Frequently Asked Questions

Sunday Musician matches skilled musicians with churches that need them. When a church has a last-minute cancellation, a special service, or wants to give its team a week off, we find a trusted musician who can step in and serve well. We are not a gig board. We are a local church music network built by two worship leaders who believe better worship teams make healthier churches.

Sunday Musician is built by worship leaders who know the local church. We are not matching bands to venues. We are matching church-aware musicians to ministry opportunities. Every musician on the list understands that playing at church is different from playing a show. It requires flexibility, spiritual sensitivity, and a willingness to serve the song, the team, and the room rather than being the center of attention.

Sunday Musician was founded by Jeremy Ross and Jeramy Burchett, two worship leaders in the Portland / Vancouver area. Jeremy has a degree in Bible and Theology with a minor in Music Ministry and served as a full-time worship pastor. Jeramy has been at the heart of the modern worship movement for over 25 years and is currently Music Director at Southlake Foursquare. We started Sunday Musician because we believe the local church needs healthier worship teams, and we saw a practical gap that needed filling.

We are a business, but our mission is ministry. We believe the local church is the hope of the world, and healthy worship teams are part of a healthy church. Our goal is to be self-sustaining so we can keep serving churches without being a burden on them. For now, the service is free for churches while we build our proof of concept in the Portland / Vancouver area.

Right now we serve the Portland / Vancouver metropolitan area. That includes Portland, Vancouver, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Newberg, Wilsonville, Camas, Washougal, Ridgefield, Battle Ground, Milwaukie, Tualatin, Happy Valley, and surrounding communities. We plan to expand one city at a time as we learn and grow.

Create a church profile on the app and submit a request with the date, instrument or role needed, service time, and any relevant details about your worship style, song list, and setup. We match your request against our musician list and find someone with the right skill, availability, and fit. Then we connect you directly to work out the details.

Right now, it is free. While we build and refine our process, we only ask for feedback. Your experience helps us make the service better for everyone. There may be a modest fee in the future once the service is proven and sustainable, but that day is not here yet.

Yes. Payment arrangements are between you and the musician. Some musicians serve for a love offering or flat fee; others negotiate their rate per service. Sunday Musician does not handle payments. We connect you, and you work out the details directly.

Our list includes guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboard players, vocalists, and audio and tech volunteers. Musicians range from experienced worship leaders and session players to capable volunteers serving multiple churches. Everyone on the list has been vetted to some degree and understands church culture. We do not list anyone who treats church music as just another gig.

That is actually a perfect use case. Easter, Christmas Eve, a baptism service, a guest speaker night, a fifth Sunday. Any service where you need extra hands or a specific skill set you do not already have on your team. Just submit a request with the details.

This is one of the biggest reasons churches use us. Your faithful volunteers serve week after week. They deserve a break. We can help you find a guest musician who can cover a Sunday so your team can rest, attend another service as a family, or just recharge. A healthier team starts with margin, and margin sometimes means bringing in help.

The more lead time the better, but we understand church life is unpredictable. We have helped churches fill a cancellation on the same week. Submit the request as soon as you know the need, and we will work as fast as we can to find a match.

Create a musician profile on the app. Tell us what instrument or role you play, your experience level, your location, your availability, and whether and how much you would like to be compensated. We will reach out when there is a need that matches your profile.

No. You need to be a capable musician who understands church culture. Some of our best matches are experienced volunteers who serve at their own church and have the flexibility to help another congregation. What matters most is your ability to serve the song, follow a worship leader, and adapt to a new environment quickly.

No. You set your own preference. You can choose to serve for a love offering, a flat fee, or volunteer. When a church requests a musician and we think of you, we communicate your preference so there are no surprises.

Arrive prepared, listen well, and serve the team, not the spotlight. Be familiar with the song list ahead of time. Communicate clearly with the worship leader. Arrive early enough for sound check. Dress appropriately for the church culture. Remember that you are stepping into someone else’s ministry for a weekend. Leave it better than you found it.

Yes. Many of our musicians serve their home church regularly and fill in at other churches when they have availability. That is the whole idea. A broader network means more churches get the help they need, and more musicians get to use their gifts.

The Bible presents worship as much more than singing. In both the Old and New Testaments, worship is a posture of the heart expressed through obedience, sacrifice, praise, and service. Jesus told the woman at the well that true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). Paul urged believers to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice, which he called spiritual worship (Romans 12:1). Worship is how we respond to God with our whole lives, not just with songs on Sunday morning.

People define these differently, but a helpful framework is that praise is celebrating God for who He is and what He has done, while worship is the deeper response of honoring Him with our whole being. Praise often feels outward and verbal. Worship involves the heart, will, and affections. Both are biblical, both are commanded, and both belong in the life of the believer and the gathered church.

Yes. Music is a prominent part of worship throughout Scripture. The Old Testament includes detailed instructions for the Levitical musicians who led worship in the temple (1 Chronicles 25). The Psalms are a songbook filled with commands to sing, play instruments, and make a joyful noise to the Lord. In the New Testament, Paul instructs the church to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). Music is not the only form of worship, but it is a significant one that God has used to unite His people in praise for thousands of years.

The Old Testament gives us a picture of worship leaders like Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, who were appointed by David to prophesy with music and lead worship in the temple (1 Chronicles 25:1). They were skilled musicians set apart for this work. In the New Testament, the role is less formalized but the principle remains: those who lead God’s people in song carry a spiritual responsibility. A worship leader is not just a song leader. They are a pastor with an instrument, guiding the congregation’s attention toward God.

Yes, but not for the reasons people usually think. Excellence matters because God is worthy of our best, because preparation honors the people we serve, and because poor quality can distract the congregation from worship. But excellence without the right heart is just performance. The goal is not to impress the room. It is to help the room worship God. When skill serves the song and the Spirit, it is a gift. When it becomes the point, it is a distraction.

Yes. God does not reject a sincere heart because of a wrong chord. But that does not mean skill does not matter. The Bible calls for skillful playing (Psalm 33:3) and for giving God our best (Malachi 1). A church with limited resources should not feel guilty about its musical limitations, but every church can pursue growth. The goal is not perfection. It is faithful, growing stewardship of whatever gifts God has given.

Backing tracks can serve a real purpose. They fill gaps, provide consistency, and allow smaller teams to sound fuller. The question is whether they serve worship or replace it. When tracks become the only way a church can function, or when they eliminate the opportunity for musicians to grow and serve, something has been lost. Live musicians bring flexibility, community, and spiritual leadership that recordings cannot replicate. The healthiest approach uses technology as a tool, not a crutch.

Build a rotation that gives people real time off. Do not rely on the same two or three people week after week. Commission and develop new musicians proactively. Give volunteers permission to say no without guilt. Watch for warning signs: fatigue, irritability, loss of joy in serving, and a sense of obligation rather than eagerness. And remember that your best volunteers should not be your emergency plan. If someone is always the one you call when a gap opens, they are carrying too much weight.

Start by identifying musicians in your congregation who are not currently on your team but have the skills to serve. Ask your worship leader and staff for referrals. Connect with other churches in your area that might share musicians. Partner with local music schools or college music departments. And if you are in the Portland / Vancouver area, Sunday Musician can help you find trusted musicians who are already vetted and church-aware. A backup list should be built before you need it, not in a panic on Saturday night.

Communicate clearly ahead of time. Send the song list, charts, and any relevant notes about your worship style and service flow. Assign a point person to welcome them and walk them through the morning. Make sure they know where to go for sound check, what the dress code is, and who leads the rehearsal. Treat them like a valued teammate, not a temp. A good experience for the guest means they will be eager to come back, and your church will gain a trusted musician instead of just filling a slot.

Do not panic. Have a backup plan in place before it happens. Keep a short list of musicians who can step in on short notice. Simplify the arrangement if needed: fewer parts played well is better than a full sound falling apart. Let the worship leader know immediately so they can adjust the plan. And after the service, assess what happened and whether your team needs a deeper bench. A cancellation is not a failure. It is a signal that the system needs more margin.

There is no magic number, but a good rule of thumb is to have at least three people for each position so no one serves more than two weekends out of four. For a typical Sunday, you may need a lead vocalist, a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist, and a keys player. That means building a bench of three or four people per role. That is a lot for a small church, which is exactly why Sunday Musician exists to help fill the gaps.

Invest in them intentionally. Pair emerging musicians with experienced players who can mentor them. Give them low-stakes opportunities to grow: a simple song in a midweek service, a single song on a Sunday, an instrumental part that is easy to learn. Celebrate progress, not just polish. Help them develop both musically and spiritually. A worship musician who is growing in their craft and their faith is a gift that will keep giving for years.

Start with what you have rather than waiting for a full band. Find one committed person who can lead. Add one instrument at a time. A single acoustic guitar or keyboard can lead a congregation well. Prioritize vocalists because the congregation follows voices more than instruments. Keep the song list simple and repeatable. Train in public: let developing musicians learn alongside experienced ones. And don’t wait until you feel ready. The team grows by serving together, not by being perfect first.

Auditions should assess three things: musical ability, character, and fit. Can they play the parts competently? Do they take direction well and show up prepared? Do they understand that serving on a worship team is a spiritual responsibility, not a performance opportunity? A simple audition format is: have them play or sing two songs from your current rotation, sight-read one chart, and spend a few minutes talking about their faith and why they want to serve. The conversation matters as much as the playing.

Rates vary by region, experience, and role. In the Portland / Vancouver area, a professional session musician typically charges between $100 and $300 per service depending on rehearsal expectations and complexity. Volunteers and semi-professionals may serve for a love offering or a lower flat fee. The key is to communicate clearly about compensation upfront. Sunday Musician does not set rates, but we make sure both sides know the expectation before the match.

Both models are biblical and both can be healthy. Many churches have a mix: a paid worship director or coordinator at the top, and volunteers filling the roster. The important thing is that no one is exploited. If someone consistently serves at a professional level, invests in their craft, and carries significant responsibility, compensation honors their contribution. For occasional or rotational service, volunteering is natural. The problem arises when churches expect professional commitment without any form of appreciation, whether financial or otherwise.

The worship mix is how the sound engineer balances all the instruments and vocals so the congregation can hear clearly and engage in worship. A good mix serves the room. It is not about making the band sound great. It is about making the congregation sound great. If people cannot hear themselves sing, if the vocals are buried under the band, or if the volume is so loud that people disengage, the mix is working against worship. The mix is pastoral. It shapes how people experience the service.

In-ear monitors (IEMs) can reduce stage volume, help musicians hear clearly, and give the sound engineer more control over the house mix. For many churches, they are a significant upgrade. But they also require training, investment, and discipline. If your team is small and your stage volume is manageable, IEMs may not be a priority. Where they help most is in creating a cleaner front-of-house mix and reducing the loud, muddy sound that comes from too many floor wedges competing with the band.

A click track is a metronome played through the drummer or band’s in-ear monitors to keep everyone locked to a steady tempo. It can be paired with backing tracks and cues. Click tracks help the band play tightly together, make transitions predictable, and allow for more polished arrangements. But they require rehearsal and discipline. A click track that the band cannot follow or that fights the flow of the Spirit-led moment is a liability, not a tool. Use them for consistency, not for control.

Start with the basics. Get the vocal mics and the main mixer right. Tune the room by removing what does not need to be there. Place the drums in a position that does not overwhelm the room. Learn to EQ the system for clarity rather than volume. A well-placed microphone and a thoughtful EQ can do more than a new console or expensive speakers. The best investment a small church can make is training its sound team, not buying gear.

We currently have 48 musicians on the list and counting. We update this number regularly as we grow.

Not yet. We are focused on the Portland / Vancouver area while we build and refine our process. If you want us to come to your city, let us know through the contact page. We are tracking interest city by city and will prioritize expansion where there is demand.

For now we are only matching musicians with churches in the Portland / Vancouver area. If you live nearby but outside the metro area, still reach out. We may be able to help depending on distance. If you are farther away, sign up for the newsletter and we will let you know when we expand.