Use My Gifts

We encourage musicians who are interested in participating in the music program to explore the full range of ministry opportunities available to them. While opportunities to serve in the worship services are limited, the need for trained musicians throughout Redeemer is great. Whether through volunteering with Hope for New York, participating in the music at a church plant, leading music at a fellowship group, or working on collaborative projects with other Redeemer artists, musicians willing to serve will not only find rewarding ministry experiences, but will be able to connect with other musicians and glorify God with their gifts.

Mercy Ministries

We strongly encourage our musicians to use their gifts to serve needs throughout the city. Hope For New York, Redeemer's ministry of mercy and justice, has partnered with numerous affiliates that need musicians and other artists. Through these ministries, you can provide music at nursing homes, lead worship for AIDS patients, give a recital to inspire kids and much more! You can obtain a list of these service opportunities by contacting Faith Huckel at faith@hfny.org. To receive regular updates of all HFNY needs, send an email to monthlyupdate@hfny.org and ask to be added to their email list. Their website www.hfny.org also lists opportunities.

Worship Services

Redeemer has five weekly worship services. The morning services use primarily classical music and the evening services use primarily jazz and contemporary music. View our service times and locations. We welcome new musicians! In most cases, membership is not required for participation, but we primarily engage only those musicians who are involved in the Redeemer community through worship attendance or participation in one of Redeemer's ministries. Because we focus on encouraging and developing artists from within our community, we are not able to accommodate touring artists or visiting choirs.

Here are some of the service opportunities available in our worship services:

Song Leaders and Vocal Soloists

Singers are engaged at Redeemer as soloists (both classical and pop styles), as song leaders, and in small ensemble settings. In general, Redeemer's soloists and song leaders are active professional or aspiring-professional singers. Soloists are asked to sing once or twice per year, song leaders more frequently. Song leaders are expected to have accurate pitch, pop-style phrasing, and to be comfortable and experienced in front of large crowds. If you are interested in participating as a soloist or song leader, please send a recording of your singing (in any style) with a cover letter briefly describing your professional experience and Christian testimony to:

Dr. Tom Jennings
Director of Worship & Music
Redeemer Presbyterian Church
1359 Broadway, 4th floor
New York, NY 10018

If you prefer, you may e-mail your cover letter and sample of your music (song files, web site, electronic press kit, etc.) to tom@redeemer.com.

Instrumentalists

Redeemer has a large instrumental ministry including the Orchestra of the Redeemer, chamber music ensembles, jazz bands, instrumental soloists and more. Pianists and organists are needed for service playing and accompanying rehearsals. The instrumentalists at Redeemer are generally active in the professional music community in New York in the classical, jazz, pop or music theater scenes. To see how you might become involved, e-mail Tom Jennings at tom@redeemer.com. In the e-mail, briefly describe your professional experience and your involvement at Redeemer. In most cases, you will be asked to participate in an informal audition.

Sound System Operators

If you have experience with operating sound systems, Redeemer has a frequent need for your gifts. Please contact Tom Jennings at tom@redeemer.com.

Choral Groups

Redeemer offers a number of choral opportunities ranging from small ensembles comprised of professional singers to large volunteer choirs. To make involvement as easy as possible, no choral group requires an ongoing commitment. The professional choirs require an audition or prior soloist experience at Redeemer. Volunteer groups are open to anyone. They occur about four times a year and do not require music reading or prior experience in order to participate. To learn about upcoming choral services at Redeemer and how you can be involved, e-mail Kristen Sharpley at kristen@redeemer.com. Please indicate your particular area of interest.

Music at Redeemer-affiliated congregations

Redeemer is not only a church, but a movement of churches. We currently have affiliated congregations throughout Manhattan, in Queens and Brooklyn, Long Island, Westchester County and New Jersey. These congregations share the same philosophy as Redeemer but are smaller and often have significant need for musicians. If you are looking to be actively involved in musically participating in worship, these congregations need you! See our list of Redeemer-affiliated congregations.

Music for Fellowship Groups

Most of Redeemer's weekly fellowship groups have a time of worship and singing as a part of their meetings and need capable guitarists, pianists and singers to lead. If you are not currently in a fellowship group, we strongly encourage your participation as a place to grow in your understanding of the gospel and as a way to build community at Redeemer. Find out more about Redeemer's fellowship groups.

Redeemer also has several fellowship groups that are exclusively for professional or aspiring-professional musicians and conservatory students. See more information on Musicians Fellowship groups.