Music Director Position available

Summer Job or Full Time Job

Church Pianist/Organist

(Director of Music)

Grace Lutheran Church

1 West Montgomery Street

Johnstown, NY 12095

518-762-7924

We are a small church in the Capital District of  Upstate New York looking for a pianist/organist to play for us on Sunday mornings at 10 am beginning July 7th. All pianists, including College and High School Students are encouraged to apply. This could be a great summer job or more.

Ultimately, our goal is to hire an organist or pianist to play the Lutheran liturgy, hymns, prelude and postlude music at each Sunday morning church service and other services such as, but not limited to, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Christmas Eve. In addition there might be times when you would be asked by a family if you could play for a wedding or funeral.

You would work cooperatively with the Pastor to select hymns and participate in the planning of music for worship. In addition you would assist with music for special occasions that might arise such as a Sunday School Christmas Pageant, High School Baccalaureate and Martin Luther King Jr. Service if held at our church.

Ideally, in addition to the above requirements, we would like the organist or pianist to recruit, rehearse and accompany a weekly adult Chancel Choir from September to June. You would prepare an anthem for each Sunday morning with rehearsals held weekly.

Also, we would love to continue having our three octave bell choir play several times per year and having vocal or instrumental presentations by members of the congregation.

Salary will be discussed at the interview and based on experience.

A Note from Your Vicar

Welcome to Grace Lutheran Church Johnstown New York. A family of believers who share the good news of Gods redeeming grace through word and deed. All are welcome to join us at any of our activities or worship services. The love and grace of our lord Jesus Christ is meant for everyone. Every person, every hand, every voice, matters in Gods kingdom. Come worship with us and help us make a difference in the world in the name of Christ!

Vicar Melissa M. Bedell

A Note From Your Vicar

Dear Grace Family and Friends, 

May this message find you well. As our Lenten journey concludes and we look with hope and joy to the coming Easter season, I hope you found meaning in your walk with God during this Lenten journey. I hope it brought you to peace and renewal and deeper understanding. As spring and new life start to emerge, may we all feel renewed in life and in faith. May our joy and sharing bring such renewal to others. May new and blessed things bloom forth throughout our churches and lives. May the great and almighty God keep us all safe and sound. May he bring all manner of blessings to the world. Pray with me that God may bless those preparing to plant things to nourish our world, may he bring rich soil, growing sun, and faithful working hands. May he heal those who need his hands whether in body mind or spirit. May he be with those who are grieving. May he help the suffering find rest and peace. Amen

Vicar Melissa Bedell

Holy Week Services

Palm Sunday – April 2nd
Worship with blessing of and procession with palms 10:00am
The Passion of Our Lord according to Matthew
Holy Communion

Maundy Thursday- April 6th
Soup and Sandwich Supper 5:30pm
Service of Holy Communion followed by Stripping of the Altar 7:00pm

Good Friday April 7th
Tenabrae Service 7:00pm

Easter Sunday April 9th
Resurrection of Our Lord
Worship with Holy Communion 10:00am

A Note from Your Vicar

Welcome to March. I like March. It always has interesting and sometimes wild weather, and it is filled with the in between. We are in between winter and spring. In between lent and Easter. A lingering time of contemplativeness, expectation, and quiet. We are still walking our journey to the cross. What do we do when we stop and rest from our walking? Prayer, fasting, journaling? The list is as endless as our own imaginations. In Bible Study we are discussing a book written by Max Lucado called “Help Is Here”. I wanted to share with you something I loved from it. 

“God’s plan is reduced to one strategy: ordinary folks telling the extraordinary story of Jesus with the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit.”

Folks just like you and I on our own special journey sharing how God has impacted and changed our lives. Sharing our “God moments” big and little with people we encounter along our journey. We all have moments that we just know were orchestrated by none other than the Holy Spirit trying to get our attention or to direct our paths. They hold a special place in our hearts and memories. If we make space and time and perhaps bravery to share with others it could make an impact on other lives as well. If we don’t pass the story of the good news perhaps no one else will. 

I hope your journey is going well and that you are making time to receive more special God Moments along the way. I hope your journey is bringing you peace and insight. My prayers and thought are always with all of my journey as well. 

With Love and Service, 

Vicar Missy 

A Message from our Vicar

Dear Grace Family and Friends

I hope this finds you all well and in good spirits. I am having trouble fathoming how it is the year 2023 already! Where are all the robots and flying cars? How am I heading to the age of 51? Time races on ready or not. I hope we can find some time to slow down together this year and enjoy being family together here at Grace. I pray that we can learn more about Gods word and his plans for us. I wish that this year brings all of us many joys and reasons to smile. I know that I smile every time I think of all we have accomplished together and all that is to come. I know I have a lot to learn still, and I will continue to have missteps but together we can accomplish great things. So, hats off to a new year and the continuation of our legacy here in Johnstown. May God bless us all richly.