1. A great choir member loves the Lord and loves to sing. These are the two basic requirements to sing in our choir. There is simply a joy about the choir member who possesses these two passions. They have fallen in love with the One Who has placed the song in their heart.

 

2. A great choir member is faithful. It’s no secret that we can’t build a music ministry on people who aren’t there! Many people with the best of intentions just can’t make it to choir rehearsal, but let me remind you that “people vote with their feet.” You make it clear where your commitment is by where your feet take you.

 

3. A great choir member is prompt. Ouch! The old adage is still true: “Early is on time; on time is late. ” Nuff said”

 

4. A great choir member gets along well with others. You may not like the dress of the lady sitting next to you or the shoes she wears, but you can still find a way to graciously accept those in the choir who can be challenging. The great choir member knows how to get beyond themselves and reach out to others and love others.

 

5. A great choir member cooperates well with group efforts. Not everyone understands all the necessary dynamics of being part of a group. Being part of a group requires often laying down your individual ideas and agendas…for the sake of the whole group. Some people can do this easily, some can’t. But the great choir members recognize the importance of cooperating well the entire choir.

 

6. A great choir member is committed to learning the music well. Excellence is valued. Great choir members want to get it right and want the musical presentation to be the best it can possibly be. They will go the extra mile. All of our music should be memorized. This takes effort at rehearsal and on your own time.

 

7. A great choir member is committed to prayer. They seek diligently to pray for all those who are part of this sanctified group of worshippers..

 

8. A great choir member is expressive both vocally and in communicating the message of the song. No longer is it good enough to just stand there and sing. This is the day of powerful communication. For the congregation to fully grasp the impact of our presentation, we need great choir members who will pour their heart into effectively communicating the lyric with sincerity. Just think about the lyric you are singing and sing like you mean it…because you do!

 

9. A great choir member is diligent in the rehearsal process. They are teachable and can focus. The hardest part of any choir director’s job in a rehearsal is not teaching or conducting the music. It’s getting and maintaining the focus of attention of the choir members. Sometimes that is easier than at other times. When it’s explained to the choir how some actions can totally break the focus of rehearsal, they can develop a greater sensitivity as to when that is acceptable and when it’s not. Occasionally, we all need a little break in the atmosphere, but when it’s time to ‘knuckle down’ and get the job done, we need choir members who are ready to focus and work.

 

10. A great choir member is accountable. I know of no organization that’s worth it’s salt that does not demand some measure of accountability. In this day of voice mail and email, it’s easy to let the leadership know if you need to be absent from a rehearsal or service. The ultimate point to this is: Never leave the minister of music questioning your level of commitment. To me, that is the full responsibility of the individual choir member. We all have situations and circumstances that take us away from time to time, but there’s really no excuse for not letting the leadership know why you are not at your God called position.