Position Overview

Christ Lutheran Church in Natick, MA, seeks a Music Director to guide, enhance, and develop the music ministry of the community. The ideal candidate will be someone who can provide compelling and thoughtful music for worship that includes both traditional Baroque and Classical selections and also more contemporary offerings from living composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. 

Our next Music Director would be someone with a passion for building community through music, fostering nurturing relationships with our existing musicians and eager hopefuls, and leveraging community connections to broaden our offerings. 

Music is integral to the ministry of Christ Lutheran Church and we seek someone who, working in collaboration with the Pastor and other paid music staff, will lead our program of instrumental and vocal liturgical music and help vision the continued development of the music ministry as part of the overarching mission of the congregation.

Central to our existing music program is a commitment to a Lutheran understanding of the importance of music in the life of the church inclusive of hymnody, liturgy, psalmody, vocal music, and instrumental offerings all anchored by skilled artistry at the organ and piano. In practice, this commitment is realized with a repertoire that ranges from the ancient to the contemporary and varying genres within the range.

In service of the music ministry, Christ Lutheran Church maintains a Johnson and Company pipe organ (originally built in 1874 and rebuilt in 1977 by the Andover Organ Company) as the core instrument, several high-quality pianos, newly-refurbished hand bells, and an assortment of percussion instruments including a newly-acquired set of custom Ewe drums from Togo.

The role of Music Director will include oversight and guidance of an 8–12-member adult choir that welcomes members with musical skills at all levels and that includes several members with high caliber choral talent. The congregation includes talented and active musicians who offer skills in a range of instruments.  It is anticipated that the Music Director will lead and challenge the choirs and musicians to grow in their efforts to contribute to the liturgy through music.  The Music Director will work actively with the guidance and collaboration of the Pastor to select and present musical selections that foster passionate spirituality, complement the liturgical celebration, and highlight the Music Director’s creativity, leadership, and gifts.

Responsibilities

This part-time position involves:

• Preparation for, and participation in, the weekly services of the church (one weekly service on Sunday and seasonal worship services)
• Right of first refusal for unscheduled celebrations such as weddings and funerals (which are compensated separately).
• Weekly choir rehearsals from September through June
• Regular meetings with the Pastor and the Worship, Music, and Visual Arts Committee
• Coordination with the Bell Choir Director in worship music planning

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated:

• Experience leading liturgical music for worship
• Excellence in music of the pipe organ and piano
• Record of success in managing, leading, and enabling the growth of choral groups in liturgical and other settings
• Ability to work effectively with musicians of varying talent levels and ages, from young children to adults
• Appreciation of and experience in a wide range of music styles and periods
• Evidence of a commitment to a collaborative working environment
• Openness to continued creative renewal and change
• Exceptional administrative, communication, and organizational skills

Helpful qualifications

• Formal degree in music (performance, choral conducting, composition, education)
• Experience in music technology for recording/mastering/broadcast ministry

Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Four weeks paid vacation.
• Continuing education stipend.
• Ability to use facilities (as permitted by schedule) for private teaching

How to Apply

To be considered for this position, please submit a resume or CV to musicdirectorsearch@christnatick.org. Review of applications will begin Friday, September 13, 2024 and continue until the position is filled.

About Christ Lutheran Church

Christ Lutheran Church in Natick, MA, is an active and vibrant congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Nourished weekly by Word and Sacrament we live our faith by serving our neighbors within the congregation and at the local, regional, and national level. To that end we have had a particular welcome to the LGBTQIA+ community since 2010; were founding members both of Family Promise MetroWest (an organization that serves to transform the lives of families with children who are unhoused) and the MetroWest Asylee Family Coalition (congregational affinity group working together to resettle an immigrant family from Togo). These ministries and others bring to life our mission: to welcome all to experience love and renewal through worship and a creative community so that together we can share God’s love and grace in service to the world.

To learn more about the congregation and its ministries, please visit explore our website and Facebook page.