Congregational Church of Vergennes, UCC

The Congregational Church of Vergennes, United Church of Christ is an Open and Affirming congregation seeking a Church Musician. We are a vibrant, Christian community—full of life, music, and laughter. We have a long history of deeply appreciating the gifts of our staff in supporting an inclusive, loving, and compassionate ministry in the heart of our little city.

We seek a skilled musician that is comfortable with the classics and new pieces that grow our appreciation of the diverse ways to worship God through music. The successful applicant will be a team player, eager to collaborate with other musicians inside and outside of our community to enrich our music ministry. The church has a beloved 9-rank 1879 Hook and Hastings tracker organ and an upright Kawai piano in the sanctuary, and a Yamaha digital keyboard in the choir room. A devoted choir performs weekly in the sanctuary. In addition to having excellent keyboard skills, proficiency in other instruments will be greatly appreciated.

This year-round position is salaried and part-time. The expectation of attendance is for choir practice (8:15 am), Sunday worship services (9:30 am), and other special services, including (but not limited to) Christmas Eve and Easter. The work is done cooperatively, especially with the Choir Director(s) and Pastor. As a central part of the musical leadership team of the church, the Church Musician is expected to advocate for the music ministry.

Compensation:

1. Salary $10,000-$12,000 per year dependent upon qualifications, experience, and availability.

2. Four weeks of paid vacation per year

3. Reimbursement of up to $500 per year for professional expenses

4. This position offers opportunities to play for additional events such as marriages, funerals, and memorial services.

Dear Friends,

We've all been through a lot these last few years. During the pandemic, many of us asked questions about "ordinary" life. What did we miss? What were we hoping to do when we finally got the chance to do it again? A lot of people quit their jobs or changed jobs, saw their marriages suffer or get better, worried about their kids or saw them flourish. When our routines went out the window, we had to figure some things out—not just about the logistics of keeping things going, but also deeper questions of what it's all about. Now most of us are back in our routines. But for many of us, those deeper questions are still there.

I'm offering a course, Flourishing Life: A Course to Explore What Matters Most, this fall to help us explore these questions together. Although it's based on a popular Yale College course and a bestselling new book hailed by Maria Shriver on TODAY, there's no required reading. It's a chance to return to those Big Questions we've all asked—maybe late at night around a campfire or over a cup of coffee with your best friend. This course can really help give substance to those questions. It presents a lot of hard-earned wisdom from around the world, so that conversations can draw from a wide range of experiences.

I'm writing to see if you'd like to be part of this class. We're planning to meet on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:00 am in Fellowship Hall at Vergennes Congregational Church, UCC. We'll begin on September 11th and continue through November 6th. We'll start with a time of simply being together, to get comfortable with each other, and then we'll work our way, at our own pace, through a guided conversation about how to shape our lives so that they really take us down a path that leads to what matters most.

I hope you'll join us.

Peace,
Elliott

P.S. If you have more questions or you would like to sign up, please email me at elliott@vergennesucc.org.