What exactly do you do?

Have you ever been asked that? Undoubtedly, if your particular field is unfamiliar, you’ll get asked this question quite a bit. It’s obvious what a minister of music (or whatever the title: worship leader, music pastor, choir director, etc.) does on Sunday, but it seems like a logical question to ask: “What exactly do you do during the week?”

It’s a good question. And it can be difficult to answer.

In his book, From Postlude to Prelude (MorningStar Music Publishers, 2004)—a book that should be in every music ministry’s library—C. Randall Bradley articulates exactly what goes on during the other six days of music ministry. While there will be variation from ministry to ministry, Bradley provides an excellent description of a music minister’s typical week:

My job involves many challenging and important duties; however, my main responsibility is to get ready for Sunday. For instance, this morning’s worship involved lots of people, and I was partially responsible for coordinating their efforts, rehearsing with musicians, designing the worship order and worship folder, and taking care of many other details. A typical week for me might involve worship planning, staff meeting, committee meetings, rehearsals, rehearsal preparation, long-range planning (seasonal music, future choral presentations, and other special music), project planning (youth choir tour and music camp), administration (writing letters, sending cards and e-mails, ordering music, balancing the budget, purchasing materials, and meeting with tuners and repair persons), practicing, ministry (counseling, hospital visits, visits to prospects, funerals and weddings), continuing education (meeting with local ministers of music, attending conferences, reading, or studying), spiritual development (prayer, Bible study, and meeting with an accountability group), and community service. The real challenge for my job is getting it all done, and the weeks never seem long enough (Bradley, pp. 299-300).

This is an exhaustive list, but can you think of anything to add to it?

Related posts:

1. Singing through the pain
2. Avoiding distractions
3. Church Choir Survey