Maintaining a Healthy and Growing Choir
It is said that a healthy church is a growing church. Likewise, a healthy choir is a growing choir. The larger the group, the more potential impact the choir has. Set a goal to have a BIG choir. How big is BIG? Simple—larger than your choir is right now!
1. Recruit, Recruit, Recruit!
You
must constantly recruit new choir members. Not only should you
personally
invite prospective members to "come and sit in on a couple of
practices," but you should also train your choir members to help you
recruit new members. Some
people are a little threatened by the “expert” choir director asking
them to join the choir; however, if their friend asks them to come, they
may be
more willing to try it. At some rehearsal sessions I write the names of
choir
prospects on the board and refer to it as "The Hit List." I want all
the choir members to help me recruit these prospects into the choir.
Watch
your congregation for folks who participate enthusiastically in the
congregational singing and meet the leadership requirements you have established
for choir members. These are your best prospects for gaining new choir members.
2. Retain Those You Have
If you
add three new choir members this month but four drop out, then you have a net
loss of one. You must have methods for keeping folks in the choir. The people
most likely to drop out of the choir are the folks with average musical ability
who come to the mistaken conclusion that their presence makes no difference in
the choir.
This
is a lie from Satan that you must overcome regularly. Communicate to your choir
members how important each voice is. Use cards, emails, and phone calls to send
words of encouragement and thanks for their efforts in choir. Everyone needs to
feel appreciated.
Remind
your choir members regularly that it does not take great voices to build a
great choir. It takes average voices dedicated and faithful to a great God!
3. Record Individual Attendance
Just
because you have someone’s name on a list and they show up occasionally
certainly does not mean you have a
choir member. Set some minimum attendance standards for choir membership.
Record
attendance in a way that is visible to the choir members. You can call roll or
check off sign in sheets so that the members know if they are absent they will
be missed.
4. Respond to Personal Needs
The
choir is a small group within the larger church family. Therefore, it
can be a “need-meeter” like a Sunday school class or Bible study group.
Show
personal interest in your choir members by taking prayer requests and
praying for
them. You can also show personal interest by having an occasional
special
practice combined with a potluck supper. We have these regularly and
call them “Choir Chow-downs.” We have a great time at these events and
get an
extra rehearsal at no extra charge.
5. Build a BIG Choir!
Always look for new choir members. It takes time to
build a strong choir that will last. Share your vision of a larger and more
effective choir with the choir you have now. Ask the choir members to pray that
additional people will be added to the music ministry.
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