to travel. If it's an emergency sudden travel, try by all means to inform the choirmaster or at the very least, the pastor if you can't make it for rehearsal;
5. 

[allonesound]

If you want to be cut throat

*Rule #1 -- If you DONT PRATICE -- you DONT SING!!!

[MrSparrow06]

Honestly, you need to scrap the whole choir thing for a season. Go with a praise team, if your musicians can sing make them sing too. I would bring in guest soloists, bring in dance teams, show youtube clips of other choirs through your media ministry...

The NCAA has a punishment for out of control athletic programs. It's called the death penalty. Your music program is out of control.There is no respect from the top to the bottom. Nothing like some good ole fashioned humble pie to get things back together.

Your music ministry is in need of a revival via a gospel workshop. During the weeks when the choir is not singing I would use those rehearsals to bring in music Pastors from the area to teach about the office of a Levite. Those who miss the classes aren't "certified" to "minister through song" until the next semester of "classes"...

People won't do better until you train them. Honestly, it will be extra work but it will work.

Right now you need to prepare your case to present this to your Pastor. Nothing speaks clearer than hard cold statistics. What stats do you need? % of singers present to rehearsal, % of those on time to rehearsal, % of those who sing on Sunday, % of those on time for prayer on Sunday, % of repeat offenders should be a good start.

I gotcha back! Take down the data for at least one month. Hit me back later and we will chat about how to conduct the meeting with your Pastor.

MrSparrow

[phbrown]

  maybe rules aren't the answer


when you have the right mix of people all your rules become pointless meaning they all follow the rules without you even having to have them.


but to answer your original request


move your practices to an online version also maybe sending everyone a link to a youtube video of the songs you will be singing and asking them to listen to it before practice (facebook may be easier to get the whole group on one page LOL pun intended)



practice a song at least 3 rehearsals so that everyone knows the song before you sing it during worship



scrap the don't practice don't sing rule, if you can't enforce the rule get rid of it

[MrSparrow06]

I agree if you can't enforce a rule get rid of it.

This is a drastic situation. Sooo just do away with rehearsals for a season. Soon enough the congregation will tire of hearing the same old songs and start asking questions.

[Formuzik]

I think we have to think about church culture when setting rules for choir.  I personally believe in cultural guidelines more than rules.  Because if we have worked on a song for one month and a choir member has an emergency Wednesday night before the Sunday we are going to sing that song, do you sit them out that Sunday, though they know the song?  I think that is not an effective approach.  They have been faithful, but had a unique circumstance one time.  Let them sing!  This is after 20 years of full-time ministry. 

I am not one who do devotion before choir rehearsals.  Time is precious.  I don't believe in doing anything just because it's what we have done for years.  Prayer-yes, the opening with a song is not necessary.  I would rather take time at the close of rehearsal and give an inspirational instruction on ministry based on the music we've been learning.  When people come in late like that, they are telling you that they no longer get anything out of that part of your rehearsal ritual.  They are coming to rehearsal, so they come when they feel rehearsal is starting.  Choir rehearsal is not a church service, and we shouldn't expect people to see it as that.  It is not a prayer meeting.  I believe that if a song we are learning starts to minister to people, then move with that, but starting out with a token song and then requests and long prayers that take up time from the rehearsal is just poor time management and is not really effective for what we are coming to rehearsal to accomplish.

My format:

Open with Prayer:

Warmup

Review songs already being learned

Introduce new song

Inspirational time

Prayer

[amstudiosproducer]

I think it will be hard for you to enforce a rule that the Pastor does not enforce and allows those to still even though they have not rehearsed. You as the president need to create a sense of Execellence within your music ministry. Let them know that any ole thing isnt going to work and that  being about Gods business means doing things in decency and order.

The black church doesnt ahere to written rules its like its greek and foreign, but you coming in with an no nonsense attitude allows them to see you are serious and you LOVE GOD and want to give him your best....

[Sannysan1908]

   While I believe in the don't/can't come - can't sing method, I do take in consideration as to why that person was unable to attend the rehearsal and make a decision from there.  This ruling may work for a 25+ member choir and definitely should be applied;  I look at it like work -- you call in when you're sick/vacationing/accident -- why can't the same be applied to other obligations you have?   I call it common courtesy.
 

[KeyofB]

Hmmm. I think there maybe a deeper issue than just not wanting to come to practice. Many times when people don't attend choir practice but they sing and come to church on Sundays, there is something they don't like about the practice. I played for a choir like that and after investigating I found out it was me. But thats a whole nother story. Rules are cool and I have them. But I also make sure that my practices don't feel so much like work and more like a social organization. We work hard but we have fun too. I'm always encouraging and trying to pull the best out of my members. Find out why, really why, they won't come to practice.