Setting

DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church is located in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. Our congregation is geographically diverse serving members and friends locally in Naperville and those who are much farther away due to our access to transportation.

We are a vibrant, dynamic, and growing congregation. Our congregation is economically diverse and multi-generational. We are especially experiencing growth in young adult and queer-identified populations, as well as young families with children.

Our congregation is committed to transforming ourselves and our community in order to transform the world. We are a unique congregation open and ready to challenge ourselves in anti-racism and anti-oppression work as we engage in our mission and vision. Most importantly, we are committed to growing our Unitarian Universalist faith and cultivating our members intheir identity, strengthening their ties to DUUC.

The DUUC staff team is fully collaborative. Our Minister strives to fully integrate each area of congregational life with all other areas. It is expected that we make decisions together with the mission, vision, and goals of the congregation as our guide. We are looking for a team member that sees Worship and Music as a part of the entire Ministry picture and works with other staff to ensure that we create a fully developed faith formation process.

Principal Duties

Worship Program

• Co-creates and collaborates with the Minister and other worship leaders on Sunday morning worship services that are theologically grounded, transformative, multi-generational (moving towards intergenerational), challenging, and connecting.

• Co-leads Sunday morning worship with the Minister many Sundays.

• Collaborates and plans with the Minister on non-Sunday morning worship services.

• Crafts a visual and sensory worship aesthetic in our sanctuary in collaboration with our Minister and worship volunteers.

• Coordinates with our Audio/Visual Team Sunday morning worship needs and crafting online worship opportunities.

Music Program

• Responsible for Sunday worship music.

• Cultivates musical talent in our congregation. This could mean supervising a family choir, coordinating an instrumental program, or an acapella group.

• Develop external musical relationships in the community.

• Provide congregants of all ages, skills, and musical styles opportunities to explore music as a spiritual resource.

• Offers periodic adult learning opportunities in music ministry education.

• Collaborates with the pianist.

• Oversee and/or direct the choirs needed to best fulfill the mission and vision of the congregation.

Other Responsibilities

• Music for Member Memorial Services and Weddings.

• Oversee, recruit, and support all music-related volunteers and teams.

• Maintains or coordinates the maintenance of musical instruments and equipment as well as the music library.

Administration

• Collaborates with other staff on programming and administrative tasks

• Develops and oversees the music program annual budget.

General Responsibilities

• Creates and coordinates volunteers and teams for Worship and Music Programming.

• Creates annual goals for areas of responsibility based upon Board annual goals and professional goals.

• Creates personal and professional annual goals based upon the Board’s annual goals, if applicable.

• Reviews program team descriptions, policies, and procedures for teams that the DMWA is responsible for.

• Creates and reviews policies and procedures that apply to the DMWA position and programming.

• Reviews goals, programs, policies, and procedures annually or as needed.

• Writes an annual report for the congregation.

• Has one Sunday off per month; makes worship and musical arrangements for Sundays not working.

Professional Development

• Actively participates in the Association for Unitarian Universalism Music Ministries

• (AUUMM) and abides by their Code of Professional Conduct.

• Participates in relevant professional development and continuing education offered by national and regional associations.Other relevant tasks as assigned by the Minister.

Basic Requirements:

• Professional training as a musician

• Experience with and commitment to anti-racism and multiculturalism and an understanding of responsible cross-cultural engagement with music.

• An appreciation for many different styles and genres of music, and the willingness to ensure that this variety is represented in the music ministry of the congregation

• Basic knowledge of sound system equipment and ability to support volunteers in running sound systems.

• Experience with Unitarian Universalism, especially our hymnody.

• High degree of comfort with technology.

• Exceptional communication skills and able to navigate conflict well.

   

Successful candidates will be informed and aware of our dynamic and vibrant nature as a congregation. They will be well-versed in Unitarian Universalism; will have an understanding of how our congregation is a fully integrated community seeking to deepen our roots and approaches ministry holistically.

To Apply:

Please send a cover letter, resume, and a minimum of three, no more than six, video examples of your work (links to YouTube streams are fine) to dmwasearch@dupageuuchurch.org. We suggest the examples include: leading a group in singing or playing instruments (choir, small group, or congregation), a service you led in its entirety (music and speaking elements), and/or work that you’ve done with children, youth, and/or is multi-generational. Applications due by May 19, 2025.