Top 10 Things a/(this) Church Musician Needs to Do Before the End of September

The fall “beginning” of the new church year is underway, and things are going well. But you are still needing to think ahead about what is on the horizon. Here’s my list:

Figure out what we’re going to do for worship on Sunday, December 25 (yes…Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year)
Make sure that the Children’s Christmas Musical/Pageant is on track, and determine whether or not the children’s music director needs any help
Figure out what we’re going to do for worship on Sunday, January 1 (yes…because Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, so does New Year’s Day…sigh…)
Plan for a half day choir retreat on a weekend day in January
Figure out what we’re going to do for worship on the weekend of the all church retreat
Book the brass players and other extra musicians for Easter Sunday
Figure out the anthem and special music schedule for the winter quarter
Update and distribute the anthem list through the end of 2011 based upon the pastor’s new preaching schedule
Figure out whether the software at cozi.com will work to keep a master schedule for the church’s music ministry
Talk with the pastor about my new piano CD and how/when we are going to present it to the congregation